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Uruguay and Spain will face off this Friday at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara in the most captivating match of the third round of the , with a spot in the Round of 16 at stake for both teams.
Spain arrives as the leader with four points, resulting from a goalless draw against Cape Verde in the first match and a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia in the second, where Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, and an own goal completed the tally.
Uruguay, on the other hand, has accumulated two points after two consecutive draws: 1-1 against Saudi Arabia in their debut and 2-2 against Cape Verde in the second match.
The Celeste needs to win in order to secure their spot without relying on other results, but they will be doing so with a significant absence: Ronald Araújo will not be available.
The Barcelona defender made a favorable recovery from the muscle injury he sustained in recent days, but he did not recover in time for the crucial match against la Roja.
In the Spanish squad, the big news is expected to be the starting position of Lamine Yamal from the beginning, something that did not happen in his debut against Cape Verde due to medical conditions.
The young forward from Barcelona shone when he came off the bench on that opening day and was decisive against Saudi Arabia, where he also became one of the youngest goalscorers in the history of the tournament.
Luis de la Fuente is seeking the top spot in the group to avoid a more challenging round of sixteen, while Marcelo Bielsa knows that only victory guarantees Uruguay's qualification without needing to look at other scores.
The match will take place at 8:00 PM Cuba time (6:00 PM at the venue) and will be officiated by the American Ismail Elfath.
Simultaneously, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia will face off at the NRG Stadium in Houston, also at 8:00 PM Cuba time.
The African team, a major revelation of the tournament in its first World Cup participation, arrives undefeated with two points and keeps its chances of advancing intact.
Saudi Arabia, with just one point and a goal difference of -4, needs to win to keep their mathematical hopes alive in the tournament.
The history between Uruguay and Spain in World Cups shows no victories for either team: both teams drew 2-2 in Brazil 1950 and 0-0 in Italy 1990, although overall Spain has never lost to La Celeste in ten encounters, with five victories and five draws.
With four teams still mathematically in contention for qualification, any goal can completely change the standings and the fate of all the teams involved in Group H.
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