An Aitana Bonmati masterclass has steered Spain to a 5-1 thrashing of Switzerland and into the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
Superstar midfielder Bonmati scored a brilliant brace and was at the heart of everything good as the European powerhouses shook off a disastrous own goal from Laia Codina to seal a comfortable win at Eden Park.
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Spain will next face the winner of Sunday’s match between the Netherlands and South Africa in Sydney.
Coach Jorge Vilda swung the axe after the 4-0 group stage thrashing from Japan, benching five players, including Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.
He dropped starting goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez for Cata Coll, who made her international debut, while Codina made her first start of the tournament.
Laia Codina celebrates her goal against Switzerland. Credit: Getty Images
Spain only needed five minutes to take control.
Goalkeeper Gaelle Thallman made a wonderful save to deny Alba Redondo but the attacker recovered and worked the ball back to Bonmati, who threaded the needle.
Switzerland got a foothold in the game via the catastrophic own goal six minutes later.
In attempting to deal with a long ball, Codina elected to hoof the ball back in search of Coll, who clearly wasn’t expecting a back pass.
The ball instead went well past her and into the back of the net.
Redondo calmed nerves when she headed home a lovely cross from Ona Battle in the 17th minute.
Bonmati forced a wonderful diving save from Thallman in the 33rd minute with a fantastic, skidding left-footed volley.
Three minutes later, Bonmati pounced on a cross with her right foot, swivelled on the ball and worked it onto her left before coolly drilling home.
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Codina bundled home Spain’s fourth from a corner just before half-time to earn some redemption.
Switzerland should have pulled a goal back after Ana Crnogorcevic brilliantly teed up substitute Meriame Terchoun early in the second half, but she shot straight at Coll.
Spain added another in the 71st minute when Bonmati pounced on a loose Switzerland pass and slipped through Jenni Hermoso.
The veteran attacker burst forward and coolly completed the rout.
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