Getty Diego Costa rescued Spain with an early goal against Portugal.
Spain made their 2018 World Cup debut on Friday, taking on a tough Portugal team in Group B play. Spain are one of the favorites in the tournament, but are surrounded by controversy after firing manager Julen Lopetegui just days before the start of the tournament.
The pressure is on for Fernando Hierro, who made his international managing debut against Portugal. It was a wild game that featured a hat trick from Cristiano Ronaldo, and Spain were only able to walk away with a draw.
Spain’s next match will be in five days, where they will take on Iran at Kazan Arena.
Spain World Cup Schedule
Spain has two games remaining in Group B, and they are the favorite to win the group. The division is led by Iran after one game, who secured a dramatic win in their opener via 95th minute own goal.
Here are Spains remaining two matches:
Spain vs. Iran: Wednesday, June 20th at 2p.m. Eastern
Spain vs. Morocco: Monday, June 25th at 2 p.m. Eastern
Its pretty clear that theres a dramatic talent drop-off in opponents after Portugal. It could be tough for the Spaniards, because right after the third match will be a tough Round of 16 matchup. The winner of Group B plays the runner-up of Group A, which likely will be either Russia or Egypt.
Spain World Cup Odds
For the foreseeable future, expect Spain to be favored at the World Cup. Spain is +600 to win it all in Russia, making them one of the top contenders. Before group play starter, Spain were -220 favorites to win Group B.
In their final two group games, expect Spain to be a massive favorite. They are laying two goals against the spread, and are close to -500 on the three-way moneyline (5Dimes). Iran showed a decent counter attack against Morocco in their opener, but benefitted greatly from time-wasting and a last-second own goal.