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The favorites–at least according to the odds–vs. the hosts. After each getting through group play as expected, Spain and Russia are set to meet in the Round of 16 Sunday in Moscow.
In the United States, the game is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast on both Fox (English broadcast) and Telemundo (Spanish broadcast). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch the game–and every other World Cup game–live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Fox (live in most markets) and Telemundo are both included in the “Fubo Premier” bundle, which has a channel package that is largely tailored towards international soccer fans and also has World Cup live streams available in 4K. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch any World Cup game live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch the game live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch any World Cup game up to three days after it airs even if you forgot to record it.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including both Fox (live in most markets) and Telemundo. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch every World Cup game live on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch the game live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials), allowing you to watch any game after it airs.
Fox (but not Telemundo) is included in the “Sling Blue” package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of both, and you can then watch any World Cup game live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch a game live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
Preview
Spain finished atop Group B as expected, but it wasn’t always pretty.
They made a handful of mistakes in a 3-3 draw against Portugal, they needed a somewhat fluky deflection of a goal to earn a 1-0 win against Iran, and a 91st-minute goal against Morocco helped them dodge an embarrassing defeat. While La Roja haven’t had too much trouble finding the back of the net, they’ve also had a bunch of trouble defending their own–the five goals allowed through three games is tied with Argentina for the most among Round of 16 teams.
As for Russia, the hosts entered the tournament playing some poor football–and they’re still somewhat of an enigma. They bludgeoned Saudi Arabia and Egypt by a combined score of 8-1 to start the tournament, but when they ran into a quality opponent in Uruguay, their flaws were displayed in a 3-0 defeat.
But while Spain are favored, the Russians have a few things going in their favor. One, they’re at home, which creates an obvious advantage, and two, they’ll have some added confidence thanks to a 3-3 draw against Spain in a friendly back in November.
It was a friendly, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s certainly worth noting that Spain started defenders Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos and Pique, who have each played all three games this World Cup. They struggled in that one, giving up a couple goals before being subbed out, and as previously noted, they’ve struggled this tournament. And while Spain have been susceptible defensively, Russia have shown they can be dangerous on the attack.
Now, Spain should still control the midfield as they often do, they still have terrific options going forward, and they should still be considered favorites. But this game shouldn’t necessarily be written off as having a foregone conclusion, especially with Russia having the crowd on their side. All-in-all, it should be an enjoyable match with plenty of chances on both sides.
The winner will play either Croatia or Denmark in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 7, in Sochi.