Los Angeles, Jul 02 (V7N) — Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick says his team's primary objective in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Spain is to limit the influence of teenage star Lamine Yamal.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Rangnick described the 18-year-old winger as one of the most exciting footballers in the world but stressed that Austria's strategy would be to deny him possession as much as possible.

"Lamine Yamal is an extraordinary player. If he stays fit and continues on this path, he can perform at the highest level for the next 12 to 14 years, or even longer," Rangnick said.

"Football fans around the world love watching him play. But our responsibility is to ensure he has as little contact with the ball as possible. We don't want to give him space to dribble or create opportunities."

Austria will take on one of the tournament favourites, Spain, in Los Angeles at 1:00 a.m. Bangladesh time on Thursday (July 2).

Yamal has gradually returned to action after suffering a hamstring injury in April. He has featured for a total of 141 minutes in three group-stage matches and scored one goal during the tournament.

Although Austria has scored six goals in three group-stage matches—one more than Spain—Rangnick acknowledged that his side must raise its performance against a Spanish team unbeaten in 34 consecutive matches since March 2023.

"We all know we have to perform better against Spain. We need to take another step forward in this match," he said.

Austria captain David Alaba also praised Spain's quality but expressed confidence in his team's approach.

"Spain plays very attractive football and has several players capable of deciding a match on their own. But we are not afraid. We also want to play attacking football and will take the field aiming for a positive result," Alaba said.

Austria will, however, be without defender Philipp Möhne, who has been ruled out through injury. Despite the setback, Rangnick believes his squad has enough depth to provide a strong challenge to one of the World Cup favourites.

END/SMA/AJ