Xavi and Iniesta playing again?! Spain’s insane stats against Costa Rica
Gavi
©Getty Images
Spain had historic possession and passing stats in their 7-0 win over Costa Rica at the start of the World Cup.
Spain started the World Cup with a stunning 7-0 win over Costa Rica. So the last doubts are cleared: Luis Enrique’s team is one of the top favorites for the world title. The Spaniards’ pass and ball possession statistics were particularly impressive – reminiscent of the golden days with Andres Iniesta and Xavi!
‘That was only Costa Rica’ or ‘Results can be deceiving – you might think, but not after this Spain gala at the start of the World Cup. It was hands down the best performance we’ve seen at the tournament (knowing that Saudi Arabia beat Argentina).
The Spaniards played an irresistible football reminiscent of legendary times when players like Andres Iniesta and Xavi laced up their shoes. Apparently, Spain can continue seamlessly with the new generation around Gavi and Pedri.
Ball possession and passing statistics: Spain with historical values against Costa Rica
Because what stood out next to the result in Spain’s victory over Costa Rica was the unbelievable passing and ball possession statistics. With the final whistle, Spain had 81.3% possession, which is the highest level at a World Cup since 1966 (!). In addition, the absurd dominance over Costa Rica was shown by the pass statistics: Luis Enrique’s team played an incredible 976 passes during the game, while Costa Rica only managed 165.
Another historical value: Gavi, 18 years old since August 5, is not only Spain’s youngest World Cup scorer of all time, but also since 1958 the youngest World Cup goalscorer ever. At that time, a certain Pele broke this record.
The result, the game – and above all these two statistics promise that Spain could be the highlight of this World Cup.
Everything about the World Cup at 90min:
Little Fanta without ice cream: The World Cup hangover breakfast
This article was originally published on 90min.de as Xavi and Iniesta playing again?! Spain’s insane stats against Costa Rica released.