Spain will hope to ignite its World Cup campaign on Sunday when it faces off against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta.

A shock 0–0 draw with Cabo Verde last time out was a massive blow to Spain but, thankfully for Luis de la Fuente, did not cost the team any ground in Group H as Uruguay and Saudi Arabia also shared the spoils in their meeting.

Saudi Arabia needed some good fortune to snatch a point against Uruguay and may well require similar heroics against a Spain side well aware its toughest test in this group is still to come.

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to the action.

Spain vs. Saudi Arabia Score Prediction

La Roja Bounces Back in Style

Spain is the obvious favorite here, but that was the case last time out against Cabo Verde, which clearly didn’t work out as expected.

Frustrations from that game are likely to have fueled Spain’s training sessions this week and La Roja will be more determined than ever to really make a statement and justify its billing as a pre-tournament favorite.

Expect a stubborn Saudi Arabian defense to try and cause problems, but Spain will surely be too strong.

• Yamal’s Return: While Lamine Yamal has admitted he is not fit enough to play a full 90 minutes, he has assured fans he is ready for significant minutes after overcoming a hamstring injury. He only got 20 minutes against Cabo Verde but will expect plenty more here.
• The Threat of Failure: Spain expects to qualify as group winners and, before the tournament began, were tipped for a straight shoot-out with Uruguay. Those two heavyweights will face off next week and Spain can ill-afford to enter that game at a disadvantage.

Prediction: Spain 2–0 Saudi Arabia

Spain Predicted Lineup vs. Saudi Arabia

The Liverpool-bound Víctor Muñoz is expected to miss out with a hamstring injury, but improvements in the condition of a handful of other forwards should help De la Fuente make some changes here.

Both Yamal and Nico Williams could come into the starting lineup to try and inject some much-needed energy to Spain’s attack, although do not be surprised if neither player makes it beyond 60 minutes.

Neither Gavi nor Ferran Torres covered themselves in glory against Cabo Verde and could drop to the bench as a result.

Spain predicted lineup vs. Saudi Arabia (4-3-3): Simón; Llorente, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Williams.

Saudi Arabia Predicted Lineup vs. Spain

Manager Georgios Donis is unlikely to make many changes to his lineup for this one, well aware that his side will likely be on the back foot for the majority of the game.

Strikers Firas Al-Buraikan and Musab Al-Juwayr will hope to capitalize on rare forays forward against a Spain side that will throw caution to the wind in attack and could be vulnerable on the counter.

Saudi Arabia predicted lineup vs. Spain (4-4-2): Al Owais; Abdulhamid, Al Tambakti, Al Amri, Al Harbi; Al Shamat, Al Khaibari, Kanno, Al Dawsari; Al Buraikan, Al Juwayr.

Pick Your World Cup Starting XIs!

What Time Does Spain vs. Saudi Arabia Kick Off?

• Location: Atlanta, United States
• Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Date: Sunday, June 21
• Kick-off Time: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
• Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)

How to Watch Spain vs. Saudi Arabia on TV, Live Stream

READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC