2018 FIFA World Cup Live updates: Spain v Russia

Isco has been a key contributor for Spain. Photo / Getty

Follow live updates from the Round of 16 clash between Spain and Russia.

For a team that fired its coach two days before its first World Cup match, Spain has quietly played its way into a fine position.

Sure, there have been questions about its defense and criticism from fans back home. But Spain still did enough to win its group, opening its campaign under new coach Fernando Hierro with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Portugal. La Roja followed that with a victory over Iran and then salvaged a draw against Morocco with an injury-time equaliser.

Three matches, six goals scored and five conceded: That was good enough to earn Spain a favorable matchup on Sunday with host Russia, which has already overachieved in the tournament, rather than robust Uruguay, which has yet to allow a goal. The Spaniards also squeezed into the half of the draw that doesn't include Brazil, France or Belgium.

Spain will have to deal with a hostile crowd at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, the historic and much-renovated venue where Russia opened the World Cup with a 5-0 romp over Saudi Arabia. "Luzhniki is my stadium," Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov said.

But Russia looked overmatched against Uruguay amid similar friendly environs in Samara.

Hierro's unexpected ascendancy to coach — after Julen Lopetegui was fired for taking a job with Real Madrid — has allowed the former national team star to build on an impressive World Cup history. He reached the World Cup quarterfinals twice in three appearances, and he scored five goals in the tournament, the last coming in a 2002 group-stage win over Paraguay. His 29 international goals for Spain rank fifth in national team history.

Goal-scoring glory aside, Hierro was no striker. He played defensive midfielder, and that's the part of the field where Spain has been shaky.

"We need to improve. Every occasion against us is dangerous," Hierro said. "If we want to go far in the World Cup, we have to make some adjustments. We have to recognise that this is not working. We have to be self-critical and recognise that we can't concede like this."