Aitana Bonmati showcased her skills with two well-crafted goals, leading Spain to a resounding 5-1 victory in Women’s World Cup over Switzerland , securing their first-ever quarter-final berth. Despite Switzerland’s three clean sheets in Group A, Bonmati only needed five minutes to breach their defense and open the scoring for La Roja.
The match drew a record-breaking crowd of 43,217 in New Zealand, a testament to the growing popularity of women’s soccer. Laia Codina experienced a moment of redemption after her earlier calamitous own goal, as she found the net again with a 45th-minute effort. Her pass back from 40 yards took everyone by surprise, including her own goalkeeper Cata Coll.
Spain’s quarter-final opponent will be determined by the outcome of the Netherlands vs. South Africa match on Sunday. The 20th-ranked Swiss achieved their best World Cup finish, reaching the round of 16, which they had previously accomplished in the 2015 edition.
Crossing a strong group stage
At this year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup , Spain had a strong group stage, beating Costa Rica and Zambia by a combined 8-0 before suffering a surprising 4-0 loss to Japan. For the crucial knockout match against Switzerland, coach Jorge Vilda made five changes to the starting lineup, including the inclusion of goalkeeper Cata Coll.
Bonmati’s opening goal was a result of her impressive ball control and finishing ability. However, Switzerland equalized shortly afterward when Codina inadvertently put the ball into her own net. Spain regained the lead in just six minutes, with Alba Redondo heading in Ona Battle’s cross.
Bonmati, demonstrating exquisite footwork, scored her second goal in the 36th minute, deceiving two defenders and the goalkeeper before calmly curling the ball into the empty net. Codina, eager to make amends, scored during a goalmouth scramble, celebrating with outstretched arms and a relieved smile.
Jenny Hermoso added another goal in the second half, capitalizing on a poor clearance by the Swiss defense. With this victory, Bonmati, Redondo, and Hermoso all have three goals each in the tournament. Spain’s impressive performance secured them a convincing 5-1 lead and a place in the quarter-finals.