Australia v Spain: Cup of Nations – live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Full-time: Australia 3-2 Spain

The Matildas hang on!

GOAL! Australia 3-2 Spain (Redondo 90+4)

With barely a minute left Spain get a second! It’s a slow build-up down the right but Marta Cardona digs out a good cross that Redondo smashes home first time on the volley at the near post. That was a blistering finish.

90+2 mins: Australia are defending their box with great determination. Nevin shows plenty of spunk pressing Hermoso and getting in the Spanish veteran’s face.

90 mins: Spain have lost composure in the last ten minutes or so, failing to string those combinations together in the final third to unlock the Australian defence. Too often the ball has been delivered vertically, only to find the unflappable Polkinghorne.

Five minutes of stoppage time.

88 mins: Spain have a corner on the right, Hermoso swings it in, and Mackenzie Arnold plucks it out of the sky like Atlas holding up the world. the Matildas keeper has been outstanding tonight.

That 5-3-2 is now a 5-4-1 with more substitutions.

86 mins: Kerr has worked hard all night, but she’s lacked an element of decisiveness in the final third, and it’s on display again when she runs onto a van Egmond throughball but instead of driving for goal tries to play the ball across to Foord, only to see a weak pass intercepted.

84 mins: Spain continue to probe and that ball on the inside left channel works a treat. Paralluelo’s cross is dangerous, but Arnold is brave and first to a 50-50 with Redondo and earns a free-kick, as well as a couple of bruises for her troubles. The Spanish forward is harshly booked for what was a legitimate contest for the ball.

82 mins: Great hustle from Foord to close down space on the right. Polkinghorne is then too strong in the air in the box, but the attacks keep coming from Spain. Another cross is stabbed clear, but only as far as Hermoso – who shoots harmlessly over the bar. Spain’s 18th shot of the night (to Australia’s 14).

80 mins: Australia are now set up in a 5-3-2 formation, happy to absorb whatever Spain throw at them.

78 mins: ANOTHER GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY GOES BEGGING! Spain, dear oh dear. Turnover in midfield, Salma Paralluelo, just on as a substitute, has only one defender in front of her, who she turns inside out, only to then smash a shot wide of Arnold’s goal. Vilda will wonder how his side is not at least level.

One final drinks break as the teams prepare for the final 15 minutes. Gustavsson must be imploring his side to push further out and avoid being suffocated by Spain’s relentless passing. Australia have been second best this half, relying on some inspired goalkeeping and a resolute rearguard action to retain their first half advantage.

GOAL! Australia 3-1 Spain (Olga Carmona, 73)

Finally Spain hit the scoreboard. A corner from the right is headed to the edge of the box where the Spanish left-back executes a technically brilliant half-volley, angling her body, striking her foot through the ball with power to send it through a forest of legs and beyond Arnold.

72 mins: And now the Matildas break! And they have the ball in the back of the net again – only to see the offside flag raised. It’s another very tight call with Gorry and Grant hitting the line at different phases in the counterattack.

Nevin and van Egmond come on for Vine and Cooney-Cross.

71 mins: Play is almost at walking pace 25m out from Australia’s goal as Spain pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, waiting for an opening that never comes. A cross comes in for the left but it’s blocked behind off the boot. The corner comes to nought and it’s back to the pass clinic.

69 mins: Excellent defending from Polkinghorne, reading the space superbly to block Redondo and intercept the throughball. Australia are now fixated on defence, closing down Spain’s wide players and stepping out to block or disrupt with maximum intensity.

67 mins: A rare long ball to Hermoso demonstrates some frustration on behalf of the visitors, and the ball just ricochets away allowing Australia to take some sting out of the game.

65 mins: The advantage of all those gold shirts in defence means Spain have less room in which to manoeuvre and a couple of trademark balls inside the fullbacks are cut out allowing Australia to move downfield.

63 mins: Australia are now being sucked into a low block and short of numbers on the counter. This is becoming an attack v defence training exercise.

61 mins: HOW ARE SPAIN STILL GOALLESS!? Another superb build-up through the lines, brilliant ball on the inside-right for the overlapping fullback who cuts the ball across for Hermoso who cannot beat Arnold from five metres out. That had to go in. Credit to the goalkeeper for another magnificent save, but that is a dreadful miss.

59 mins: A drinks break for both teams while Arnold is down receiving treatment. Williams is on the touchline warming up, but Arnold is good to continue.

58 mins: Spain get a corner on the right but Australia rise to clear. The second ball is dealt with by Kerr and the Matildas can break in numbers and at speed. The ball is slipped through for Gorry behind the line… but the flag goes up. It’s been all Spain this half, but those moments show just how dangerous Australia can be on the counter.

56 mins: Spain are relentless, keeping the ball moving, working their way through the lines, but when they hit the penalty area they run out of inspiration. Again they look to fashion a chance on the left, but this time they keep the ball moving and a shot is drilled in from the right of the box that’s deflected behind.

Raso, and her injured left hand, is replaced by Crummer. Another excellent shift from the ponytailed speedster.

54 mins: Another half-chance chance for Spain. Hermoso’s corner is helped on but Arnold is first to the ball in a decisive duel with Esther. Arnold has been a major contributor despite the one-sided scoreline.

52 mins: Australia try to control the tempo but fail to retain possession in midfield. The combinations don’t look anywhere near as slick in close when play is not fast. That’s bread and butter for Spain though who cut through for the umpteenth time, create enough space on the left for Olga Carmona to cross and her ball is dangerous but somehow ends up in Arnold’s hands after a sliced clearance. The Matildas have been riding their luck in the penalty box all night.

50 mins: Kerr does well to hold up the clearing ball for Australia but Cooney-Cross’ shot is straight at Rocío Gálvez.

48 mins: Hermoso has the first shot of the half but it’s straight at Arnold from just inside the box. She had time and space to pick her spot as Spain picked up from where they left off in the first half by dominating the ball in their final third.

46 mins: Back underway in Sydney. Two changes for Spain with Marta Carro and Oihane replaced by Fiamma Iannuzzi and Sheila Garcia.

See you in a bit. Here’s Sam Kerr.

So much to like about Australia’s performance. The pace and directness of Vine and Raso, the passing of Cooney-Cross, the quality on the ball of Catley, the fortitude of Grant, the reflexes of Arnold…

It was an energetic, confident half, that demonstrated perfectly how to combat a side, like Spain, that likes to dominate possession and build up slowly.

It wasn’t a half without concern though. Spain bypassed Australia’s press time and again and overwhelmed the Matildas in midfield. A more even scoreline would not flatter them on the balance of play, and on another day, with more decisive finishing, they might have two or three goals of their own at the break.

Half-time: Australia 3-0 Spain

A clinical display of counterattacking football from the Matildas against a very skilful Spain. Is this the high-water mark of the Gustavsson reign?

45+2 mins: Excellent one-on-one fullback defending from Grant keeps Spain in their build-up phase. When the ball finally gets into the box Polkinghorne and Hunt are on hand to mop up.

45 mins: Concern for Raso who is receiving treatment to a couple of fingers on her left hand. She’s ok to continue, for now.

44 mins: Kerr has to make it four but she drags her shot wide! Cooney-Cross has excelled with her long throughballs from deep and the latest hits Kerr on the run in behind but bearing down on goal with only Misa to beat the Australian skipper fluffs her lines.

GOAL! Australia 3-0 Spain (Foord, 42)

Foord makes it three! Catley with the free-kick, floated in towards the six-yard box, nobody takes control for Spain and Foord steals in to direct her header into the back of the net. Delight for Gustavsson on the bench. The second soft defensive goal for Spain.

40 mins: Spain don’t hang around and in the space of a minute Esther and Hermoso both test Arnold but Australia survive. Foord then carries the ball 60m out of defence, resisting about half-a-dozen fouls along the way before she finally earns a whistle on the right corner of the penalty area.