Spain secured a spot in the last sixteen as they eased past Zambia in Auckland, braces from Alba Redondo and Jennifer Hermoso plus a Teresa Abelleira strike doing the damage.

Knowing that victory would secure last sixteen qualification for themselves and Japan, who won earlier today, Spain started with intent, Alexia Putellas seeing plenty of the ball on her first start of the tournament.

Against the bottom ranked side competing in the World Cup, Spain picked up where they left off from beating Costa Rica 3-0 as nine minutes in, they took the lead in spectacular style.

Receiving the ball in space outside the penalty area, Teresa Abelleira unleashed a scorcher of a shot which flew past stranded goalkeeper, Eunice Sakala, into the top corner for the tournament’s fastest goal yet.

Moments later, Jennifer Hermoso doubled the lead, the number 10 left with a simple task of heading home from two yards after Putellas floated a delightful chip onto her head.

Susan Banda looked lively on the counterattack for Zambia as they sought a route back despite being smothered by Spain’s monopolisation of the ball.

She was forced from the fray with injury as half time neared, the Zambians holding firm but at considerable energy-sapping cost.

The Spanish should have trebled their advantage before the break but Aitana Bonati, scorer against Costa Rica, shot at Sakala with the goal gaping as Zambia made it in just two goals down.

Jorge Vilda made a triple substitution at the break as Putellas was rotated.

But it was Bonmati who went closest to the next goal with a header that Sakara fumbled but did well to recover in time.

The newly instated netminder next did well to keep out a rasper from Hermoso as Spain looked to kill the game with Barbra Banda forcing plenty of defensive jitters at the back.

Eventually the third arrived and it was a combination of substitutes as Eva Navarro released Alba Redondo in behind, she coolly rounded Sakala and slotted home.

Less than a minute later, Hermoso, on her century of caps, had more to celebrate when she tapped in after Redondo’s shot hit the post for her fiftieth, half-century of international goals. 

Despite initially being disallowed for offside, VAR gave it the green light and Hermoso later hit the crossbar as she chased a hattrick.

Redondo made it five with minutes remaining as Spain came on clinical in the closing stages.

With Group C now confirmed to have Spain and Japan qualify, that sets up a tantalising encounter between them on Monday whilst Costa Rica and Zambia will face off in a bid to finish on a high.