Pedro Porro’s latest performance has underlined why the 26-year-old Tottenham star continues to rank among Europe’s best full-backs.
Tottenham Hotspur surely know just how much quality Pedro Porro possesses, and it is no surprise they moved quickly to improve his deal during this summer’s transfer window.
Manchester City and Real Madrid were reported to have shown interest in signing Porro, underscoring his standing in the game.
However, while the full-back has had moments when he has struggled defensively, particularly when defending the back post at times for Tottenham, he has looked very solid at the World Cup with Spain.
Tottenham full-back Pedro Porro shines for Spain
Despite missing Spain’s opening game of the tournament, since becoming a first-team regular, Porro has impressed for Luis de la Fuente’s side, who are yet to concede a goal.
Against Austria in the round of 16 yesterday, it was another standout display from the Spanish national side, and Porro stood out once again.
Spain beat Austria 3-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Porro was among the goal scorers for De la Fuente’s side, grabbing Spain’s second of the night.
Pedro Porro’s performance underlines his quality
Not only did Porro score his first-ever professional goal for the Spanish national team, but he also delivered a strong all-round performance.
FotMob handed him an 8.9 rating, the second highest of any player in the match, with only Mikel Oyarzabal receiving a higher score at 9.1.
It is hard to argue against the rating, as Porro’s underlying numbers show just how influential he was for Spain.
The 26-year-old created the most chances in the match with five, which is impressive given the calibre of players on the pitch, including Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Pedri.
Defensively, Porro also looked solid, not being dribbled past while making seven defensive contributions.
Here is a breakdown of Porro’s stats against Austria:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Chances created | 5 (joint-most) |
| Accurate passes | 50/56 (89%) |
| Defensive contributions | 4 |
| Touches | 80 |
| Touches in opposition box | 4 |
| Successful dribbles | 1/1 (100%) |
| Passes into final third | 12 |
| Accurate crosses | 3/7 (43%) |
| Accurate long balls | 4/7 (57%) |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Headed clearance | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Recoveries | 7 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 4/5 (80%) |
| Aerial duels won | 1/1 (100%) |
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