Spain return to action on Saturday against Saudi Arabia. And their return could not come at a better stadium, as Vicente Del Bosque’s side take on the Arab outfit at the stadium where they kicked-off their successful Euro 2008 campaign. The match at the Tivoli Neu Stadium in Innsbruck will kick-off at 18:00 hours local time, and despite not playing in Spain, the European Champions are expected to be made to feel at home by the Austrian fans.

The two teams last met back in 2006 at the World Cup in Germany. A solitary goal from Juanito from a Reyes cross was enough to seal all three points for Spain. Fernando Torres started the match on the bench as coach Luis Aragones rang in several changes for Spain’s final group game. The Spain number nine came on with just over twenty minutes remaining, and although he failed to score against Saudi Arabia, Torres still finished as the highest scorer in his qualifying group with three goals.

At the Tivoli Neu Stadium Spain grabbed a stoppage time winner against Sweden in their second Euro ’08 fixture to move top of Group D. Goals from Torres and Villa either side of Ibrahimovic’s leveller, gave the Reds all three points. Spain’s early pressure paid off as the Spanish number ‘9’ opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark with a great finish. David Silva’s cross-shot from the left-hand edge of the box was brilliantly met by Torres who diverted the ball into the back of the net.

Spain will arrive for the World Cup in South Africa on the back of a perfect qualifying campaign, winning all ten games- the highest tally ever. Until Spain’s immaculate record in the qualifiers for this summer’s Finals, only three countries had achieved a similar feat, Holland (8 wins out of 8 in 2010), Brazil in 1970 (6 wins out of six) and Germany in 1982 (8 wins out of 8).

Three more victories have followed in their three friendlies since qualifying for South Africa; with France falling 2-0 in Paris, Austria losing 5-1 at home, and Argentina defeated 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid.