Alaba feels good physically ahead of 'very important' Spain match, future open

David Alaba, the Austrian national team's central defender, expressed confidence in his physical condition ahead of Austria's World Cup Round of 16 match against Spain. After two seasons hampered by a knee injury and subsequent muscle problems, which led to his departure from Real Madrid, Alaba feels he is playing well.

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It's a very important match for me and for all of us. I feel very good.

"It's a very important match for me and for all of us. I feel very good," Alaba said in a press conference. "Spain has enormous qualities and technically plays very good football. They have players at an individual level who make a difference. We have analyzed them and want to leverage our strengths by adapting our game."

He acknowledged Spain's strength, noting, "I don't think there are differences between the team from two years ago that won the Euros. Spain is one of the favorites in this tournament and surely has more quality than two years ago." Alaba added, "We are aware of the opponent we face tomorrow and know we have to perform better than in the previous three matches to win."

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Spain has enormous qualities and technically plays very good football. They have players at an individual level who make a difference. We have analyzed them and want to leverage our strengths by adapting our game.

Reflecting on his time at Real Madrid, which ended on June 30, Alaba described the past few years as "very complicated" due to injuries. "I learned a lot. My time at Real Madrid was very successful, I evolved a lot as a person. It was a good moment for me," he recalled. "Those were difficult months due to the knee injury and then I had muscle injuries, which prevented me from having the rhythm I wanted, but it was a very important stage for me because I learned a lot and took a lot from it."

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I don't think there are differences between the team from two years ago that won the Euros. Spain is one of the favorites in this tournament and surely has more quality than two years ago.

Regarding his future, Alaba stated he has not yet secured a team for the upcoming season and will focus on that after the World Cup. "I don't know what the future holds for me. I'm only thinking about the World Cup now, and the rest will come," he said.

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We are aware of the opponent we face tomorrow and know we have to perform better than in the previous three matches to win.