Spain fired a warning shot to their Women's World Cup rivals with a 3-0 victory over&nbsp;Costa Rica on Friday, with superstar Alexia Putellas making a late cameo off the bench.

The Spaniards showed why they're among the favourites in a Group C mismatch in Wellington, rifling 46 shots against opponents who spent nearly the entire game defending and were flattered by the scoreline.

La Roja dominated possession from the start with their slick passing and threatened a rout when all three goals came in the space of six minutes midway through the first half.

They were joined in the 77th minute by reigning two-time Ballon d'Or winner Putellas, whose fitness had been in doubt after cutting short a training session on Monday.

Coach Jorge Vilda indicated on Thursday he would carefully manage the workload of the 29-year-old midfielder, who hasn't completed a full game since returning in April from a serious knee injury.

Putellas produced some neat touches over the closing minutes but couldn't help a frustrated Spain add to the scoresheet.

Her Barcelona team-mate Aitana Bonmati was a classy playmaker throughout most of the contest, creating many of Spain's best chances and finding the net herself.

Bonmati was one of three players who returned from a nine-month exile to play in the World Cup.

She was among a group of 15 who&nbsp;made themselves unavailable for selection in a player revolt against Vilda that rocked Spain's preparations.

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The first goal came 21 minutes into the contest when Costa Rica defender Valeria del Campo sliced a low cross from Esther Gonzalez into her own net.

Bonmati doubled the lead while Gonzalez grabbed the third with a close-range volley.

It should have been four soon afterwards but Jennifer Hermoso was denied from the penalty spot by goalkeeper Daniela Solera, who was a critical figure in keeping the scoreline down.

Solera made nine saves, including a host of fingertip efforts&nbsp;in the second half, as Spain lost some fluidity.

Costa Rica are still searching for a first World Cup win, having failed to advance from the group phase in their lone appearance eight years ago, when their opening match was a 1-1 draw with Spain.

The teams share the same group as Japan and Zambia, who meet in Hamilton on Saturday.

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Spain fired a warning shot to their Women's World Cup rivals with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Friday, with superstar Alexia Putellas making a late cameo off the bench.

Spain fired a warning shot to their Women's World Cup rivals with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Friday, with superstar Alexia Putellas making a late cameo off the bench. The Spaniards showed why they're among the favourites in a Group C mismatch in Wellington, rifling 46 shots against opponents who spent nearly the entire game defending and were flattered by the scoreline. La Roja dominated possession from the start with their slick passing and threatened a rout when all three goals came in the space of six minutes midway through the first half. They were joined in the 77th minute by reigning two-time Ballon d'Or winner Putellas, whose fitness had been in doubt after cutting short a training session on Monday. Coach Jorge Vilda indicated on Thursday he would carefully manage the workload of the 29-year-old midfielder, who hasn't completed a full game since returning in April from a serious knee injury. Putellas produced some neat touches over the closing minutes but couldn't help a frustrated Spain add to the scoresheet. Her Barcelona team-mate Aitana Bonmati was a classy playmaker throughout most of the contest, creating many of Spain's best chances and finding the net herself. Bonmati was one of three players who returned from a nine-month exile to play in the World Cup. She was among a group of 15 who made themselves unavailable for selection in a player revolt against Vilda that rocked Spain's preparations. ALSO READ | Pakistan's Ayesha Naseem announces shock retirement at 18 to align her life with principles of Islam The first goal came 21 minutes into the contest when Costa Rica defender Valeria del Campo sliced a low cross from Esther Gonzalez into her own net. Bonmati doubled the lead while Gonzalez grabbed the third with a close-range volley. It should have been four soon afterwards but Jennifer Hermoso was denied from the penalty spot by goalkeeper Daniela Solera, who was a critical figure in keeping the scoreline down. Solera made nine saves, including a host of fingertip efforts in the second half, as Spain lost some fluidity. Costa Rica are still searching for a first World Cup win, having failed to advance from the group phase in their lone appearance eight years ago, when their opening match was a 1-1 draw with Spain. The teams share the same group as Japan and Zambia, who meet in Hamilton on Saturday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

FIFA Women's World Cup: Spain edge past Costa Rica 3-0 after Alexia Putellas cameo

Spain thrashed Costa Rica 7-0 on Wednesday, their biggest-ever winning margin at a World Cup, helped by two goals by Ferran Torres and strikes by five other players to send a resounding message to the rest of the teams in Qatar.

Spain were mindful of the shock defeats suffered by Argentina and Group E rivals Germany against lower opposition in their opening matches and they tormented Costa Rica from the start, going 3-0 up after little more than 30 minutes.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2022-tennis-legend-rafael-nadal-backs-argentina-to-return-stronger-after-shocking-loss-536893">FIFA World Cup 2022: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal backs Argentina to return stronger after shocking loss</a>

Dani Olmo got the goals flowing in the 11th minute when he exchanged passes with Gavi and chipped Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Ten minutes later, Marco Asensio timed a run into the box perfectly to connect powerfully with a Jordi Alba cross.

Torres stroked home his penalty in the 31st minute and the Barcelona winger claimed his second in the 54th when he took advantage of hesitant defending. Gavi, the youngest player to represent Spain at a World Cup, struck with a perfectly hit volley in the 74th minute before substitutes Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata rounded off a totally one-sided encounter.

Spain will now take on Germany in their second group match on Monday, November 28th.

Spain thrashed Costa Rica 7-0 on Wednesday, their biggest-ever winning margin at a World Cup, helped by two goals by Ferran Torres and strikes by five other players to send a resounding message to the rest of the teams in Qatar.

Spain thrashed Costa Rica 7-0 on Wednesday, their biggest-ever winning margin at a World Cup, helped by two goals by Ferran Torres and strikes by five other players to send a resounding message to the rest of the teams in Qatar. Spain were mindful of the shock defeats suffered by Argentina and Group E rivals Germany against lower opposition in their opening matches and they tormented Costa Rica from the start, going 3-0 up after little more than 30 minutes. ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2022: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal backs Argentina to return stronger after shocking loss Dani Olmo got the goals flowing in the 11th minute when he exchanged passes with Gavi and chipped Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Ten minutes later, Marco Asensio timed a run into the box perfectly to connect powerfully with a Jordi Alba cross. Torres stroked home his penalty in the 31st minute and the Barcelona winger claimed his second in the 54th when he took advantage of hesitant defending. Gavi, the youngest player to represent Spain at a World Cup, struck with a perfectly hit volley in the 74th minute before substitutes Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata rounded off a totally one-sided encounter. Spain will now take on Germany in their second group match on Monday, November 28th.

Spain stamp authority in FIFA World Cup 2022, floor Costa Rica 7-0 in group opener

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world. Such a start to this football carnival gave the fans a gist of what is about to come.

Now moving ahead, let’s have a brief look at what is in store for us on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/saudi-arabia-pull-off-massive-upset-stun-lionel-messis-argentina-2-1-in-fifa-world-cup-2022-536465">Saudi Arabia pull off massive upset, stun Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 in FIFA World Cup 2022</a>

FIFA World Cup 2022 Day 3 Matches, timings, and venues:

In the first of the four matches that are to be played on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco will take on 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia at the Al Bayt Stadium, marking this as the first occasion when these two teams will square off in the FIFA World Cup. The match will begin at 15:30 PM IST.

The second match of the day is a biggie – between former four-time World Cup winners Germany and Japan, set to be played at the Khalifa International Stadium. While this is also the first meeting between these two nations at the FIFA World Cup, Germany have never lost to Japan even during their friendly encounters in the past, having won once in 2004 (3-0). The timing of the second match is 18:30 PM IST.

In the third match of day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ex-champions Spain will play Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium. The match promises to be an exciting contest given how both squads are lined-up. This encounter will be telecasted live for the fans in India at 21:30 PM IST.

The fourth and final contest of the day will be played between Belgium and Canada, two teams that are expected to raise the bar on the match day. These teams, even in the past, have met only once, in a friendly match in 1989 in Ottawa where Belgium won by a margin of 2-0. As scheduled, the match will begin at 12:30 AM IST.

Live streaming on TV, OTT details -

All the fans across India can enjoy the live coverage of this FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sports18 and Sports 18 HD channels on TV, and on Jio Cinema app online.

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world.

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world. Such a start to this football carnival gave the fans a gist of what is about to come. Now moving ahead, let’s have a brief look at what is in store for us on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022. ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia pull off massive upset, stun Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 in FIFA World Cup 2022 FIFA World Cup 2022 Day 3 Matches, timings, and venues: In the first of the four matches that are to be played on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco will take on 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia at the Al Bayt Stadium, marking this as the first occasion when these two teams will square off in the FIFA World Cup. The match will begin at 15:30 PM IST. The second match of the day is a biggie – between former four-time World Cup winners Germany and Japan, set to be played at the Khalifa International Stadium. While this is also the first meeting between these two nations at the FIFA World Cup, Germany have never lost to Japan even during their friendly encounters in the past, having won once in 2004 (3-0). The timing of the second match is 18:30 PM IST. In the third match of day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ex-champions Spain will play Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium. The match promises to be an exciting contest given how both squads are lined-up. This encounter will be telecasted live for the fans in India at 21:30 PM IST. The fourth and final contest of the day will be played between Belgium and Canada, two teams that are expected to raise the bar on the match day. These teams, even in the past, have met only once, in a friendly match in 1989 in Ottawa where Belgium won by a margin of 2-0. As scheduled, the match will begin at 12:30 AM IST. Live streaming on TV, OTT details - All the fans across India can enjoy the live coverage of this FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sports18 and Sports 18 HD channels on TV, and on Jio Cinema app online.

FIFA World Cup 2022, Day 3 Schedule – Matches, venues and live streaming-OTT, channel broadcast details!