Austria ultimately claimed second place in Group J on goal difference ahead of Algeria, although both nations progressed.
They also made history by becoming the first team ever to avoid defeat in a World Cup match after trailing during second-half stoppage time, despite the result raising eyebrows among some observers.
Finishing as group runners-up also ended Austria's 72-year wait for a return to the World Cup knockout stage.
Their last appearance came in 1954, when they defeated Switzerland 7-5 in a memorable quarterfinal before falling 6-1 to West Germany in the semifinals.
Austria's last victory over Spain dates back to a 3-2 friendly win in 1990. The two European nations last met in 2009, when David Villa scored twice in Spain's emphatic 5-1 victory.
Team News and Prediction
Spain's defensive solidity has been crucial throughout the tournament, especially with Luis de la Fuente dealing with injuries to several attacking players.
Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams, and Victor Munoz are all doubts for Thursday's Round of 32 clash.
Among the trio, Victor Munoz appears to have the best chance of recovering in time. However, Alex Baena is expected to retain his place on the left wing after scoring the winner against Uruguay—his first international goal since October 2024.
De la Fuente's only real selection headache comes in midfield. Mikel Merino started against Uruguay, but Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo, and Gavi are all pushing for a place in the starting XI.
Austria, meanwhile, have minor fitness concerns over experienced duo Marko Arnautovic and David Alaba following the physically demanding encounter with Algeria.
Fortunately for Rangnick, both players are believed to be dealing with nothing more than minor knee discomfort and should be available.
Aside from that, Austria have no major injury issues. Kevin Danso and Michael Gregoritsch are on standby should either Alaba or Arnautovic fail to recover, while late hero Sasa Kalajdzic is expected to begin the match on the bench.
Although Austria have shown tremendous resilience to reach the knockout rounds, their defensive vulnerabilities remain a concern.
Das Team have now gone 12 consecutive World Cup matches without keeping a clean sheet.