Needing a 10-goal swing, plus a win for Olympic champions The Netherlands in their clash with Belgium, to be sure of progression to the next round, the Spaniards were in rampant form as they crushed a hapless Polish to reach the last four.

Following their comfortable success in the day’s first match, the Spaniards got exactly what they needed as the Dutch cruised to a dominant 5-0 win over the Belgians to cap off a remarkable turnaround for Spain.

They began their contest with Poland intent on racking up the score they required as Lola Riera’s rasping drag-flick from a penalty corner gave them a third minute lead.

Spain had to wait until the second quarter to take the game away from the Poles as Alicia Magaz bagged a quick-fire double to make it 3-0, before Carola Salvatella added a fourth.

The second-half began in similar fashion when Rocio Ybarra’s flicked finish gave Spain a five-goal lead and Carlota Petchame then slotted home a sixth just four minutes later.

The Spanish side were not done yet, though, as Riera netted her second and her team’s seventh, before Ybarra and Salvatella both found the net in quick succession.

The rout was complete when Riera rounded off a hat-trick of penalty corners to give the scoreline the emphatic feel Spain’s performance merited.

“The whole team played great, but we achieved what we were fighting for,” Spain’s Maria Lopez said.

“Getting 10 goals is not easy, so we did well.”

The Red Sticks will go on to face England in the next round after the hosts overcame defending champions Germany with a 4-1 triumph, star forward Alex Danson scoring a superb hat-trick.

Sophie Bray gave her team the best possible start with the opening goal after just two minutes and she then turned provider for Danson, who slammed the ball home barely 60 seconds later.

The pace of the match slowed down after the frenetic beginning until Kristina Hillmann gave the Germans a glimmer of hope by halving the deficit midway through the third quarter.

That goal set up a pulsating last 20 minutes as Germany went in search of an equaliser, but it proved elusive as Danson followed up a penalty corner to reinstate their two-goal lead.

She then completed her hat-trick in the final quarter with a deft finish to hand her side their third straight success.

The result ensured England, widely tipped to claim a podium finish on home soil, finished top of Pool B.

Knowing their last four berth was all-but wrapped up, the Dutch, winners of the gold medal at London 2012, looked at ease throughout their match with Belgium as they breezed to a trouble-free victory.

Belgium needed a score draw or an unlikely win to deny Spain a place in the semi-finals but they never looked like upsetting the odds as goals from Valeris Magis, Caia Maasakker, Ellen Hoog and two from Maartje Paumen gave the world number one ranked side the three points.

In the other match in Pool B, a dead rubber as neither side could progress to the semi-finals, Scotland picked up their first win of the tournament, beating Italy 3-1.

Related stories
August 2015: Hosts England through to last four of EuroHockey Championships after convincing victory against Spain
August 2015: Holders Germany grind out win against Scotland to ensure semi-final place at EuroHockey Championships
August 2015: Hosts England undone by The Netherlands at EuroHockey Championships
August 2015: Hoog hits hat-trick as The Netherlands' women thump Poland in EuroHockey Championships opener
August 2015: Dutch delight as London 2012 silver medallists get off to winning start at EuroHockey Championships