Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli has described the prospect of his side's upcoming match with Spain at the World Cup as "electrifying".

The Chileans got their campaign off to a winning start on Friday with a 3-1 victory over Australia, while reigning champions Spain were hammered 5-1 by the Netherlands.

A win for Chile at the Maracana on Wednesday would all but put them through to the second round of the tournament and most likely dump the Spanish out in the process.

"We didn't play as well as we can [against Australia], and with the calibre of our next two opponents, we will have to give a more complete performance. The prospect of playing Spain at the Maracana is electrifying," Sampaoli is quoted as saying by FIFA.com.

Chile's best ever appearance at the World Cup was a third-placed finish in 1962.

Written by
Jack Prescott