Spain beat Switzerland to compete in Women's World Cup quarter-final for first time

Aitana Bonmati played a starring role with a brace and two assists in front of 43,217 fans at Eden Park in Auckland, a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand.

Spain will face the Netherlands or South Africa next.

Jorge Vilda's side were beaten 4-0 by Japan in their final game of the group stage and the coach said the defeat had "left a mark" that his team would learn from.

He was true to his word. Spain outclassed a Swiss team who had reached the last 16 without conceding a goal but have now still never won a major tournament knockout game.

Bonmati's early opener in the last-16 tie in Auckland was cancelled out by a spectacular own goal from Laia Codina, but Alba Redondo restored Spain's lead and Bonmati scored again to make it 3-1.

Codina then made up for her error by getting her team's fourth before the interval, and Jennifer Hermoso made it 5-1 in the second half.

The five-star performance justified Vilda's decision to leave Alexia Putellas out of his starting line-up.

The reigning Ballon d'Or winner is still recovering fitness following a serious knee injury and could yet play a key role later in the tournament, but only made a cameo off the bench on Saturday.

Putellas was dropped as Vilda responded to the chastening Japan defeat by making five changes to his line-up.

Later Saturday, Japan and Norway play in Wellington for the right to meet Sweden or holders the United States in the last eight.

Along with England and Sweden, Japan were the only other team to go through the group stage with a 100 percent record.

They scored 11 times in their three matches and did not concede, raising hopes at home that they could be on course to repeat their 2011 title success.

The United States, who have underwhelmed so far