Spain 2-1 Belgium: A late winner from Arsenal’s Mikel Merino sent Belgium out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.
Mikel Merino leads Spain to the World Cup semi-finals (Image: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Just when they needed it most, Belgium lost all their good fortune in a brutal World Cup exit at the hands of Spain.
Mikel Merino struck the decisive blow in the 88th minute after Senne Lamence, who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois in the second half, was unable to prevent a shot from distance. However, there was plenty of drama leading up to the Arsenal midfielder’s close range finish, much of which came at the Belgian’s expense.
Belgium, seen by many as underdogs despite the European champions not yet reaching top gear in the World Cup final, were reeling even before they kicked a ball due to the late departure of influential captain Youri Tielemans from the squad.
And while Belgium were more adventurous than most expected without their captain, Spain were in fact in control long before Fabian Ruiz broke the deadlock with a close-range goal in the 30th minute.
Pedro Polo’s low cross was met by Dani Olmo, but it was blocked by Courtois. But the veteran keeper could only deflect the ball into the boots of a grateful Lewis, who did the rest.
Luiz’s goal looked like Spain would go even further, but the irresistible Lamine Yamal came close to doubling their lead with some patented brilliant footwork that slotted the ball into the side netting. But just when it looked like Spain were really starting to slip, they were defeated for the first time in this World Cup.
It was Charles de Quetelaère who gave Belgium a boost before the end of the first half when he headed the ball past keeper Unai Simon, who had kept a clean sheet in Spain’s last five games for 649 minutes.
Thibaut Courtois shed tears after being sent off injured
Coach Rudi Garcia’s team, now back on an even playing field, continued to attack from the start of the second half. Maxim de Kuiper, growing in confidence, was left on his knees with his hands on his head in the penalty area after firing a shot into the side netting. Spain’s now desperate defense was thrown into disarray and for a moment it looked as if Simón had been breached once again.
Yamal reacted immediately and fired a shot at the relentless Courtois, with both teams exchanging blows in an entertaining second period.
But Belgium was once again stung by Lady Luck. Unfortunately, Courtois’ match ended prematurely, minutes after he sat down for treatment. He was sent off immediately after the match restarted and was completely devastated.
Fabian Ruiz puts Spain in the lead (Image: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP)
Lamence, who has been very impressive for Manchester United this season, came on in his place. However, he was unable to contain the blow that set the stage for the often very effective Merino’s death attack inside the penalty area.
It was a cruel moment for a young player who had managed to acquit himself so well in a high-pressure position at one of the world’s biggest clubs. Merino showed him no mercy.
There are two late game-winning goals in just as many games from Merino, who has proven as useful as an attacking weapon for Arsenal.
And he may be destined for an even bigger role as Spain look to follow up their Euro 2024 victory with a World Cup.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £6
sky
Get the deal here
Shoppers can now upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £6 a month when used with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
