Spain 2-1 Belgium: Mikel Merino hits late winner to seal semi-final spot
Mikel Merino proved to be Spain’s late-gasp saviour once again as Luis de la Fuente’s side marched into the World Cup semi-finals with a dramatic victory over Belgium in Los Angeles.
The midfielder, who repeated his knack for coming off the bench to score decisive goals, struck a crushing blow just two minutes from time. Pouncing on an error by substitute Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who had replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois, Merino thumped home the rebound from Pau Cubarsí’s low drive only 117 seconds after his introduction.
The victory sets up a blockbuster semi-final showdown with France on Tuesday in Texas and extends La Roja’s astonishing unbeaten streak to 37 matches.
Belgium had suffered a disrupted buildup when captain Youri Tielemans was ruled out following an injury in the warm-up, and they fell behind on the half-hour mark. Lamine Yamal’s trickery released Pedro Porro down the right flank, and when the full-back picked out Dani Olmo in the penalty box, Courtois could only parry his initial shot into the path of Fabián Ruiz, who gleefully smashed in the opener.
However, Domenico Tedesco’s resilient side clawed their way back into the game four minutes before the interval. A pinpoint cross from Timothy Castagne, unlocked by a clever pass from Kevin De Bruyne, found Charles De Ketelaere, who timed his run to perfection to nod a header past Unai Simón. The goal brought a halt to Simón’s historic run of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding—breaking the long-standing record set by Italy’s Walter Zenga in 1990.
The second half turned into a tactical chess match, but the balance shifted drastically in the 71st minute when Courtois was forced off with a leg injury sustained while denying Mikel Oyarzabal.
His young deputy, Lammens, initially stood firm but faltered in the defining moment of the match, spilling Cubarsí’s hopeful long-range effort. Merino, sharpest to react in the box, lashed the ball home to break Belgian hearts and secure a well-earned place in the final four for the former champions.
