Merino Shatters Belgium Dreams as Spain Reach the Semi-finals
The Moment That Mattered
With two minutes left on the clock and Belgium pushing for an equalizer, Mikel Merino ghosted into the box and buried a header to send Spain into the Semi-finals. It was a gut-punch finish to a quarter-final that had everything — early control, a Belgian comeback, yellow cards flying in the final minutes, and a winner that arrived just when nerves were at their peak.
How It Unfolded
Spain looked every inch the tournament favorite in the first half. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring on 30 minutes, finishing with characteristic composure to reward a period of complete Spanish dominance. La Roja were in cruise control — until Belgium refused to go quietly.
Charles De Ketelaere leveled things up four minutes before the break, turning the tie on its head and sending the Belgian bench into a frenzy. The equalizer changed the texture of the game. Spain, who had been fluid and expansive, suddenly found themselves in a battle. The second half became a war of attrition, with both teams canceling each other out and the tension ratcheting up with every passing minute.
Then came the 88th minute. Merino met the delivery perfectly, and just like that, Spain were ahead again. A frantic final two minutes saw yellow cards for Laporte and Witsel — both booked in stoppage time — but the result never looked in danger.
Form and Context
Spain arrived at this match on a five-game winning streak across the tournament, and that winning mentality showed in how they responded after Belgium's equalizer. Rather than retreat, they kept pressing and were ultimately rewarded. Belgium had shown their own resilience throughout the competition, stringing together four unbeaten results before this fixture, but Spain's quality proved decisive when it mattered most.
Betting Implications
Spain's ability to grind out a late winner in a knockout game — rather than simply dominating from the front — signals something important for bettors: this squad has mental fortitude to match their technical brilliance. If you faded Spain in the second half at any point, this match was a costly lesson. With the Semi-finals now on the horizon, expect their odds in futures markets to tighten significantly.
Watch for Spain's Semi-finals line to open as heavy favorites.