Spain was bleeding, but Merino saves them again! La Roja’s super sub kills ill-fated Belgium

You can battle them, bruise them, even rattle their nerves with a goal, but when the final whistle blows, surrender is all that remains!

Belgium, fearless and relentless, threw challenge after challenge at Spain in tonight's World Cup quarter-final, only to fall in heartbreaking fashion, 2-1!

Rudi Garcia's injury-torn, veteran army fought surprisingly well, but that was just not enough against Luis de la Fuente's mighty lot, who are about to face off against France in a semi-final spectacle in four days.

Their hero this time? The same guy who booked them a quarter-final ticket with a late goal against Portugal - unplayable Mikel Merino! He struck late again, exploiting Belgium's defensive flaws, tiredness and the fact that injuries took their toll like never before.

Without their captain and glue-guy, Youri Tielemans, who picked up an injury literally seconds before the end of the pre-match warm-up, the Red Devils showed bravery as they pressed really high in the first quarter of the game. Before the first hydration break, neither team had registered any promising opportunities, but that short hiatus triggered a complete shift in momentum. And the pendulum was on Spain's side.

A lovely one-two between Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro on the left-hand side allowed Dani Olmo to fire from close range. Thibaut Courtois made a stop, but Fabian Ruiz was in the right place for a routine finish as La Roja went one up at the hour mark, 1-0.

At that moment, the majority of the fans at the Los Angeles Stadium probably had a vision of a commanding, landslide Spanish victory, which could have maybe happened if it wasn't for Courtois. The experienced keeper denied Yamal's effort following a brilliant solo run, and Belgium's response was almost instant and lethal.

Charles De Ketelaere, who netted twice against the United States in the previous round, fired it home with a header to level the score and stun the Spaniards, 1-1.

De la Fuente's boys conceded a World Cup goal after more than 600 minutes, and that almost shocking moment affected the entire atmosphere surrounding the pitch.

The half-time interval didn't help the favourites re-establish their dominance, prompting a couple of substitutions with half an hour left on the clock. De la Fuente took off Ruiz, opting for Pedri instead, as he rotated them in the starting XI ahead of the tie. Also, Ferran Torres joined Yamal up front, but it didn't hurt the Red Devils too much.

However, what happened soon was an awful kick in the gut - Courtois had to come off because of a hamstring injury, leaving the pitch in tears. Manchester United's Senne Lammens stepped up, along with midfield veteran Axel Witsel, and Rudi Garcia's second-half joker Romelu Lukaku.

Another Belgian icon, Kevin De Bruyne, had to be subbed off too, as he just couldn't cope with the intensity of such a high-magnitude game against the current European champions.

Spain knew they were physically in much better shape than their bleeding rival, waiting for them to collapse when it mattered the most - and, that's exactly what happened minutes before the final whistle. The death sentence was delivered by who else than La Roja's super-sub Mikel Merino! Cubarsi fired from long range, Lammens failed to keep it in his hands, and the Arsenal all-arounder was there for the crucial touch, 2-1.

The man who previously killed Portugal in the Round of 16, in almost the same minute, appeared again in the opponents’ box for probably the most important goal of his life. Worth World Cup semi-finals, where Luis de la Fuente will surely need Merino’s magic once again, this time against Les Bleus in the football champagne in prospect.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Quarter-finals

Thursday

France - Morocco 2-0 (0-0)

/Mbappe 60, Dembele 66/

Friday

Spain - Belgium 2-1 (1-1)

/Ruiz 30, Merino 88 - De Ketelaere 41/

Sunday

00.00: (4.00) Norway (3.70) England (1.90)

04.00: (1.75) Argentina (3.50) Switzerland (5.50)

***odds are subject to change***