Mikel Merino once again came off the bench to keep Spain‘s World Cup dream alive as he pounced on a Senne Lammens error to a seal a 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium.
The European champions were heavy favourites in Los Angeles but were made to work hard by Rudi Garcia’s side, who showed impressive resilience to breach Spain’s goal for the first time in the tournament.
Fabian Ruiz put Spain ahead on the half-hour mark, only for Charles De Ketelaere head Belgium level 11 minutes later.
An absorbing tie appeared set for extra time, but Spain were gifted a spot in a blockbuster semi-final with France two minutes from the end of normal time.
Lammens, who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois in the 71st minute, failed to turn a long-range effort from Pau Cubarsi away from danger, and Merino was quickest to react.
The Arsenal man was the match-winner in stoppage time in the last-16 victory over Portugal and he made no mistake in tucking home the rebound to send Spain to Dallas, where tournament favourites France await in a mouthwatering clash.
Merino repeats the feat as Spain leave it late again
Belgium, who lost midfielder Youri Tielemans to injury in the warm-up, successfully frustrated Spain for much of the early stages and offered a threat through Manchester City star Jeremy Doku.
The fact that a 21st-minute Lamine Yamal effort that Courtois was able to watch fly the post represented Spain’s best chance before the hydration break was illustrative of Spain’s struggles in breaking Belgium down.
But they found a way through as Pedro Porro was played in by Yamal down the right and pulled the ball back for Dani Olmo, whose close-range strike was repelled by Courtois, but only as far as Ruiz as he turned home on the rebound.
Courtois then had to get down low to keep out a Yamal free-kick, with the Barcelona teenager then firing into the side-netting after cutting in from the right in trademark fashion.
And Spain were punished for failing to double their lead by De Ketelaere, who once again displayed his ruthlessness in front of goal after scoring twice in the last-16 demolition of the United States.
Kevin De Bruyne played in Timothy Castagne down the right with a clever pass, and the Fulham full-back’s cross was converted with a fine header from De Ketelaere.
Belgium saw a chance to compete the turnaround go begging early in the second half as Maxim De Cuyper lashed into the side-netting after excellent work down the left from Doku.
Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal were both denied by Courtois, but the injury to the Real Madrid goalkeeper proved the turning point.
Courtois left the field in tears as what was likely his final World Cup game came to a premature end, and Merino ensured the likes of De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku also said farewell to the tournament by ruthlessly making the most of Lammens’ failure to collect Cubarsi’s drive.
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