It was a bad game between two good teams, one of those duels that seem to be played with the handbrake on. Portugal and Spain know each other so much that The battle of Dallas led to a staring duel that bored the staff. There was excitement, of course, because what was at stake was nothing more and nothing less than a place in the quarterfinals of a World Cup. So we had to suffer, grit our teeth and fight for the edge of that precipice that is extra time. But when everything pointed to that cruel outcome, it emerged Mikel Merino, who else. He replaced Olmo in the 85th minute and six minutes later He created the goal that put La Roja in the quarterfinals by himself. He received a foul, took it quickly and, after passing the ball through Fabián and Ferran, it came again to beat Diogo Costa. Thanks Mikel. How good it is that you make a country as happy as in the sweet Euro 2024.
From the 2025 Nations League final, played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, seven players repeated in Portugal’s eleven: Costa, Neves, Dias, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Neto and Cristiano. In Spain, only five: Unai, Cucurella, Pedri, Lamine and Oyarzabal. Life had not been able to change much since then, especially considering that the alchemists of both teams are the same, Roberto Martínez and Luis de la Fuente. Regarding the crossing of the round of 32, the Portuguese coach (although Spanish by birth, from Ilerdense Balaguer to be exact) only introduction a change, João Félix by Rafael Leãowhile La Roja came out with the same eleven as in the victory against Austria.
The first warning came from the referee, who let the game play. It was Anthony Taylor, English in his passport, so it was assumed where he would set the bar. He left it there forever. The second warning was given by Cancelo, with a whiplash from outside the area, and the third Oyarzabal, which completed the first great Spanish triangulation. The Real player, incomprehensibly, finished too crossly against a practically sold Diogo Costa.
1.77 xG from Spain
The Spanish team generated almost three times the expected goal value than Portugal (0.60), reflecting a greater offensive danger.
55.5% possession
Spain dominated the ball for more than half of the match, imposing its control on the game.
15 auctions
Luis de la Fuente’s team surpassed Portugal in offensive production, which stood at 10 total shots.
531 passes
Spain accumulated more than half a thousand passes with an 87.9% success rate, demonstrating its precision and dominance.
91′ decisive goal
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game in the 91st minute to seal a place in the quarterfinals.
Portugal, with more intensity
But among the haze of those first minutes, in which two old acquaintances like Portugal and Spain studied each other up to their pupils, a signal slipped in that did not invite optimism, that all the divided balls fell into Portuguese nets. A more physical team, yes, but one that also provides more intensity in each action.
Luis de la Fuente’s team wins 0-1 with a goal from Mikel Merino in the 90th minute. Rodrigo Hernández, MVP of the match.
And to all this, what about Cristiano? No news. And Lamina? Clueless, cold, failed passesIn short, a Lamine that did not look like a Lamine. The one who was his shadow, Nuno Mendes, started timidly, but warmed up as the minutes passed until he sparked a spark (41′) that left us without speaking for a few seconds: a left foot shot that crashed into the crossbar thanks to Porro deflecting just enough with his head.
But football is so capricious that sometimes the script of a game is destroyed at the stroke of a pen. As the 50th minute passed, Lamine tried a gallop in which he managed to surpass Nuno Mendes. (finally), who ended up injured when he recovered. His face said it all, Roberto Martínez’s too. Nelson Semedo was chosen to position himself in the lane from which Lamine usually does all his antics.
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But then, the wind and the game stopped blowing from the right, something incomprehensible because it seemed that in the Lamine-Semedo duel La Roja had the upper hand. Rodri continued weaving passes, Baena slipped between the lines, but there was a lack of success. And if that were not enough, Portugal gained muscle with the entry of Dalot and Leão. From there at the end of the game, and we talked about there still being fifteen minutes left in extra time, Portugal built a castle that Spain tried to besiege on foot and without fangs. And so it is impossible, impossible until a guy named Mikel Merino enters the field and unravels an unpleasant game.. His goal brings us a little closer to history in capital letters. On Friday, in Los Angeles, more.
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Changes
Nelson Semedo (55′, Nuño Mendes), Diogo Dalot (70′, João Cancelo), Rafael Leon (70′, João Félix), Ferran Torres (74′, Álex Baena), Francisco Conceicao (82′, Pedro Neto), Bernard Silva (82′, Vitinha), Fabian Ruiz (84′, Pedri), Mikel Merino (84′, Dani Olmo), Borja Iglesias (96′, Mikel Oyarzábal)
Cards
Referee: Anthony Taylor
VAR referee: Bastian Dankert, Antonio García
Bernard Silva (88′,Yellow), Renato Veiga (93′, Yellow), Ferran (98′, Yellow)
