Spain Overcomes Belgium in Dramatic Quarter-Final, Advances to Face France

Spain battled through immense difficulty to secure a 2-1 victory against Belgium, clinching a spot in the semi-finals after a match filled with drama and near misses.

The game remained level at 1-1, with Belgium fighting to force a penalty shootout. Spain, however, pushed relentlessly to secure a win in regulation time. Despite bringing on Nico Williams in the 79th minute, who was not fully fit, Spain struggled to break the deadlock.

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The Spanish team suffered greatly against Belgium, but they won, and that's what matters.

Belgium had a significant chance to take the lead in the 84th minute when Kevin De Bruyne's long-range shot, following a poor clearance by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon, was heroically blocked by Rodri. The introduction of Merino in the 86th minute, the same player who scored the winning goal against Portugal in the 91st minute, proved decisive.

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Courtois was injured and had to be substituted.

The true climax arrived in the 88th minute when Merino seized upon a glaring error by Belgian goalkeeper Lammens. Instead of parrying a 25-meter shot from Cubarsi to the side, Lammens inadvertently passed it directly to Merino, who made no mistake in scoring the go-ahead and ultimately winning goal. This uncharacteristic mistake at such a high level sealed Belgium's fate.

Spain's hard-earned victory propels them to a semi-final clash against France. For Belgium, the tournament journey concludes after a grueling quarter-final encounter.

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Instead of punching Cubarsi's 25-meter shot to the side, the Belgian goalkeeper placed it in front of Merino, who did not miss.