0-1: Spain defeats Portugal and advances to the World Cup quarterfinals
Cucurella played the entire match, in which the team secured victory with a goal by Merino in the 91st minute. Bernardo Silva came on in the second half.
Spain defeated Portugal 0-1 in the Round of 16 clash of the World Cup, held at the Dallas Stadium in Texas, thanks to a goal by Merino in the 91st minute. Cucurella played the entire match, while Bernardo Silva entered the field in the 83rd minute. Following this victory, the team will face the winner of the USA-Belgium matchup in the quarterfinals next Friday, July 10, at 9:00 pm CEST.
The match started at a high pace, and Oyarzabal came close to giving Spain an early lead in the 8th minute, but his left-footed shot against Diogo Costa went wide. Spain continued to generate chances, although Portugal nearly scored on the brink of halftime with a shot by Nuno Mendes from the edge of the area that hit the crossbar.
After the break, clear scoring opportunities were scarce. That was until the 91st minute when Mikel Merino sealed the decisive 0-1 with a left-footed strike inside the area, securing Spain's qualification for the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.