Photo of Chumasande Matiwane

Spain and Belgium meet in high-stakes World Cup quarter-final 

4 months By Chumasande Matiwane

Spain and Belgium will battle for a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals when they meet in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday. 

The winner of the encounter will book a place in the last four, where France awaits after securing a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the first quarter-final.  

Also see: France marches into the World Cup semi-finals with a commanding victory 

With both sides boasting talented squads and impressive tournament runs, the match is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the knockout stage. 

The team’s current form

Spain head into the contest full of confidence after progressing through the tournament without conceding a goal. 

Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, has praised his side’s balance between defensive discipline and attacking creativity, but insists Belgium represents their toughest challenge yet.  

Young star Lamine Yamal and leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal are expected to play key roles as Spain look to return to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010. 

Belgium, meanwhile, remain unbeaten, having topped their group and edged out Senegal 3-2 in the Round of 32 before cruising to a 4-1 victory over the United States of America (USA) in the Round of 16 on Monday. 

Also see: World Cup hosts USA crash out as Belgium ends home dreams 

The Red Devils will bring their physical, organised and dangerous style as they target a place in the semifinals, aiming to match or surpass their historic best performance of reaching the last four and finishing third in the 2018 tournament in Russia. 

Belgium’s head coach, Rudi Garcia, believes his experienced squad has the quality and resilience to upset one of the tournament favourites. Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku, who has made a significant impact from the bench throughout the competition, will again be one of Belgium’s biggest attacking threats alongside captain Kevin De Bruyne. 

A match to watch

Both nations have impressed during the tournament with contrasting styles. Spain has relied on disciplined defending, patient possession and clinical finishing, while Belgium have showcased their attacking depth and ability to respond under pressure in crucial moments. 

With a place in the semi-finals on the line, fans can expect a fiercely contested encounter between two European heavyweights, with the victor earning the chance to face France for a place in the FIFA World Cup final. 

Also see: World Cup showdown: Can Egypt topple Argentina? 

Feature Image: Getty Images/ Photo by FIFA

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