世界杯八强赛：梅里诺读秒绝杀，西班牙二比一淘汰比利时

Today we're talking about a thrilling World Cup quarter-final: Spain beat Belgium two to one with a goal at the very last moment.

This was a duel between two strong sides.

First, a word on Spain.

Spain are a young and very capable team, who like to pass the ball one touch at a time and slowly control the game.

Now a word on Belgium.

Belgium are known as the "Red Devils of Europe," with many big-name players and a very strong side.

Alright, let's look at the game.

This was an evenly matched game, with both teams wanting to win.

In the first half, in the thirtieth minute, Spain scored first.

The scorer was named Ruiz — one to zero.

Spain led, and the whole stadium was thrilled.

But Belgium hit back quickly.

In the forty-first minute, De Ketelaere leveled it for Belgium — one to one.

The two teams were back on the same line.

For the rest of the game, the two teams traded blows, both wanting to score again.

But right up to near the end, the score was still one to one.

It looked like the game would end in a draw.

Then in the eighty-eighth minute, Spain's substitute Merino stepped up.

He seized his chance and struck the ball into the net — two to one!

This goal came so late, and was so important.

Belgium had no time left to chase it.

In the end, Spain won the game two to one and reached the semi-finals.

So, how should we view this game?

For Spain, this is a hard-fought and crucial win.

Against an equally strong Belgium, they were very patient, waiting all the way to the end for that goal.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Merino has scored in the final moments — he really is Spain's lucky charm.

For Belgium, losing is truly such a shame.

They played every bit as well, and were just a tiny bit short of reaching extra time.

That's Spain two to one Belgium, a game belonging to Spain, and to Merino.

See you next match.