Spain, Belgium battle for WC semi-final spot

Belgium will hope they are hitting form at the perfect time ahead of Friday’s World Cup (WC) quarter-final against Spain in Los Angeles. The gala quarter-final game will kick-off at 1:00am (Bangladesh Standard Time).

State-owned television BTV, private satellite sports channel T Sports, private satellite sports channel Somoy TV will telecast the match live.

Rudi Garcia’s side were not entirely convincing despite topping Group G, before pulling off a tremendous comeback to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra-time in the round of 32.

Belgium followed that up with a comprehensive 4-1 thrashing of co-hosts United States in Tuesday’s last-16 clash.

With much pre-match contention over Folarin Balogun’s availability for USA, Belgium let their football do the talking as Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, before substitutes Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku added one each.

Despite becoming just the second Belgian player (after Marc Wilmots in 2002) to score in three consecutive World Cup fixtures, Lukaku will likely be left out of the starting XI again here.

All three of his goals at this tournament have come as a substitute, with only Cameroon’s Roger Milla (4 in 1990) ever netting more from the bench at a single World Cup edition.

Lukaku’s striking form also matches Belgium’s success in front of goal overall. Their shot conversion rate of 12.1% at this tournament is their second-highest at a World Cup on record (since 1966), only behind the 15.2% they managed at Russia 2018.

Garcia’s side are creating more chances, too, averaging 21.4 shots per game at this year’s edition (107 shots in 5 games), second only to their 24 per game in 1970.

Although Belgium appear to have clicked in attack, breaching Luis de la Fuente’s defence will be a very difficult task.

Spain kept their sixth consecutive clean sheet in Monday’s 1-0 win over Portugal, marking a World Cup record. La Roja have not conceded at the World Cup in a remarkable 10 hours and nine minutes.

Indeed, at this year’s tournament, they are averaging an xGA-per-game of just 0.30 – the lowest on record by any team in an edition of the finals.

Mikel Merino did the damage at the other end with a 91st-minute winner against their Iberian rivals, sending Spain into their sixth World Cup quarter-final.

They were eliminated from their first four between 1934 and 2002 but beat Paraguay 1-0 in the 2010 quarter-finals en route to winning that tournament.

Lamine Yamal was only three years old when Spain lifted the World Cup in 2010, and he will be expected to play a large part if they are to repeat those heroics this time around.

The Barcelona winger has completed 17 dribbles at this year’s tournament. The only teenagers on record (from 1966) to complete more at the finals are Germany’s Jamal Musiala (19 in 2022) and France’s Kylian Mbappé (22 in 2018).

Behind Yamal, Rodri has recorded 80 line-breaking passes this summer, the most by a Spainish player at a World Cup since 2010, when Gerard Piqué made 86, Xavi completed 89, and Xabi Alonso provided 126.

With that pair and a fearsome defence, De la Fuente will be confident of reaching the next round.

Under his management, Spain have progressed from all six of their major-tournament knockout games. However, only two managers have ever progressed from their first seven such ties with European nations: Vittorio Pozzo (first 8 with Italy, 1934-1938) and Vicente del Bosque (first 7 with Spain, 2010-2012).

But Spain have failed at this stage before against Belgium, who eliminated La Roja on penalties in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals.

Spain overcame Belgium inside 90 minutes in a convincing 59.3% of pre-match simulations by the Opta supercomputer.

Belgium have failed to beat Spain in their last 11 meetings across all competitions, losing the last five by an aggregate score of 13-1.

Spain have kept a record six consecutive clean sheets at the World Cup, going over 10 hours without conceding.