Mikel Merino’s opportunism—as seen in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 against Germany—came to the fore this Monday in Dallas, sealing Spain’s victory in the 91st minute of the World Cup round of 16 match against Portugal (0-1), a match in which Spain dominated, squandered chances, and once again relied on a “6” who has definitively transformed into a “9” to keep alive the dream of a second star for the Spanish national team and dash Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes.
Rodri came out on top in the battle for midfield dominance. He returned to the form that earned him the Ballon d’Or—a level he had lost since suffering a serious knee injury in September 2024. An undisputed starter throughout the World Cup, he has been the focus of criticism for his performance and has staunchly defended his coach and teammates. This Monday, he shone once again.
Rodri takes the lead, but Diogo Costa keeps Portugal in the game
The game called for composure and calm.
Two World Cup favorites faced off. And Rodri was the center of attention.
In the first 20 minutes: three steals—one in every quarter—and sharp decision-making with the ball.
In the 16th minute, he played a through ball to Lamine Yamal after Nuno Mendes made his only mistake—he pushed forward and didn’t come back.
Lamine Yamal kept his pursuer at a distance, meter by meter, on the natural grass—stitched with nylon—at the Dallas stadium.
He asked Rodri for the ball, but once again fell victim to a recurring flaw in this World Cup: poor finishing.
A soft, well-placed shot that Diogo Costa cleared.
It served as a warm-up for the Portuguese goalkeeper, as moments later he made the save of the game on a shot by Álex Baena aimed at the far corner.
The ball didn’t reach the expected height, and Diogo Costa made a spectacular save with a cross-handed stop (Filed under: Mikel Merino sends Spain through).
Spain dominated the game, but Portugal responded with some dangerous attacks
It was Spain’s second warning.
The first came in the 8th minute, courtesy of Mikel Oyarzabal, who had been unstoppable up to that point. But he missed a one-on-one, shooting wide of the goal.
A chance created by Dani Olmo’s foresight, proving once again that he is the most creative player with the ball in this World Cup.
Rodri is linking up with the forwards, while Pedri hasn’t found his best form yet. He’s still off his game.
Spain dominated, played better in the first half, and yet still struggled.
That’s to be expected in a match of this World Cup final’s stature. Unai Simón faced his toughest challenge yet in the tournament.
In the 37th minute, he blocked a header by Joao Félix with his shoulder and made a diving save to stop Cristiano Ronaldo’s follow-up shot after the rebound (Filed under: Mikel Merino sends Spain through).
The crossbar prevented Portugal from scoring
And in the 41st minute, the crossbar saved Spain.
Nuno Mendes had too much space at the edge of the box following a corner kick; he didn’t hesitate, and his shot was deflected by Pedro Porro’s head and hit the post.
Warnings from Portugal in the Face of Spain’s Dominance.
The break helped the Portuguese regain their composure, but Spain regained its momentum as the minutes ticked by and following Nuno Mendes’s injury—which occurred the first and only time Lamine Yamal was able to beat him in a one-on-one situation.
Spain kept pushing. Just as Luis de la Fuente kept expressing his confidence that he could bring Mikel Merino on board for the cause.
A foot injury kept him out of action for four months.
From late January to late May, but their trust was blind.
“I’d go pick him up at his house and carry him in my arms,” said Luis de la Fuente (Filed under: Mikel Merino leads Spain to qualification).
Mikel Merino was once again the hero
And that confidence paid off. Mikel Merino’s opportunism came through once again on a crucial day.
He already did it at Euro 2024 in the quarterfinals against Germany… in Germany.
His goal in the 91st minute secured Spain’s advancement, and he did it all over again on Monday in Dallas against Portugal.
Olmo’s foresight didn’t pay off, but Ferran Torres’s did.
With plenty of freedom across the entire attacking front and taking on a new role, he played the ball through so that Mikel Merino could put all his “No. 9” skills on display.
Over the past two years at Arsenal, he has steadily improved to the point where he has surpassed Diogo Costa, replicating his iconic celebration—just like his father, Ángel Miguel—by spinning the corner flag to send Spain to the World Cup quarterfinals.
It wasn’t without some drama, as Bernardo Silva and João Neves—the latter in the final match—came close to tying the game with two shots that narrowly missed the target (Filed under: Mikel Merino sends Spain through).
I would carry him in my arms
Luis de la Fuente
Technical Specifications
0 – Portugal: Diogo Costa; João Cancelo (Diogo Dalot, 71′), Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes (Nélson Semedo, 56′); João Neves, Vitinha (Bernardo Silva, 83′); Pedro Neto (Conçeiçao, 83′), Bruno Fernandes, João Félix (Rafael Leão, 71′), and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Head Coach: Roberto Martínez (ESP).
1 – Spain: Unai Simón; Pedro Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri (Fabián, 85′), Dani Olmo (Mikel Merino, 85′); Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal (Borja Iglesias, 95′), and Baena (Ferran Torres, 75′).
Head Coach: Luis de la Fuente (ESP).
Goals: 0-1: Mikel Merino, 91st minute.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG). He issued yellow cards to Bernardo Silva (89′) and Renato Veiga (94′) for Portugal, and to Ferran Torres (99′) for Spain.
Match Details: World Cup Round of 16 match played at the stadium in Dallas in front of 70,649 spectators (Filed under: Mikel Merino sends Spain through).
With information from EFE
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