Mikel Merino scores stoppage-time winner as Spain send Portugal out of World Cup

[p]Thanks to his four tournament goals in the opening four games, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oyarzabal-mikel/dQ1P695O/"]Mikel Oyarzabal[/a] was confident to try his luck from 25 yards amid an untidy start, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diogo-costa/hC31Ab0c/"]Diogo Costa[/a]’s save was ultimately a simple one. The striker still should have added to his tally shortly after when played through by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olmo-dani/2oVBOlPg/"]Dani Olmo[/a], only to drag his effort wide.[/p][p]Looking to go level with Oyarzabal in the scoring charts was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a], and his first chance came 12 minutes in, but the tight angle allowed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] shot-stopper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simon-unai/Ao9Vw3hi/"]Unai Simón[/a] to make a comfortable save.[/p][p]At the other end, Costa survived a tougher test as he thwarted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] before getting to his feet and brushing away the rebound from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baena-alex/bmeQTB92/"]Álex Baena[/a].[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="62f28bff-5cbc-4cb3-8539-96515396ab3f" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="e9c29cc0-45e0-4401-9d61-b216e22f0551" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The first-half hydration break stunted some of the early tempo but, around the half-hour mark, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cubarsi-pau/UgTrNwCF/"]Pau Cubarsí[/a] almost connected with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pedri/baBG8QuI/"]Pedri[/a] ball into the box which Costa still had to block with his foot.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] survived further pressure until finally breaking forward in the 37th minute when a deep cross was knocked back into the danger area by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-felix/KI3YXMhi/"]João Félix[/a] to Ronaldo, whose hook goalwards was caught by Simón.[/p][p]In the end, the Seleção das Quinas were unlucky not to be ahead at half time after a short corner was powered goalwards by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a], with only a deflection off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/porro-pedro/nTebDzHC/"]Pedro Porro[/a] diverting it onto the crossbar.[/p][p]Neither side managed a shot on target in the opening quarter-hour of the second period, but Pedri eventually had an effort deflected over after a nice lay-off from Olmo.[/p][p]Baena then saw a slow shot easily kept out by Costa, who was called into action again to tip a Yamal free-kick over the bar shortly after the second hydration break. [/p][image alt="Momentum graph" id="3530d1ca-310a-4fed-a5ca-d3166ffd48ca" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="2c9a6de8-cb74-4108-9d67-483280156aec" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]A rare venture forward for the Portuguese - without the injured Mendes after he was forced off due to injury - saw a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitinha/Sz9SH7zj/"]Vitinha[/a] shot deflect to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a], who subsequently fired it into the side netting.[/p][p]Nevertheless, Roberto Martínez’s side were soon under pressure again when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dias-ruben/OpVD3nmU/"]Rúben Dias[/a] did well to block an Olmo shot destined for the bottom corner.[/p][p][b]The match seemed destined to be heading for extra time, only for Spain to finally unlock the Portugal defence in the first minute of added time. Substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/merino-mikel/QFt86bm1/"]Mikel Merino[/a] timed his run to perfection to latch onto [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torres-ferran/AVAVLaLt/"]Ferran Torres[/a]’ through ball and slotted it coolly past Costa.[/b][/p][image alt="Merino celebrates his goal" id="55e88aa3-f2ed-498f-b8a1-befcf47af85e" credit-line="REUTERS / Kai Pfaffenbach" guid="f0ce6cfb-a9ec-46cd-b927-46ea0fd08a06" original-width="2620" original-height="1712" /][p]This is the second time Spain have beaten Portugal 1-0 in a WC round of 16 tie, also doing so on their way to the final in 2010, and after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a] headed over in the final seconds, Ronaldo’s World Cup career surely ends with no more than one semi-final appearance to show for it.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodri/K0G8DB00/"]Rodri[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/portugal-WvJrjFVN/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=tbTsReVa"]See all the stats from the match here[/a][/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]