According to an analysis by Romain Lafont for Le Équipe, Spain's tactical versatility and midfield dominance proved decisive in their 2-1 victory over Belgium at the World Cup 2026. The match saw Manchester City's midfield orchestrator Rodri act as a true metronome, transforming the play for La Roja whenever he was on the ball. Although Spain controlled large patches of the game, they faced rigid defiance from a resilient Belgian side led by an in-form Thibaut Courtois.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The opening goal arrived in the 30th century when Fabian Ruiz, a surprise starter preferred over Pedri, pounced on a rebounded shot from Dani Olmo that Thibaut Courtois could only parry into danger. Spain's defensive line, however, suffered a lapse just before halftime. Pau Cubarsí lost an aerial duel against Charles De Ketelaere, who clinical finished a brilliant cross from Timothy Castagne in the 41st minute, snapping Spain's impressive 649-minute streak without conceding a goal.
Based on editorial monitoring of the second half, the game shifted dramatically due to physical issues and forced substitutions on the Belgian side. Domenico Tedesco's game plan suffered heavy blows with pre-match injuries to Youri Tielemans and a painful second-half exit for Thibaut Courtois, who left the pitch in tears in the 71st minute. He was replaced by Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens, while Kevin De Bruyne also struggled physically before being substituted late in the game.
The decisive moment came in the 88th minute when Mikel Merino, who had entered the pitch just two minutes prior under Luis de la Fuente's tactical changes, capitalized on a major handling error by Senne Lammens. The substitute goalkeeper failed to clean cleanly hold a long-range effort from Pau Cubarsí, allowing Mikel Merino to secure the winning goal. From editorial observations, Spain's proactive substitutions once again made the difference, while Belgium was left to rue defensive mishaps and fitness struggles in the dying minutes.