The second match of the Quarter-Finals is here featuring Spain, who still has not conceded a goal, and Belgium who previously sent home one of the hosts, USA. The Quarter-Finals are where stars really start to shine. After weeks of grueling match ups, the end is almost here. Teams need to win just three more games to call themselves World Champions.
But those three games are probably the most difficult of the entire tournament. Spain is coming off beating Portugal, one of the favorites to win the whole thing. So they are coming into this match motivated.
Belgium won comfortably against USA but they were never the under dogs there. USA was playing well, and with home advantage many did expect them to advance, but Belgium completely shut down their midfield.
This is an incredible match-up and will likely be one of the best games of the tournament up there with Mexico vs England, Argentina vs Cape Verde, and Netherlands vs Japan.
Line UP & Match Preview
Spain
Belgium
Looking at the line ups, the biggest takeaway is that Spain is starting without Pedri. I realize he didn’t have the best performance against Portugal, but Portugal have some of the best recovery midfielders in the entire sport. Benching him after that seems a bit reactionary, and Fabian Ruiz is starting over him who doesn’t even start for his own club in important matches.
The rest of the squad mirrors what we saw against Portugal with the weakest link likely being Baena on the LW. He doesn’t attribute much to the attack which actually allows Cucurella to come up more and show some of his attacking nature.
Belgium will see Kevin De Bruyne starting who actually sat against USA so he is likely well rested and ready to deliver the best performance of his life. Jeremy Doku also didn’t play a full game against USA, and he has slowly been recovering form after being away from the main team.
I believe the deciding factor in this match up will come down to either defensive errors or individual performances. Spain has Lamine Yamal who has that X factor in him. He can create a goal out of nowhere, but without Pedri there the midfield is lacking a lot of creativity. So we’ll see how open Spain can get him, and what kind of plays they produce.
Overall, this game is going to be incredible for all football fans and I look forward to seeing who will face France in the Semi-Final on July 14.
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