Spain left it late to book their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, with a stoppage-time winner sealing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Portugal.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium throughout an attritional Iberian derby, but Luis de la Fuente’s side looked the more likely to break the deadlock before finally finding the decisive moment to set up a last-eight clash with Belgium.
Here are our Scout Notes from the victory, featuring match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.
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SPAIN 1-0 PORTUGAL
- Goal: Merino
- Assist: Torres
- Tackles bonus: Baena, Yamal, Rodri | Neves
- Shots on target bonus: Ronaldo
- Top points scorers: Porro (9), Merino (9), Cancelo (7), Cubarsi (7), Laporte (7), Simon (7), Cucurella (7)
TEAM STATS
PLAYER STATS
SCOUT NOTES
- Spain named an unchanged XI from their Round 3 win over Austria. Portugal made just one alteration, with João Félix coming in for Rafael Leão on the left wing.
- Luis de la Fuente’s side deserved the win on the numbers. Spain had 55% possession, generated almost three times as much xG (expected goals) as Portugal, created two more big chances and registered five more attempts on goal.
- Portugal struggled in attack. Cristiano Ronaldo had two early efforts, but neither seriously troubled Spain. One came from a tight angle, while the other lacked power. Nuno Mendes then struck the bar with a deflected effort from just outside the box. Portugal’s only clear-cut chance arrived late on, when Bernardo Silva headed just over from a cross.
- Spain impressed again defensively. They conceded just one big chance and claimed their fifth consecutive World Cup clean sheet, underlining their status as the tournament’s strongest defence. After the match, de la Fuente was asked about Unai Simón‘s ($5.0m) run of shut-outs and the defensive work of the whole team.
“This record is the result of the fantastic work of all the players. The offensive and defensive work is the result of the collective work of the team. We have great defensive solidity, but based on great solidarity, generosity, effort and sacrifice. I run for you now and you will run for me. That is an impressive team feeling.” – Luis de la Fuente
- Spain looked far more convincing without the ball than with it. They controlled large spells of the match, but had to wait until the 91st minute to find the breakthrough. Ferran Torres ($7.8m) spotted the run of fellow substitute Mikel Merino ($6.2m), threading a perfectly weighted through-ball into his path. Merino kept his composure and drilled a low finish beyond the Portugal goalkeeper to settle the tie.
- Even Lamine Yamal ($10.0m) couldn’t produce one of his usual influential displays, although he was lively in spells. A swift counter-attack gave him the chance to cut inside from the right and curl an effort towards goal, but the goalkeeper got across to save it. He then came close again from a direct free-kick, forcing another excellent stop. Yamal finished with an xGI (expected goal involvement) of just 0.27, well below the levels Fantasy managers have become accustomed to – but then we could say the same about Spain as a collective. His manager was happy with his display, at least.
“For me, today Lamine has played one of the most important matches of his life.
For me, it’s one of his most important matches because of his maturity, his work and his ability to suffer. I think it could be a very important day for his development.” – Luis de la Fuente
- Mikel Oyarzabal ($8.1m) had Spain’s best chance before the winner. Dani Olmo ($7.7m) split the Portugal defence with an excellent through-ball, but Oyarzabal dragged his one-on-one effort wide of the post. It proved to be his only clear-cut opportunity, highlighting just how difficult Spain found it to carve Portugal open. Olmo also saw one effort blocked and wasted another good chance, so frustration wasn’t limited to Oyarzabal.
- Álex Baena ($6.0m) came closest after Yamal’s early effort forced a save from Diogo Costa. The rebound fell kindly to Baena, but Costa reacted brilliantly to deny him as well. Baena later managed another effort from inside the box, although it lacked the power to trouble the goalkeeper. Like the rest of Spain’s attack, he struggled to make a decisive impact.
“In my opinion, today’s match was exceptional. Both teams were facing each other with two of the best midfields in the world, with a very similar idea, and there were exceptional footballing moments.” – Luis de la Fuente
- With that context in mind, Spain’s attackers could find much more space against Belgium, whose midfield has lacked consistency throughout the tournament. Combine that with Spain’s outstanding defensive record, and their assets should remain among the most appealing Fantasy picks heading into the quarter-finals.
