Spain vs Belgium – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Spain face Belgium in the second quarter final match of this World Cup on Friday at the Los Angeles Stadium as the winner of this match will progress to the semi-finals where they will face France.

Spain vs Belgium – Match preview and team news

Spain team news

Nico Williams remains the biggest concern for manager Luis de la Fuente, as the winger continues to struggle with an adductor injury picked up against Uruguay.

Adding to Spain’s wide-area woes, Yéremy Pino is highly unlikely to feature again in this tournament after suffering a severe collarbone injury.

Also, Victor Muñoz is still sidelined with a persistent leg muscle issue. Consequently, Álex Baena is heavily tipped to retain his starting role on the left wing to provide creative coverage.

In defence, Pedro Porro is expected to get the nod over Marcos Llorente and retain his place in the starting XI.

The rest of the backline will rely on Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte to maintain structural stability against a potent Belgian attack.

Belgium team news

Belgium’s impressive tournament run has been dealt a devastating blow to its midfield. Amadou Onana has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup after sustaining an ACL rupture during the Round of 16 triumph over the USA.

Rudi Garcia is expected to call upon either Hans Vanaken to fill the massive defensive midfield void alongside Youri Tielemans.

In defence, Zeno Debast remains unavailable due to injury, forcing a reliance on Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy.

On a positive note, talisman Kevin De Bruyne is projected to return to the starting XI after his tactical benching in the last match.

Up front, Charles De Ketelaere is expected to operate as a dynamic false nine, leaving the physical presence of Romelu Lukaku on the bench to be utilised as a high-impact second-half substitute.

Form

Spain

Spain is in immaculate form, boasting an incredible 36-match competitive unbeaten streak under Luis de la Fuente. Their primary strength is an ironclad, historic defence that has yet to concede a single goal in this World Cup. After a scoreless opening draw against Cape Verde, La Roja built massive momentum by defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0. They extended their flawless defensive run in the knockout stages, dismantling Austria 3-0 and edging Portugal 1-0.

Belgium

Belgium enters the quarter-finals riding a remarkable 18-match unbeaten streak, showing explosive offensive power. While their defence has been leaky—conceding five goals in their last six games—their frontline is firing at an average of 2.83 goals per match. In the group stage, the Red Devils drew with Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0) before thumping New Zealand 5-1. They found their stride in the knockouts, outlasting Senegal 3-2 and crushing the USA 4-1.

Predicted lineups

Spain: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Belgium: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Vanaken, Tielemans; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere

How to watch Spain vs Belgium?

In the United Kingdom, you can watch the Spain vs. Belgium World Cup quarter-final live and for free on BBC One.

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