Sports Desk:
Spain defeated arch-rivals Portugal 1-0 in a high-voltage last-16 clash of the World Cup with substitute player Mikel Marino’s injury-time goal to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
The match, held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, USA, was going goalless for a long time. Mikel Marino scored the winning goal for Spain in the first minute of added time as the match was about to go into extra time.
The goal was initiated by Spain’s substitute player Ferran Torres. Merino took advantage of his great pass and put the ball in the net. This last-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory for Spain.
The match was also of particular significance for Portugal’s legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s record sixth World Cup mission also came to an end with this defeat.
The match, held at Dallas’s air-conditioned AT&T Stadium, was packed to capacity with 70,649 spectators, but the game on the field was not as exciting as it looked on paper. Both teams played cautious football for the most part and clear-cut chances were limited.
However, Spain secured a dramatic victory in the final minutes with a superb finish from Mikel Merino to book their place in the last eight of the World Cup.
