What did Mikel Merino do to send Spain through?

Merino produced a late decisive intervention — arriving into the box and providing the match-defining moment that broke the deadlock and sealed Spain's passage to the semi-final.

How should Spain approach the semi-final against France?

Spain must control the midfield, compress the channels and limit transitions; rely on Merino's late runs but also protect the flanks from French pace to reduce counter-attacking threats.

Merino’s Midnight Touch Sends Spain into France Blockbuster

Spain booked a semi-final with France after Mikel Merino once again produced a late, decisive moment to settle a tense knockout tie. It was the kind of intervention that has defined this tournament for him: quiet in possession, explosive in execution, and impossible to plan for.

Merino’s influence goes beyond a single finish; he has become both the metronome and the detonator in Spain’s midfield, arriving late into the box and dragging opponents out of position. Spain’s structure allowed him the freedom to roam between lines, and the collective patience to wait for a player who times his contributions with ruthless efficiency.

France will be a different creature — quicker in transition, more direct and dangerous on counters — so Spain cannot rely on moments of magic alone. The Spanish blueprint must be discipline first: compress the channels, control the tempo, and make France chase the ball into congested spaces where technical superiority counts.

The Guru’s verdict is clear: Spain arrive as the tactical favourite if Merino plays, because he forces the opponent to adjust to him rather than the other way around. I back Spain to scrape through again — a narrow win or a penalty shootout favouring the team who controls the midfield — and the smart play for Spain is to double down on the midfield press and protect their flanks against French pace.