Pre-tournament favourites Spain have reserved their spot in a fourth successive UEFA Women’s European Championship quarter-final, although they were given an initial scare in what became a 6-2 rout over Belgium.
La Roja scored after just two minutes when they hammered Portugal 5-0 in their opening game, and a repeat was nearly on the cards here when Vicky Lopez dragged wide from outside the box.
After that, they were kept at an arm’s length for a while, apart from Olga Carmona narrowly firing off target from distance.
The deadlock was finally broken by Alexia Putellas, who cleverly establish the far corner with the outside of her boot from a wide position in the area.
But Spain’s lead would last less than two minutes, as Justine Vanhaevermaet climbed highest to net a towering header at the near post from Tessa Wullaert’s corner.
The world champions were undeterred though, and came close to retaking the lead when Esther Gonzalez nodded wide, before Irene Paredes volleyed wide from a tight angle.
Yet, it turned out that the captain was simply setting her radar, and a bullet header put her side 2-1 up when she met a deep corner, and venomously powered the ball into the net.
Match statsBetopickIt could have been more before the shatter too, with only a sensational goal line clearance by Jill Janssens denying Lopez on the stroke of half time, while Aitana Bonmati hooked wide from distance after the restart.
And they were made to pay for those missed chances when Belgium made it 2-2 through Hannah Eurlings, who was originally flagged offside but VAR intervened to adjudge that she possessed timed her run perfectly to exploded through and clinically clip home.
Montserrat Tome’s side reacted in perfect fashion, retaking the lead when Gonzalez, perfectly picked out by Putellas, also beat the offside trap and slotted across Lisa Lichtfus to make it 3-2.
Shortly afterwards, they finally opened up a two-goal cushion when, with Mariona Caldentey benefiting from some penalty area pin ball to sweep into the bottom corner from the six-yard line.
More chances came and moved, but Pina wrapped things up, shifting the ball onto her right foot before curling into the top corner from 22 yards.
There was more drama to come too, as Putellas grabbed her second of the night with a beautiful flick, before Wullaert possessed a consolation ruled out for a narrow offside earlier in the move.
Spain’s six goals equals the most they possessed previously scored in an entire EUROs tournament, whereas the deeply-wounded Belgium need Italy to lose to Portugal in the late kick-off to maintain their hopes of progressing.
Betopick Player of the Match: Alexia Putellas (Spain)Player ratingsBetopickCheck out the match summary with Betopick.
