Merino Header Sends Spain Past Portugal in Stoppage Time
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- Mikel Merino, brought on as a substitute, scored a stoppage-time winner to send Spain into the quarter-finals at Portugal's expense.
- The 1-0 result eliminated Portugal and ended Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of World Cup glory.
- Spain's victory was sealed by the lone goal in a tight Iberian derby, with no further scoring after Merino's late strike.
Why it matters: Spain advance to the quarter-finals at the expense of their Iberian neighbors, with Merino's dramatic late intervention the difference in a match that produced only one goal and ends Ronaldo's last realistic shot at World Cup glory.
