When the quarterfinals draw defensive Nations League and European champions Spain against the Netherlands, fireworks were expected.
The first stage of that striking draw, held in De Kuip in Rotterdam on Thursday, certainly did not disappoint and saw four goals were shared equally.
The Netherlands closes the victory after the efforts of Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders gave them 2-1 first, but the red card from Jorrel Hato invited an unwanted late pressure and Merino made three minutes in stopping time for Spain.
Valencia's Mestalla Stadium is organizing the decisive second stage on Sunday, with a place in the semi-final and a meeting with Croatia or France-on the game.
Here we look ahead to the game with our opta-driven preview.
What is expected?
Spain needed a final gasp goal from Arsenal Utility Man Merino to save their blush on Thursday, but they come in the second stage as big favorites.
The Opta-Supercomputer assigns them a chance of 62.4% within 90 minutes, with the Netherlands winning in just 17.7% of the simulations for the match.
The remaining 19.9% ended level, and no longer in force with the rule of road rule, that would mean extra time and possibly fines.
Sunday's game takes place a year and a day after the most recent defeat of Spain, a 2-0 friendly loss for Colombia at the London Stadium in West Ham.
Since then, La Roja has started an unbeaten run of 17 games, which won 14 of those competitions and three signs, while claiming a record -breaking fourth European crown in the process.
That is their best such run, because an unbeaten streak of 27 games (18 victories, nine draws) that last from June 2016 to October 2018, when they walked a memorable 3-2 Nations League defeat at home in England.
The Netherlands has been unbeaten in four meetings with Spain Since he went to a goal of Andres Iniesta in the World Cup Final of 2010 (two wins, two draws), a run that started with a 5-1 thrashing by La Roja on the next World Cup.
The Orange lost three of the first four meetings of the teams between 1957 and 1983, but they have lost only one of the nine consecutive games, won five and three signs.
Spain Widemen to cause the damage?
Spain has done exceptional work to share the load in the attack in this Nations League campaign.
Germany (20) is the only competition A -Team to improve the 15 goals of Spain in this Nations League campaign (a count that is also matched by the Netherlands), but Fabian Ruiz is the only Roja player who scores two goals in this edition of the competition.
Thirteen other Spain players have a single goal in their name, which shows that the men of Luis de la Fuente are not dependent on an attacker.
But as they have shown at Euro 2024, Wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal can offer the X-Factor that distinguishes Spain from their competitors.
While Williams became the second youngest player who scored last year in a euro final against England, Yamal broke the 1958 record of Pele as the youngest player who appeared in a euro or world cup final, one day after his 17th birthday.
His four assists at Euro 2024 were the joint that every player ever helped with a euro that OPTA has registered (from 1980), and he went into force for Barcelona this campaign.
Yamal has 13 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for the Blaugrana this season, with only Mohamed Salah (22), Rayan Cherki and Raphinha (18) that improve that last figure with players from Europe's top five competitions.
His total of 29 target statements is 11 more than any other teenager has managed, with the Doue Doue of Paris Saint-Germain Recording 18.
And with Hato suspended for Sunday's game, Yamal will probably compete against Ian Maatsen from Aston Villa, who is limited this season to only 606 minutes Premier League promotion. The second choice of the Netherlands will have to be left back in his game.
Clockwork Oranje has put confidence in liquid front line
The Netherlands may have lost the expected goals fight on Thursday, creating opportunities at 0.61 XG to the 1.40 of Spain, but the Ronald Koeman team played exciting, dynamic football for a long time.
The Orange only had 40.3% of the possession in that game, but they converted it into 56 inputs from the last third place compared to the 49 of Spain.
Goalscorers Gakpo and Reijnders were at the forefront of everything they did, with the first his 21st goal -oriented involvement (15 goals, six assists) for his country recorded on his 37th performance.
In the 21st century, only Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (23) succeeded more in his first 37 caps for the Netherlands, with Arjen Robben also recording 21.
Together with Memphis Depay, Justin Kluivert and Jeremie Frimpong, Gakpo was part of a liquid front four that caused Spain all kinds of problems, in particular in the enchantment between the two goals of the Netherlands in the 28th and 46th minutes.
Koeman's side was balanced in attack and sent 33.5% of the attacks along their left flank compared to 35.2% left, where they used the explosive pace of Frimpong in the structure of both goals.
Koeman described Frimpong's performance as “great” after the game and said: “He was one that we had discussed; if you can find him quickly, and he can approach a full-back, he is deadly.
“The way he kept his eyes open, especially before the second goal … He is a big threat and pressure good. His speed is a great weapon.”
The vertical, pace approach of the Netherlands paid almost dividends on Thursday, and with Spain probably checks the home floor, expects the orange here to use a similar approach.
Players to watch
Spain – Dean Huijsen
Bournemouth Defender Huijsen-Die was born in the Netherlands and represented them to the level of the 19 years before he changed his senior Spain debut from the bank on Thursday, when Pau Cubarsi was injured in Barcelona.
Greetings by a choir of angry, Huijsen produced a composed version and completed 53 of his 59 attempt to compete with 17 of those passes that ended in the last third part.
Despite the fact that Huijsen only entered the battle in the 41st minute, only Williams (25), Marc Cucurella (20) and Dani Olmo (19) completed more of such passes.
The Netherlands – Memphis Depay
Depay was sacrificed the player after the red card of Hato in the first stage, who had threatened without coming on the score sheet.
The 31-year-old Die this year has so far has two goals for Corinthian-created three opportunities for teammates, with only Frimpong (four) on more.
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