Merino pounces on Lammens mistake to score late winner for Spain

Fairytale goodbyes are a rarity in football.

Belgium’s 2-1 defeat by Spain in the quarter-finals of the World Cup is likely to have marked the final bow of the four remaining members of the Red Devils’ golden generation.

Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Axel Witsel have been mainstays of the national team since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but their final chance of winning football’s biggest prize ended with a mistake from one of their successors.

The injured Courtois, replaced midway through the second half, could only watch as Senne Lammens spilled an 88th-minute shot and Arsenal‘s Mikel Merino tucked home the rebound.

“Lammens doesn’t cover himself in any glory. He didn’t make a mistake for Manchester United last year but this is another pressure,” said former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It’s always difficult for any player in a game of this magnitude to come on, but especially a goalkeeper,” added ex-Manchester City full-back Micah Richards. “To then make a mistake? I feel sorry for him.”