Spain, Belgium battle for WC semi-final spot

Spain and Belgium will meet in a World Cup quarter-final on Friday in Los Angeles, with both teams seeking a semi-final spot. The match starts at 1:00am Bangladesh Standard Time, and will be televised live by BTV, T Sports, and Somoy TV. Belgium enter after finishing first in Group G and then reaching the last eight via a 3-2 extra-time win over Senegal and a 4-1 victory over hosts United States. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice against the U.S., while Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku added goals; despite history of scoring as a substitute, Lukaku is likely to start on the bench again. Spain, meanwhile, extended a record sixth consecutive clean sheet with a 1-0 win over Portugal, conceding no goals for 10 hours and nine minutes. Mikel Merino’s 91st-minute winner sent La Roja into their sixth quarter-final, under a defensive and chance-creation profile reflected by a 0.30 xGA per game.