Dio
Spain and the Netherlands drew in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal after Mikel Merino of Arsenal equalized in stoppage time.
Nico Williams’ low shot was parried into the path of Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who then allowed substitute Merino to score from close range in the second half.
Prior to this, Dutch full-back Jorrel Hato had lost possession deep inside his own half, and Williams had cleverly finished to give Luis de la Fuente’s European champions the lead in the first half.
After a strong response, the Netherlands equalized just before the hour when Cody Gakpo of Liverpool scored a low shot after Justin Kluivert, an attacker for Bournemouth, had passed.
Tijjani Reijnders low shot 39 seconds into the second period appeared to have earned the visitors a narrow lead to take into the second leg, but after Hato was dismissed with nine minutes remaining, Merino struck to salvage a draw for the holders.
Merino’s late goal stretches Spain’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 matches – since a 1-0 friendly defeat by Colombia in March last year.
After Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi was injured late in the first half, Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, who was born in the Netherlands but spent his childhood and adolescence in Spain, was given his senior La Roja debut.
The winners of the match will face either France or Croatia in the semi-finals, and the second leg will be played in Valencia on Sunday.
