​Belgium will meet Spain in the World Cup quarter-final on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium, with the winner earning a spot in the semi-finals against France. Belgium arrives in this knockout clash on an 18-match unbeaten run and has looked potent going forward, even as their defensive line has shown some fragility, having conceded five goals in their last six matches. Their attacking form, however, has been prolific, averaging 2.83 goals per game, and their campaign has grown stronger as the tournament has progressed.
In the group stage, Belgium opened with a 1-1 draw against Egypt and a 0-0 stalemate with Iran, before delivering a commanding 5-1 victory over New Zealand. The knockout rounds have seen them raise their effort, edging Senegal 3-2 and then overwhelming the United States 4-1.
A significant setback for Belgium has been in midfield, where Amadou Onana will miss the remainder of the tournament after sustaining an ACL injury during the Round of 16 win against the USA. To fill the gap, manager Rudi Garcia is expected to recall Hans Vanaken as a possible partner alongside Youri Tielemans in midfield. Defensively, Zeno Debast remains unavailable due to injury, meaning Belgium will likely rely on Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy at centre-back.
There is some encouraging news, though, as Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be back in the starting lineup after being rested for tactical reasons in the previous match. Offensively, Charles De Ketelaere is anticipated to operate as a false nine, with Romelu Lukaku potentially entering the fray later as an impact substitute.
Possible Belgium starting XI: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Vanaken, Tielemans; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 8pm BST on Friday, 10 July. In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch the Spain vs Belgium World Cup quarter-final live and free on BBC One.