Charles De Ketelaere dragged Belgium back into their World Cup quarter-final against Spain, heading in the equalizer to make it 1-1 after Spain had gone ahead. Castagne delivered the cross and De Ketelaere met it cleanly, sending the ball past Simon and changing the mood of the match in a single touch.
The goal mattered because Spain had controlled the opening phase and still carried the edge in possession when Belgium found its response. That was the pressure in the game: Belgium were in danger of being pinned back by the European champions, but the Rode Duivels had a lifeline through a move that punished one lapse and rewarded one sharp run.
The match, which began at 21 uur, had already shown how little space there was for mistakes. Cubarsi picked up the first yellow card after fouling De Bruyne, Fabian Ruiz had given Spain their lead after Courtois saved Olmo's shot and the rebound went in via Castagne, and Belgium had been forced to absorb that setback before De Ketelaere answered. Earlier, Spain had the more threatening start, with Lamine Yamal beating De Cuyper and later seeing a shot handled by Courtois, while Porro sent a left-footed effort high and Raskin's loss of the ball led to another Yamal attempt from distance.
Belgium's equalizer did more than level the score. It turned a quarter-final that had tilted toward Spain back into a contest, and it did so in a match where every turn carried immediate consequences. The unanswered question now is whether Belgium can keep the game at 1-1 long enough to force Spain into something less comfortable than the opening phase had suggested.
