March 21, (THEWILL) – Spain netted a stoppage-time equaliser through Mikel Merino to draw 2-2 against 10-man Netherlands in their Nations League quarter-final first leg on Thursday evening. The late goal maintains balance in the tie ahead of Sunday’s second leg in Valencia.
The European champions started strongly at De Kuip, with Nico Williams opening the scoring after nine minutes following combination play from Barcelona teammates Lamine Yamal and Pedri. The Dutch responded before the half-hour mark when Cody Gakpo found the net with a precise finish inside the near post to level proceedings.
Netherlands took control after the interval, with Tijjani Reijnders requiring just 39 seconds of the second half to put the hosts ahead. His excellent side-footed finish from 18 yards out found the bottom-left corner after Jeremie Frimpong provided the assist, giving Ronald Koeman’s side a deserved advantage.
The match dynamic shifted dramatically when Dutch defender Jorrel Hato received a red card for a dangerous tackle on Robin Le Normand with nine minutes remaining. The dismissal provided Spain with momentum for their late push, culminating in goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen spilling Williams’ shot directly to Merino, who converted from close range in the third minute of added time.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain team now return home with valuable away goals for the return fixture, while Netherlands will need to overcome both the scoreline and their numerical disadvantage from the suspension. The winner of this quarter-final will advance to the Nations League finals, with the champions looking to defend their title from the 2023 competition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
