Merino the unlikely hero for Spain again

Any side looking to be successful need match-winners throughout the team - and Spain are proving they have them as Mikel Merino delivered in his role as super sub once again to send the European champions into the World Cup semi-finals. The Arsenal midfielder stepped off the bench for the second successive game to score the decisive goal - this time securing a 2-1 victory over Belgium . There are just two examples of a player scoring the winning goal for Spain in the knockout stages of the World Cup as a substitute: Merino vs Portugal in the last 16 and Merino vs Belgium. His latest heroics mean Spain are into last four of the tournament for only the second time and will now play France on Tuesday for a place in the final. "Mikel is incredible," Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said after the quarter-final win. "He has many qualities. He is a player that across the whole World Cup could have played in whatever team and done great. "For us, he is the standard of this idea, of this model. It is a pleasure to have him - and others, but especially him. We know that, without fail, he is always there." Merino's heroics will be a familiar sight for Arsenal fans, with the 30-year-old having done similar things for the Gunners. "Merino is just one of those players who arrives at the right time, at the right moment in big games," former England striker Wayne Rooney said on Match of the Day.