David Villa’s fourth goal of the World Cup was enough for Spain to beat Portugal 1-0 on Tuesday and book their place in the quarter-finals in South Africa.
The goal, which saw Villa move level with Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain and Slovakia's Robert Vittek at the top of the finals goalscoring charts, broke the deadlock midway through the second half.
And - despite having looked sound and solid for much of the match - the Portuguese eventually went out with a whimper at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, where they had defender Ricardo Costa sent off late on.
Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo – who was excellent all evening - must have thought he was in for a long night in the early stages as the Spanish racked up three quick early shots on target, the first in the opening minute from Fernando Torres, who cut in from the left flank and sent a curling right foot shot goalward, one that the Portuguese number one had to palm away.
Two fizzing quick-fire efforts followed from Villa, both of which Eduardo had to get his hands to as the Barcelona new boy twice cut in from the left to threaten the target.
Portugal settled a little after that and a Cristiano Ronaldo cross was just too far for Hugo Almeida, before a free-kick from the Real Madrid superstar was soft and easy for his club colleague Iker Casillas to take hold of in the Spain goal.
After his brilliant early effort, Torres was again looking leggy – as he has so far in the tournament – and after breaking into the Portugal box having collected the ball from Xavi, he dithered and was easily dispossessed.
Carlos Queiroz’s side then began to show some more confidence in attack the more the first half wore on, their impressive left back Fabio Coentrao teeing up Tiago – via Raul Meireles – for a stinging drive that Casillas palmed up in the air. Almeida ran in looking to finish off the move, but Spain just survived as the ball was cleared.
The Spain goalkeeper had another nervous moment when a much better Ronaldo free – a vicious dipping effort from 40 yards – pinged off his gloves and Gerard Pique was needed to head the danger away as the other Portuguese attackers chased a follow-up.
What might have been a 25-yard effort from Xavi at the other end then sailed to the right of Eduardo’s goal, and while his side began to regain more control of the ball there was little sign of them breaking a sound Portuguese defence down.
At the other end, there was time for Tiago to head considerably wide after the follow-up play to a Portugal corner, but an absorbing first half ended without goals, though it can certainly be documented as anything but dull.
Portugal remained a side prepared to attack when they had the ball but keep droves of men behind it when they did not as the game resumed. They snuffed out a couple of early Spanish attacks before going very close when the ball ran for Almeida on the left of the Spain area.
He crossed with the aim of finding Ronaldo but, before it got to the Madrid man, it took a wicked looping deflection off of Carles Puyol and Casillas watched on for what must have seemed an eternity before it just bounced behind outside his post.
Portugal continued to block and block and block whenever Spain had a pop, Andres Iniesta twice thwarted early in the second half, and his side’s lack of penetration eventually led to Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque withdrawing Torres yet again, the Liverpool man still not sharp enough. And – as Portugal also replaced Almeida with Danny – he made way for Fernando Llorente.
The substitution was almost an inspired one as, just a minute after coming on, the big Athletic Bilbao striker dove in at the near post to get his head to a Sergio Ramos cross and draw a superb save from Eduardo.
Villa – who had been quiet now for some time – then reminded everyone how dangerous a front man he really is when collecting the ball 25 yards out and firing in a fine shot that whistled just wide of Eduardo’s goal.
That was close and soon he showed why nobody should need reminding of his threat, staying expertly onside to collect a through-ball from Xavi after some wonderful midfield passing between the last-mentioned, Iniesta and Xabi Alonso.
On receiving his new club-mate’s pass, Villa stole away from right back Costa and fired a shot at goal. Again, Eduardo made the save but the ball bounced back for Villa and he held his nerve to lift the ball above the goalkeeper and eventually into the net after a heart-stopping moment when it clipped the bar.
That goal was the first Portugal had conceded at the tournament, but it inspired Spain to quickly try and find a second. Ramos went very close after one of his familiar runs down the right, during which he ran onto an Iniesta pass, cut inside and drew another magnificent save from Eduardo at the far corner. A 30-yard thumper from Villa then brought another fine stop from the Sporting Braga goalkeeper, who was really keeping his team in it at this point.
Ronaldo had been pretty anonymous in the second half, but a great return ball from him to freshly-introduced sub Liedson da Silva almost led to a killer break, only for the new man to fluff the subsequent pass to Coentrao and Puyol to clear the now minimal danger.
Spain’s possession play was now frustrating the Portuguese, as was the failure of Argentine referee Hector Baldassi to give Ronaldo the benefit of the doubt anytime he hit the ground all evening, a foul by Joan Capdevila on the attacker going unpunished as the clock neared the ninety-minute mark.
Llorente glanced a long pass from Villa just wide with four minutes to play before Capdevila brilliantly blocked a Danny shot from 18 yards at the other end.
The Spain left back was then involved in a controversial moment when he hit the ground under an off-the-ball challenge from Costa, who was shown a straight red card. The dismissal was the penultimate insult for Portugal on the night, the final one being a dreadful wide effort from 35 yards from Ronaldo as the game entered stoppage-time.
In the end, the team that had far more of a go are the ones who progress. The European champions will next face Paraguay in the last eight on Saturday as their bid for a first World Cup title goes on. Portugal go home, having scored in just one of their four games.