Michel Stars as Spain Beats Belgium

Michel scored his fourth World Cup goal and set up another as Spain beat Belgium today, 2-1, to finish at the top of Group E.

Belgian playmaker Enzo Scifo missed a penalty shot in the 60th minute that would have evened the score and denied Spain first place.

Both teams had already qualified for the second round after their earlier matches, but the victory gave Spain a measure of revenge for its loss to Belgium in a penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Michel, hat-trick hero of Spain’s 3-1 victory over South Korea, became the tournament’s top scorer when he scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute.

Patrick Vervoort got Belgium even three minutes later, but defender Alberto Gorriz made it 2-1 for Spain in the 39th minute, and that proved enough to seal a Spanish victory.

Spain, which will meet Yugoslavia in the second round Tuesday in Verona, finished at the top of the group with five points and Belgium second with four.

Scifo, who had been having an excellent game, ruined his day when he thumped the penalty shot against the crossbar.

Michel made no such mistake with his penalty shot, which set Spain on the road to success.

Michel drove his right-footed shot out of reach of goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme, who guessed correctly and dived to the right but failed to get his hand on the ball.

Three minutes later, Belgium evened the score after Scifo, mainspring of the Belgian attack, was fouled in front of the penalty area.

Scifo ran over the ball at the free-kick and Vervoort crashed in a left-footed shot that took a deflection off the defensive wall, leaving Spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta stranded.

Nine minutes later, Spain went back in front for good.

An excellent Spanish pattern involving striker Julio Salinas, Michel and Francisco Villaroya was brought to an end near the corner-flag by a crunching tackle on Michel by defender Pascal Plovie, who had come on as a substitute for Marc Emmers just after the Belgian goal.

Michel lofted a free kick and Gorriz, up in the area on the right, met it with a firm header which flew into the far corner of the net.

Belgium, a 2-0 winner over South Korea in their opening game, featured four changes from the side which defeated Uruguay, 3-1, Sunday--with goal-scorer Vervoort among the quartet drafted into the starting lineup.

Belgian Coach Guy Thys was content with the outcome.

“I’m very satisfied,” he said. “We were in command in the second half with five new players. I don’t think we have to be afraid of anybody. We came close to an equalizer several times.”