Mikel Merino came off the bench to score twice as Spain overturned an early deficit to defeat Croatia 2-1 in Split, maintaining their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League and securing qualification for the quarter-finals.
Spain arrived at the Stadion Poljud looking to preserve their 100 per cent record in the competition, but Croatia entered the contest with something to prove after suffering a heavy 7-0 defeat to England three days earlier.
The hosts responded to that humiliation with a far more determined performance, making Spain work for every inch of the pitch and eventually taking a deserved lead.
Croatia started brightly and showed greater intensity during the opening stages. Their pressure was rewarded in the 17th minute when Ivan Perišić put the hosts ahead.
The move began with Mateo Kovačić driving Croatia forward before Igor Matanović got onto the end of the attack. Matanović’s initial effort was saved by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón, but the rebound fell perfectly for Perišić, who reacted quickest and headed the loose ball into the bottom-left corner.
The goal lifted the atmosphere inside the stadium and unsettled a Spain side that struggled to impose the possession-heavy football that has become their trademark.
Croatia continued to threaten and nearly doubled their advantage when another defensive mistake allowed Matanović to get into a dangerous position, but Simón recovered with an important save.
Spain gradually grew into the contest and began creating opportunities of their own. However, Croatia defended with discipline and carried their 1-0 advantage into half-time.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente responded immediately after the break, introducing Mikel Merino for Álex Baena.
The substitution proved decisive.
Merino brought greater physical presence and attacking movement to Spain’s midfield, while the visitors began finding more space between Croatia’s defensive and midfield lines.
The pressure finally produced an equaliser in the 61st minute.
Dani Olmo collected a loose ball inside the Croatian penalty area and intelligently picked out Merino. The Arsenal midfielder created just enough space before sending a composed left-footed shot into the bottom corner, beyond Dominik Livaković.
The goal completely changed the momentum.
Spain now looked increasingly dangerous, while Croatia were forced to defend deeper.
The hosts still had opportunities to regain the lead. Perišić came close after Spain made another mistake in possession, but his powerful effort was kept out by Simón, who reacted quickly to deny the Croatian veteran.
Then came a major turning point.
Perišić, who had already been booked earlier in the match, challenged Marc Cucurella and was shown a second yellow card in the 79th minute, reducing Croatia to 10 men.
There was some protest from the Croatian players, but the decision stood after a VAR review. Perišić’s dismissal left Croatia facing the final stages with a numerical disadvantage and Spain immediately sensed an opportunity.
Yet Croatia continued to resist.
With the clock approaching the final minutes, the hosts appeared to have done enough to secure a valuable point against the world champions.
Merino had other ideas.
In the 89th minute, Spain completed the comeback.
Martin Zubimendi found Merino with a perfectly weighted pass into the area. The midfielder controlled the ball brilliantly, adjusted his body and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the corner of the net, leaving Livaković with little chance.
It was Merino’s second goal of the night and arguably the finest moment of the match.
From a player who had started the evening on the bench, Merino had transformed the contest with two goals that rescued Spain from a difficult situation.
Croatia pushed forward in the closing moments, but Spain held firm to protect their advantage.
The result extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 42 matches, stretching back to March 2024, while their Nations League campaign remained flawless with four victories from four matches. They moved onto 12 points at the top of Group A3 and secured their place in the quarter-finals.
For Croatia, the defeat was another painful result, but the performance represented a significant improvement from the disastrous loss to England. They matched Spain for long periods, took the lead and created opportunities before Perišić’s dismissal changed the balance of the contest.
There was also a memorable individual battle between experience and youth, with Croatia relying heavily on Luka Modrić’s influence while Spain continued to showcase the quality of their younger generation.
Modrić was booked during the second half, while Perišić’s two cautions ultimately became the decisive disciplinary incident of the match. There were no other red cards.
The match did not produce a decisive goal off the woodwork, but Spain had several threatening attacking moments, while Croatia’s goalkeeper Livaković was forced into important interventions before Merino finally found the winning goal.
Ultimately, this was another demonstration of Spain’s resilience.
They did not play their best football in the first half. They fell behind, struggled to break Croatia’s defensive structure and appeared capable of dropping their first points of the campaign.
Instead, one second-half substitution changed everything.
Merino’s introduction turned the match around, and his two goals ensured Spain’s perfect record remained intact.
Croatia had the lead.
Spain had the response.
And Merino had the final word.
Spain’s march through the Nations League continues, with four wins from four matches and a place in the quarter-finals already secured.
