Spain had to wait deep into the night in Croatia, but the world champions found their way through. Trailing early and pressed for long spells, Luis de la Fuente’s side recovered to win 2-1 on Tuesday and secure a place in the Nations League quarter-finals.
Croatia struck first in the 17th minute through Ivan Perisic, putting Spain behind in a contest that tested the visitors far more severely than the final result may suggest. The response came through Mikel Merino, whose influence off the bench again proved decisive.
Merino scored twice to turn the match around and give Spain another comeback victory. His double extended the national team’s unbeaten sequence to 42 matches, underlining the resilience that has accompanied De la Fuente’s reign.
The result confirms Spain’s progression to the quarter-finals of the Nations League, while Croatia were left unable to protect the advantage created by Perisic’s early finish.
