Spain booked their place in the Nations League quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Croatia, courtesy of a Mikel Merino brace as the Arsenal midfielder once again came off the bench to overturn the hosts’ first-half lead.
Luis de la Fuente’s side clinched their fourth consecutive victory and extended their remarkable unbeaten run to 42 matches in Split thanks to a commanding second-half display, having weathered an early storm from a spirited home side determined to make amends for their humiliating 7-0 drubbing against England.
The win ensures Spain reach the final eight of the UEFA Nations League for the fourth time in a row, with top spot in the group set to be decided against England when the two sides collide at the Metropolitano in Madrid on 15 November.
Fielding their strongest available line-up, with Lamine Yamal handed his fourth start, the European champions sought to impose themselves from the off, monopolising possession and pinning Croatia deep inside their own half, though the hosts defended with far greater grit and discipline than they had against the English.
Intent on restoring their pride, Slaven Bilic’s charges engaged the home crowd through ferocious pressing and tenacity, fashioning the game’s first clear opening in the 13th minute when Stanisic headed towards goal.
With Luka Modric pulling the strings in the middle of the park, the Balkan side disrupted Spain’s flow, limiting the visitors to isolated moments of magic from Lamine Yamal, who was routinely marshalled by up to three defenders.
Croatia’s tireless work ethic bore fruit on the counter-attack. Igor Matanovic unleashed a stinging low strike and, after the Spanish goalkeeper parried, 37-year-old Ivan Perišić reacted sharpest to head home the rebound and break the deadlock.
Buoyed by the opener, the hosts nearly doubled their advantage five minutes later. A stray clearance with his feet from Unai Simon gifted Matanovic a clear run on goal, but the Athletic Club goalkeeper redeemed himself with a vital stop.
Unaccustomed to chasing games, Spain initially struggled for fluency, yet they closed the first half with renewed urgency. Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo both caused alarms before Pedri unlocked the defence in stoppage time with a sublime through ball for Lamine Yamal, who was denied by Dominik Livakovic at his near post.
De la Fuente shuffled his pack at the interval, introducing Mikel Merino in place of Alex Baena and shunting Olmo out to the left flank on his return to Croatia, six years after his spell with Dinamo Zagreb.
The tactical shift breathed new life into the European champions, who swiftly rediscovered their swagger as Croatia began to flag. Olmo went close moments later as the Spanish siege intensified.
Parity was restored in the 61st minute courtesy of Merino, Spain’s go-to problem-solver, who pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area to drill a crisp left-footed finish past Livakovic.
The Arsenal midfielder repaid De la Fuente’s faith yet again, turning the tide in a fixture that had grown fraught. Bilic withdrew Modric in a bid to inject fresh legs, but the home side were powerless to halt Spain’s momentum.
Croatia still had one clear opening when a wayward pass from Martin Zubimendi presented a golden chance to Perisic, only for Unai Simon to pull off an outstanding save. That was to be the hosts’ final real threat, as the veteran Croatian winger was soon dismissed after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Marc Cucurella.
With ten-man Croatia clinging on for a point, Merino took centre stage once again. With just two minutes remaining, the midfielder cushioned the ball exquisitely with his left foot before dispatching an unstoppable volley into the net to complete the 2-1 turnaround and punch Spain’s ticket to the quarter-finals.
