Spain produced another impressive comeback on Tuesday night, overturning Croatia 2–1 in Split to secure their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.
The result was not straightforward. Croatia, still smarting from their 7–0 defeat by England three days earlier, started with greater urgency and stunned the world champions by taking the lead through Ivan Perišić after 17 minutes.
Spain had most of the possession but struggled to turn it into clear chances. Croatia defended with determination and looked dangerous when they broke forward, forcing goalkeeper Unai Simón into important saves.
Luis de la Fuente reacted at half-time by introducing Mikel Merino for Álex Baena. The change proved decisive.
Merino equalised in the 61st minute, finishing calmly after Dani Olmo created the opportunity. Suddenly, Spain looked more dangerous and Croatia began to retreat.
The decisive moment came late in the match. Perišić, who had already been booked, was sent off in the 79th minute after receiving a second yellow card. Croatia were now down to ten men, and Spain immediately increased the pressure.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, Merino completed the turnaround. The midfielder controlled the ball before producing a composed left-footed finish to make it 2–1 and send Spain into the quarter-finals.
The statistics reflected Spain’s control of possession. They finished with 72.1% of the ball and completed 697 passes compared with Croatia’s 234, although both teams registered ten shots. Croatia actually managed more shots on target, five to Spain’s three, underlining how competitive the match remained despite Spain’s dominance of possession.
For Merino, it was a night to remember. Introduced at the interval, he scored twice and became the central figure in a comeback that preserved Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run. The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten streak to 42 matches and left them top of Nations League Group A3 with 12 points from four games.
For Croatia, the defeat was particularly painful. They had needed a positive result after their heavy loss to England, but instead suffered another setback. Perišić’s sending-off made their task even harder, transforming a match they had controlled for long periods into one Spain ultimately won.
Spain’s victory also underlined the depth and adaptability of De la Fuente’s side. They were far from their best in the first half, yet the manager’s decision to introduce Merino changed the contest. Rather than allowing Croatia’s early advantage to dictate the evening, Spain patiently regained control and punished the hosts when their opportunity came.
The win means Spain have already secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals, while their perfect four-match record keeps them firmly at the top of the group.
