Spain beats Croatia 2-1 as Merino scores twice from the bench
Mikel Merino scored twice off the bench to lift Spain over Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League.
Spain rallied from behind to beat Croatia in Split on Tuesday with a second-half comeback sparked by substitute Mikel Merino. The Arsenal midfielder equalised in the 61st minute after entering at halftime.
Merino then struck the winning goal in the 88th minute. Croatia's Ivan Perisic scored first.
Spain have now won all four of their Nations League group matches. They remain undefeated across forty-two games dating to March 2024.
In England's 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, captain Harry Kane scored twice to reach ninety-one international goals. This is an outright England record.
Kane also set up a third goal. He moved level with goalkeeper Peter Shilton on most England caps.
- Spain 2-1 Croatia
- Final score
- 61st and 88th minutes
- Merino's goals
- March 2024
- Spain unbeaten since
- Won all 4 matches
- Nations League group record
Why it mattersMerino has become Spain's clutch finisher in tournament knockouts, scoring late winners at two Euros and the World Cup. Kane's goal tally and longevity show why he remains among the world's best strikers even in his mid-thirties.
AustraliaBoth teams qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals in March, advancing the competitions many Australian football fans follow on delayed broadcast.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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