What were the turning points in the match?

Spain beat Croatia 2-1 in Split in UEFA Nations League Group A3 to book their quarter-final place with two matches remaining. Although the hosts went ahead through Ivan Perisic, Mikel Merino, who came on at half-time, scored twice to complete the comeback.

Croatia started the match more brightly. Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon first denied Josip Stanisic with a header. But after Simon saved Igor Matanovic's shot, he was beaten by Perisic's header from the rebound.

Spain also struggled to play out from the back in the first half. After Simon's pass put Aymeric Laporte under pressure, Croatia came close to a second goal, but the Spanish goalkeeper stepped in again to stop Matanovic.

How did the balance change after Merino came on?

Early in the second half, Lamine Yamal had a major chance. The young forward lifted the ball past Croatia goalkeeper and Barcelona team-mate Dominik Livakovic, but lost his balance and Spain failed to take the chance to equalise.

Merino, introduced by head coach Luis de la Fuente at half-time, changed the course of the match. The midfielder levelled the score at 1-1 in the 61st minute with a low finish after a pass from Dani Olmo. Olmo's spell in Croatia earlier in his career was one of the notable details in the move.

The closing stages became even harder for the home side. Perisic was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Marc Cucurella. Spain made the most of their numerical advantage, and Merino beat Livakovic with a turn and a powerful strike in the 88th minute to secure the win.

How did the result affect the group table?

With the victory, Spain maintained their perfect start in Group A3 and confirmed their place in the last eight. The team also extended its unbeaten run to 42 matches and stayed three points clear of England at the top of the group.

  • Spain secured their quarter-final place with two matches to spare.
  • Croatia lost their resilience late on after Perisic's red card.

Slaven Bilic's Croatia had wanted to give their supporters a very different performance after a heavy 7-0 defeat to England. Their strong first-half display suggested they might, but Merino's impact after coming on decided the match.