Spain secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday, maintaining their strong hold on the top spot in Group C.
The fixture, played at the Poljud Stadium in the Croatian coastal city of Split, saw the hosts take the lead before the Spanish national team responded with two goals in the second half to take all three points.
The result leaves the Spanish squad with 12 points after four matches, cementing their position as group leaders. Croatia remains in third place in the group, having collected only three points so far in the current campaign.
Merino sparks comeback
Croatian winger Ivan Perisic opened the scoring for the home side. The advantage held until the interval, putting the hosts in a strong position against the undefeated group leaders in front of their home supporters.
However, Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino took control in the second half. He found the net to bring the visitors level, and later scored a second goal to secure the victory and complete the turnaround for his team.
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The tournament was introduced to largely replace international friendly matches with competitive group fixtures.
Late red card
The match ended on a difficult note for Perisic, who won the UEFA Champions League with German club Bayern Munich during the 2019 to 2020 season. The veteran attacker was shown a red card with ten minutes remaining in the contest following a challenge on Spanish defender Marc Cucurella.
The dismissal left Croatia to play out the final stages of the match with ten men, halting their attempts to find a late equaliser against the group leaders. Cucurella and Merino both ply their trade at the highest levels of European club football, reflecting the strength of the current Spanish squad.
Spain has a rich history in international football, having won the FIFA World Cup and multiple UEFA European Championships. Croatia has also established itself as a major force on the international stage over the past decade, reaching the World Cup final in 2018 and consistently challenging the traditional powers of the European game.
Next matches
Both nations will return to action in the next round of the Nations League group stage on November 12.
Spain will travel to Prague to face the Czech Republic at Letna Hill. The Spanish side will aim to continue their winning streak in the Czech capital and secure their progression to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Croatia faces a demanding away fixture against England. That match will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, the traditional home of the English national team and one of the largest sporting venues in Europe. The Croatian side will attempt to add to their points tally and climb the group standings.
