Spain defeated Croatia thanks to Mikel Merino's brace — Interia Sport
Spain's national team defeated Croatia 2:1 on October 6 in a fourth-round UEFA Nations League group-stage match. The hosts opened the scoring in the first half, but after the break the Spaniards came back and snatched victory. As Interia Sport reports, Mikel Merino scored both goals for Spain.
Croatia scored first
In the 17th minute, Ivan Perišić put the Croatian team ahead. Following a counterattack, Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón saved the first shot, but the ball fell to Perišić, who took advantage of the opportunity.
Spain had more possession in the first half, but the Croatians retained their narrow lead until the break. After play resumed, the visitors became more active: Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal had good chances to equalize.
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Merino's brace and Perišić's sending-off
In the 61st minute, Mikel Merino equalized by shooting into the far corner of Dominik Livaković's goal. In the 79th minute, the situation became more difficult for the hosts: Perišić received a second yellow card for a foul on Marc Cucurella and left his team a man down.
Spain continued to press, and in the 88th minute Merino completed his brace to set the final score at 2:1. According to the outlet, the Spaniards had possession for 70% of the playing time and made 120 attacks compared with 48 by their opponents. For Croatia, this defeat was their fourth in their last five matches.
