Spain Extends Unbeaten Run with Win Over Croatia, sport.ORF.at reports
Spain Extends Unbeaten Run to 42 Matches in Split
Spain extended its unbeaten run in regular play to 42 matches on Tuesday evening, overcoming an early deficit in Split to defeat Croatia 2:1 in the UEFA Nations League, sport.ORF.at reported. The reigning world and European champions secured the victory thanks to a second-half brace from substitute Mikel Merino, maintaining their dominant position at the top of Group A3.
Early Croatian Pressure Tests the World Champions
Croatia entered the fixture looking to rebound from a historic 0:7 defeat against England in Rijeka just days prior, a performance that drew sharp criticism from HNS President Marijan Kustic, who noted that the issue was not merely the loss but the manner of it, according to coverage by Kosmo. Head coach Slaven Bilic had to manage a squad missing four players, including Ivan Smolcic, who left the team camp. Despite the depleted roster, the hosts started brightly at the Poljud Stadium. Goalkeeper Unai Simon stopped an early header from Josip Stanisic in the 13th minute and denied Igor Matanovic shortly after, but veteran Ivan Perisic reacted quickest to turn the rebound home with a header in the 18th minute.
Merino Secures the Comeback After the Break
Spain struggled to break down the disciplined Croatian block until half-time adjustments took effect. In the 61st minute, Dani Olmo capitalized on a poor defensive clearance by Stanisic to set up Merino, who finished calmly past the Croatian defense. The match remained tense as Perisic missed a golden opportunity to restore the lead from the penalty spot in the 77th minute after a mistake by Martin Zubimendi. Just two minutes later, Perisic received a yellow-red card for a foul on Marc Cucurella, leaving Croatia with ten men. Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Merino struck again in the closing moments, bringing down a lofted pass from club teammate Zubimendi and spinning to fire home the winner.
Harry Kane Matches Appearance Record as DAZN Holds German Rights
Elsewhere in the competition, Harry Kane marked his 125th international appearance by scoring twice in a 3:0 victory over Czechia at Wembley, matching Peter Shilton’s appearance record for the Three Lions. Meanwhile, Netzwelt reported that fans in Germany seeking to watch the fixtures live relied exclusively on pay-TV platform DAZN, as free-to-air broadcasts remained restricted to local networks such as Nova TV in Croatia and La 1 in Spain.
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