The Spanish National Team has qualified for the quarterfinals of the Nations League after beating Croatia 1-2, in a match that was very difficult for Luis de la Fuente’s team and in which Mikel Merino dressed as a savior again, like in the World Cup, with a double.
The start of the match was not like the previous ones. La Roja did not score in the first minutes and Croatia showed very focused on Unai Simón’s goal, supported by a fan who saw that their team could stand up to the double world champion. A very different image from the one shown in the match against England.
Croatia came out displaying great intensity; without going any further, Oyarzabal, after touching the first ball, was limping. And Unai Simón had to be very attentive, especially to a dangerous header from Perisic that could have made it 1-0 in Croatia’s favor. Spain did not look comfortable at all.
The first blow came after a robbery and a very well executed counter by Kovacic. The former Real Madrid player caught the ball and, flanked by Matanovic and Perisic, stood on the edge of the area. He passed the ball to Matanovic, who shot first. Unai rejected the ball, which remained dead in the area, perfect for Perisic’s header.
Croatia was able to extend the score on the next play. Laporte lost the ball inside the area, but Unai Simón stopped Matanovic’s point-blank shot. They were tough minutes for Luis de la Fuente’s men, who couldn’t get into the game. It was not until after half an hour that Lamine took the first shot, although it was slightly deflected by a defender.
Little by little, La Roja gained presence, imposing its game and subduing Croatia, which had a hard time reaching the duels. Oyarzabal could not finish a ball from Lamine and Dani Olmo could not finish either a center of Cucurella, but little by little Spain appeared.
Oyarzabal finished a Laporte cross very weakly and Lamine had the clearest shot of the entire first half. A filtered pass from Dani Olmo left him alone in front of the goalbut this time he did not manage to sneak the ball through an impossible gap, like in the first leg.
The second half began with bad news for Spain, with the change of Baena due to discomfort; Merino, the savior, came in his place. Even so, the Spanish team did not stop creating chances and Lamine had a one-on-one that failed inexplicably. It seemed that it was not the culé’s day.
Even so, the team did not stop insisting and won the award. After a somewhat confusing play in the area, Merino dropped the ball after a rebound from Dani Olmo. The Basque, who is always there, unblocked the game as he did twice in the World Cup.
Spain had the presence, the control, the chances… but also mistakes. A new loss on the front line caused Perišić to hunt down a loose ball in the area. But captain Unai appeared, who became huge and blocked the Croatian striker’s shot. It was a very clear goal play. And in the next play, the forward was sent off for a double yellow after tripping Cucurella, a decision highly protested by the Croatian team.
And this numerical superiority allowed Spain to get ahead on the scoreboard. Mikel Merino has a marriage with goals when it comes to Spain’s matches. The Arsenal player caught a ball inside the area with magnificent control and he nailed a first-time shot almost into the top corner, unstoppable for Livakovic.
With this victory, Spain remains undefeated. It is the 43rd game without losing, a historical record for Luis de la Fuente’s team, who have no ceiling.
