Croatia 1-2 Spain: super-sub Merino seals the quarter-finals

On at half-time, Merino scores on 61 and 88 minutes in Split as Spain make it 12 points from 12 and reach the Nations League quarter-finals.

Croatia 1-2 Spain, and one name all over the result: Mikel Merino. The Arsenal midfielder came off the bench at half-time with the world champions trailing to an Ivan Perišić header, then scored in the 61st and 88th minutes in Split to book Spain's place in the Nations League quarter-finals. That makes it four wins from four, a perfect 12 points, and a 43-match unbeaten run in competitive football. Here are the goals, the group table, and why Merino has become the most reliable impact substitute in international football.

Croatia vs Spain: result and goals from the Poljud

The League A, Group 3 fixture was played on Tuesday 6 October at the Poljud stadium in Split. Croatia had been thrashed 7-0 at home by England in Rijeka three days earlier, and they came out stung. On 17 minutes Perišić rose in the box and headed them in front. Spain had plenty of the ball in the first half but very little bite, and Unai Simón was busier than anyone expected, including a one-on-one save from Matanović after a defensive slip.

Luis de la Fuente acted at the break, taking off Álex Baena, sending on Merino and shifting Dani Olmo out to the left. It changed everything. On 61 minutes Olmo slid a pass inside and Merino swept a left-footed finish across Dominik Livaković into the far corner. On 79 minutes Perišić picked up a second yellow for a foul on Marc Cucurella, leaving Croatia with ten men. And with two minutes left, Martín Zubimendi found Merino in the box again: an acrobatic first touch, a left-footed strike, 2-1 Spain.

• 17': Perišić header (1-0).
• 61': Merino, assisted by Dani Olmo (1-1).
• 79': Perišić sent off for a second booking.
• 88': Merino, assisted by Zubimendi (1-2).

Merino: the world champions' ultimate super-sub

Split was no fluke. Merino has an unusual habit of deciding big matches from the bench, and the script barely changes: he comes on with the game going the wrong way and turns up in the box at exactly the right moment.

1. Euro 2024 quarter-final v Germany, Stuttgart: on as a substitute, he heads in a Dani Olmo cross in the 119th minute of extra time to win it 2-1 and send Spain into the semi-finals.
2. 2026 World Cup round of 16 v Portugal, Dallas: on in the 85th minute, he scores the only goal in the first minute of stoppage time from a Ferran Torres pass, ending Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career.
3. 2026-27 Nations League, Split: on at half-time with Spain 1-0 down, he scores both goals in the comeback.

The Olmo link is worth noting too: the man who crossed for that header in Stuttgart supplied the equaliser on Tuesday. And the recent form is striking. Merino also scored in Saturday's 3-1 win over Czechia in Oviedo, which makes three goals in his country's last two matches.

Spanish radio station COPE summed up the mood afterwards, with journalist Heri Frade saying he could not decide what mattered most: what Merino does, how he does it, or the role he accepts without complaint. That is exactly his value to De la Fuente. In a midfield with Rodri, Pedri, Zubimendi and Fermín López, Merino is not always a starter, but the coach knows that when he needs something different he gets late runs from deep, a threat in the air and real composure in front of goal.

Spain into the Nations League quarter-finals: the group table

Four wins from four means Spain can no longer drop out of the top two, and the top two in each League A group go through to the quarter-finals. They are the only side in the group yet to drop a point, with one caveat: they have conceded at least once in every game.

The fight now is for top spot. Spain finish the group in November with Czechia away in Prague on Thursday 12th and England at the Metropolitano in Madrid on Sunday 15th. The maths is simple: if Spain avoid defeat in both, they finish first, because England cannot get beyond 13 points.

There is unfinished business, too. Spain won the Nations League in 2023 but lost the 2025 final to Portugal on penalties. With the World Cup now in the cabinet, UEFA's competition is the next trophy within De la Fuente's reach.

What it means for your predictions

If someone in your prediction league called an away win in Croatia vs Spain, well played. But there is a useful lesson for upcoming picks: this Spain side wins a lot, yet rarely wins big away from home against experienced opponents. They have scored in all four group games, and conceded in all four as well.

• Beating the world champions is hard: 43 competitive matches unbeaten, going back to a 2-0 defeat to Scotland in Glasgow in March 2023.
• The goals come late: the winner in Split came on 88 minutes, and the World Cup winner against Portugal in stoppage time. If you predict exact scores, think tight margins.
• The bench matters: with this much rotation, the starting XI tells you less than usual about who will decide the game.

Club football returns this weekend. Quiniela matchday 12 brings LaLiga back after two weeks of internationals, with Real Madrid vs Villarreal as the Pleno al 15 tie-breaker. Every earlier coupon is in the 2026-27 season archive.

And if you fancy adding a bit of edge to Spain's next match, or to this weekend's LaLiga round, you can set up a prediction league with friends on quiniPrats in a couple of minutes: everyone makes their picks and the table updates itself. Here's how it works if you'd like to give it a go.