Split, Croatia, October 7 (Daily Kiran) : The world champions, Spain, staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Croatia 2-1 in Split on October 7, 2026. This victory ensured that Spain remains unbeaten in their last 42 matches, securing a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League after winning all four of their group matches.
Marino scored both goals for Spain, while goalkeeper Unai Simon made several crucial saves to keep Spain competitive in the match. Following Croatia’s devastating 7-0 loss to England, coach Slaven Bilic expressed a desire for a more physical style of play. He got what he wanted in the first half, where Croatia showed intensity.
Despite Spain’s star-studded lineup featuring players like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Rodri, they struggled to find their rhythm early on. Simon made a stunning save against Josip Stanisic and later thwarted Igor Matanovic’s attempt during a counter-attack. However, Croatia took the lead in the 20th minute when Ivan Perisic scored from a rebound.
Simon continued to shine, stopping another close-range shot from Matanovic and quickly reacting to deny Josko Gvardiol. Spain’s best chance in the first half came from Mikel Oyarzabal, whose weak header from a cross by Aymeric Laporte went wide, while Yamal’s shot hit the side netting.
At halftime, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente replaced Alex Baena with Marino, a change that proved effective. Marino equalized in the 60th minute with a well-placed shot after a brilliant pass from Dani Olmo, following an earlier save by Dominik Livakovic.
In the 78th minute, Simon made yet another vital save, this time from a chance created by a mistake from Martin Zubimendi. One minute later, Perisic received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Marc Cucurella, leaving Croatia with ten men. Marino sealed the win in the 88th minute, scoring from a pass by Zubimendi to secure Spain’s advancement to the quarter-finals.
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