When Merino came on, cash out became essential for Spain
After falling 0‑7 to England, the Croatian national team went into the match against Spain with the urgency to respond and, against all odds, took a 1‑0 lead and held the advantage until halftime. Mikel Merino's introduction in the second half altered the course and put the cash‑out strategy into doubt.
Context of the defeat against England
Croatia had suffered a humiliating 0‑7 defeat to England, which left Luka Modrić admitting that, for the first time, he felt ashamed wearing his national team's shirt. The Croatian captain, aware of the blow to pride, issued a call for an immediate reaction.
The team was playing at home and needed to respond against the world champions, the Spanish national team, which arrived with the confidence of its recent successes. That pressure fueled the intensity Croatia displayed in the opening minutes.
Initial bet and Perišić's goal
Before the whistle, the Croatian victory was priced between 8.50 and 10.00, meaning a €10 bet could return between €85 and €100 if the score held until the end.
At the 17th minute, Ivan Perišić fulfilled bettors' intuition by scoring, putting Croatia 1‑0 up and forcing Spain to chase a comeback before halftime. Every minute the score remained unchanged increased the bet's value.
Spain beat Croatia in Split as Sucic rests after his debut
Merino's entry and the cash‑out option
Luis de la Fuente, noticing the difficulty, substituted Álex Baena for Mikel Merino, whom he described as “Mr. Clutch” and “Don Mikel Merino Parera”. The midfielder's arrival aimed to create space and press the Croatian defence.
With Croatia still leading 1‑0 after 45 minutes, the cash‑out option became attractive: operators offered to settle the bet for a portion of the potential profit, as the likelihood of the score changing decreased according to the market.
Merino responded quickly, scoring the 1‑1 equaliser in the 60th minute and considerably reducing the advantage generated by the initial bet in Croatia's favour.
World champions Spain turn the match in Split thanks to Merino's brace
In the 88th minute, Merino appeared again inside the box, controlled and struck with his left foot to seal the definitive 2‑1, closing the match and rendering the cash‑out option worthless for the bet in Croatia's favour.