Unai Simón keeps La Roja and Spain alive with three key saves

At the Poljud Stadium in Split, the goalkeeper of Athletic, Unai Simón, made three decisive saves while Croatia led the score, and Mikel Merino capped the night with the two goals that sent Spain to the quarter‑finals of the UEFA Nations League.

Defense under pressure

Spain needed only one point to seal qualification, but arrived with a defense that had conceded a goal in every round. Against Croatia's 1-2, forward Ivan Perišić scored in the 17th minute, confirming the defensive vulnerability.

The first goal came from a counter‑attack: Matanović struck low, Simón saved, and Perišić, at 37 years old, headed the loose ball to open the scoring.

Mistakes and responses

Five minutes later, Simón made a foot error that left Matanović one‑on‑one with him; however, the Victorian goalkeeper saved the shot and corrected his mistake when Spain searched for Lamine Yamal without success.

World champions Spain turn the match in Split thanks to Merino's brace

In the second half, Merino's substitution for Baena changed the dynamic. Merino equalised at 61 minutes with a left‑foot strike and, after a mistake by Zubimendi that left Perišić alone, Simón responded with a save that kept the draw.

Perišić received the second yellow card at 79 minutes for a tackle on Cucurella; eight minutes later, Merino controlled with his left foot and levelled for the final 1-2.

With the victory, Spain records its fourth win in four rounds and extends its unbeaten run to 42 matches.

When Merino came on, cash out became essential for Spain

In front of the RTVE microphones, Simón deflected attention from his own performance by saying: "The man of the match has to be Merino".