Croatia struck first through Ivan Perisic, giving the hosts a lead Spain had to chase. The opener left the visitors behind, and they did not find an equaliser before half-time. Croatia remained in front until Merino's intervention after the hour.
That intervention changed the result. Merino levelled for Spain after the hour, then returned later to score the winner. The midfielder's penalty-box instincts delivered the decisive stats of the night: two goals for Spain after Perisic had given Croatia the advantage. The highlights centre on Merino's two finishes - the equaliser that erased Croatia's lead and the later strike that completed Spain's comeback.
The display also opened a wider conversation around Merino's role. The report says Arsenal supporters have urged Mikel Arteta to consider the midfielder as a central attacking option while Kai Havertz is injured. Merino's established role remains in midfield, but his movement into attacking areas shaped the match summary. With one goal for Croatia and two for Spain, the result belonged to the player who changed the game.
Our pre-match analysis called this one correctly. These picks were backed before kick-off and landed after the final result.
1X2: Away @1.27
Pre-match pick: Spain are favored to win, with the prediction pointing to a 0-2 result.