Spain have secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals following a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Croatia. Mikel Merino was the hero, scoring both goals to ensure La Roja’s progression in the competition.
Player Workload Under Scrutiny
The win, however, has brought player workload into sharp focus for national team coach Luis de la Fuente. He had set an approximate ceiling of 270 minutes for players across Spain’s four fixtures in the recent international window. Goalkeeper Unai Simón and defender Aymeric Laporte both reached this 270-minute boundary, having played the full match against Croatia.
Other defenders, including Pubill, Pau Cubarsí, and Marc Cucurella, also accumulated 270 minutes. Young winger Lamine Yamal exceeded this limit, finishing the window with 282 minutes played. These figures highlight the significant involvement of Spain’s defensive core during the recent matches, with Simón and Laporte remaining crucial figures for the national side.
While reaching this limit does not automatically confirm their roles in the next selection, it makes their minutes a key consideration for De la Fuente as Spain advances to the knockout stage. The coach faces a challenge in balancing the team’s competitiveness with managing players who have already carried substantial minutes.
Comeback Victory in Split
Spain had to recover after Ivan Perišić gave Croatia the lead. Unai Simón made several vital interventions, denying Igor Matanović and Perišić, which kept Spain in the contest. Mikel Merino, coming off the bench, then struck twice, with his second goal in the 88th minute completing the comeback and sealing the win.
Aymeric Laporte, who had also started against England and Czechia during the window, contributed defensively and with his passing as Spain took control of the match.
Unbeaten Run Continues
The victory against Croatia extended Spain’s impressive unbeaten run to 42 matches. It also marked a perfect record for Spain in the four-match window, where they won all four games and accumulated 12 points. While qualification for the quarter-finals is now secured, the result does not yet determine Spain’s final position in their group. The remaining group fixtures will decide whether they finish in first place.
De la Fuente’s upcoming selection decisions will reveal whether he opts to give players who reached the workload threshold a lighter schedule or continues to rely on his established core ahead of the quarter-finals.