Merino comes up clutch again for Spain as Kane marks record-setting match with 2 goals for England

MADRID: (Oct 7) (AP) Spain preserved its 2½-year unbeaten streak by rallying to beat Croatia thanks to a clutch second-half double from super-sub Mikel Merino, while Harry Kane scored two more goals on another record-setting match for the England captain.

The marathon batch of Nations League matches ended Tuesday with Merino — a star off the bench so many times for Spain in recent years — powering home an 88th-minute strike to complete the world champions’ stirring recovery in a 2-1 win in Split.

The Arsenal midfielder had already equalized in the 61st minute after entering as a halftime substitute, with Spain trailing to a goal by veteran midfielder Ivan Perišic. That marked the first time the Spanish had conceded the first goal in a match since the European Championship in 2024.