Spain reach Nations League quarters after Croatia comeback
· Yahoo Sports
Spain secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals with a 2-1 comeback win over Croatia in Split, while Unai Simón and Aymeric Laporte reached the workload boundary set by Luis de la Fuente. Mundo Deportivo report that both started and played the full match, taking their total to exactly 270 minutes across Spain’s four fixtures in the window.
De la Fuente had set an approximate ceiling of 270 minutes for the period. The same total was reached by defenders Pubill, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Cucurella, while Lamine Yamal finished on 282 minutes. The figures underline how much of Spain’s trusted defensive core featured during the four matches, with Simón and Laporte remaining important pillars for the national side.
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Simón and Laporte are familiar names in Spain’s defensive picture, alongside options such as Dean Huijsen and Cucurella in De la Fuente’s squad. Reaching the limit does not, by itself, confirm what either player’s role will be in the next selection, but it makes their minutes an immediate consideration as Spain move from qualification to the knockout stage.
Simón and Laporte helped Spain turn the match around
Spain had to recover after Ivan Perišić put Croatia ahead. Mikel Merino came off the bench to score both goals, with his second striking in the 88th minute to complete the comeback and secure the result that sent La Roja through.
Mikel Merino in action for Spain against Argentina. – Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0
Simón made key interventions to deny Igor Matanović and Perišić, helping Spain stay in the contest before Merino’s goals settled it. Laporte had also started against England and Czechia during the window, as well as playing at Wembley; in Split, Mundo Deportivo highlighted his defensive interventions and his passing as Spain took control.
The win extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 42 matches, according to the primary report. It also followed their victory over Czechia, part of a four-match window in which Spain won all four games and finished with 12 points.
Spain are through, but workload decisions remain
Qualification is secured, but the result does not settle Spain’s final position in the group. The remaining group fixtures will determine whether first place is theirs, leaving De la Fuente with a balance to strike between keeping the side competitive and managing players who have already carried substantial minutes.
That question is particularly relevant for Simón and Laporte after they reached the stated threshold, alongside three other defenders. Spain’s next selection decisions will show whether the coach gives those players a lighter workload or continues to rely on the same core before the quarter-finals, amid wider debate over player workload and minutes.