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- October 12, 202619°
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- October 12, 202619°
Spain reach Nations League quarter-finals as Merino scores twice
Spain reached the quarter-finals of the Nations League's top-tier Group 3 by beating Croatia 2-1 away in Split on Tuesday. England defeated Czechia 3-0, while Harry Kane reached 125.
Spain reached the quarter-finals of the Nations League's top-tier Group 3. Spain secured their fourth consecutive group victory by beating Croatia 2-1 away at Poljud Stadium in Split.
Merino scores twice to secure victory
Croatia started the match more strongly and took the lead through Ivan Perišić in the 17th minute. After a quick attack, Perišić followed the ball inside the penalty area and headed it into the net.
Spain did not produce the performance they wanted in the first half but recovered after Mikel Merino came on in the second half. The Arsenal midfielder replaced Álex Baena.
Merino equalised in the 61st minute with a low shot from inside the penalty area after receiving Dani Olmo's pass. Croatia continued with 10 men after Perišić was sent off for a second yellow card in the 79th minute.
Spain made use of their numerical advantage in the final stages of the match. Merino scored the winning goal one minute before the end of normal time with a powerful shot after controlling the ball inside the penalty area.
With the result, Spain moved to 12 points and reached the quarter-finals as group leaders. Croatia remained on 3 points in third place.
England win with two goals from Kane
In the other group match, England defeated Czechia 3-0 at Wembley Stadium. England moved to 9 points, strengthening their position in second place and gaining a significant advantage in the race for the quarter-finals.
England's opening goal came in the 27th minute. After Harry Kane sent a cross toward Eberechi Eze, Czechia captain Vladimír Coufal turned the ball into his own net.
England doubled their lead 13 minutes after the opening goal. Morgan Rogers controlled Elliott Anderson's pass behind the defence and laid it off to Kane. Kane then fired the ball into the net with a powerful shot.
Kane hit the crossbar with a curling effort early in the second half. The England striker scored his second goal and England's third in the 57th minute with a header from a corner taken by Lewis Hall after the defence failed to clear the ball.
The match carried special significance for Kane in his international career. Making his 125th appearance for England, Kane equalled the national-team appearance record held by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton and raised his international goal tally to 91.
Switzerland maintain their lead in the second-tier group
In Group 1, featuring second-tier teams, Switzerland defeated North Macedonia 3-0. Switzerland's goals were scored by Fabian Rieder, Johan Manzambi and Dan Ndoye in the 43rd, 73rd and 81st minutes.
Switzerland recorded their fourth consecutive victory and maintained top spot in the group with 12 points. North Macedonia failed to earn any points and remained in fourth place.
In the day's other match, Slovenia defeated Scotland 2-1 away at Hampden Park. Scotland took the lead through Ryan Christie in the 31st minute, but Slovenia secured all three points with goals from Aljoša Matko in the 56th minute and Daniel Šturm in the 71st.
With the victory, Slovenia moved to 7 points and climbed to second place. Scotland remained third with 4 points.
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