Spain's 42-game unbeaten run has become so routine it barely registers as remarkable anymore, but the way they keep doing it — absorbing pressure, finding the bench player who changes everything — is worth paying attention to. In Split, against a Croatia desperate to atone for a 7-0 humiliation by England, Spain trailed and looked mortal for the first time in a while. Then Mikel Merino walked on at halftime and did what Mikel Merino does. Croatia came out swinging. Slaven Bilic's side, banned from their home fans for racism just days earlier and crushed 7-0 by England in front of children, played like a team trying to recover some dignity. Josip Stanisic tested Unai Simon early with a header, and Igor Matanovic forced Simon into a save before Ivan Perisic headed home the rebound. Croatia were pressing, Spain's goalkeeper was making errors — a loose pass nearly gifted a second — and the narrative seemed set for an upset. It wasn't. Merino, introduced at the interval alongside Dani Olmo's creativity, leveled proceedings in the 61st minute. Olmo — who developed as a youngster in Croatia, a biographical detail that adds a nice layer — fed Merino for a low finish. The game's geometry shifted immediately. Spain went from absorbing to dictating. Perisic's dismissal for a second yellow — bringing down Marc Cucurella — removed any remaining suspense about who would win. But Merino's second goal, with two minutes remaining, wasn't a formality. It was a superb turn-and-blast past Dominik Livakovic that announced genuine individual quality. This wasn't a man cleaning up scraps. It was a statement finish. Lamine Yamal, still a teenager and still capable of making 70,000 people hold their breath when he accelerates, had the game's most tantalizing non-moment: racing clear early in the second half only to go down after nudging the ball past his Barcelona teammate Livakovic. No penalty. The story of Spain's current generation is that when one threat stalls, another materializes. Spain now lead England by three points atop Group A3 and have qualified for the Nations League quarterfinals with two matches to spare. Croatia, who entered the tournament as dark horses, are staring at a group stage defined by a racist-fan ban, a 7-0 shellacking, and now this. Luka Modric's twilight years deserve better context, but the team around him is not providing it. De la Fuente's Spain have made the super-sub a structural weapon rather than a desperation move. Merino's World Cup contributions, his decisive moments in earlier campaigns — these aren't accidents. This is a squad deep enough that the bench changes games as a design feature, not a contingency.
