Mikel Merino scored late equalizer for Spain

Mikel Merino helped Spain secure a late 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals on Thursday night. Coming off the bench just before the end of the game, Merino scored a crucial equalizer in stoppage time. This goal, his second for Spain, keeps Spain's hopes of defending their title alive. Spain initially took the lead thanks to Nico Williams, but the Dutch equalized through Cody Gakpo. After the Netherlands went ahead with a goal from Tijani Reijnders, they had to play with ten men following a red card to Jurel Hato. Merino's goal came after a shot from Williams was saved but rebounded into his path. In another quarter-final match, France faced Croatia and suffered a 2-0 defeat. William Saliba played the whole match but must now overcome a challenging first-leg deficit in the second leg in Paris. Croatia's goals came from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic. Italy played against Germany but lost 2-1. Sandro Tonali scored for Italy, but Germany turned the match around with goals from Tim Kleindienst and Leon Goretzka. Riccardo Calafiori played the full match but ended it needing medical treatment, raising questions about his availability for the next game. In the Nations League play-offs, Oleksandr Zinchenko aided Ukraine to a stunning 3-1 victory over Belgium, moving them closer to promotion to League A. Despite falling behind, Ukraine capitalized on mistakes to secure the win. Zinchenko played throughout the match. Scotland also took an important step toward staying in League A by beating Greece 1-0, thanks to a penalty from Scott McTominay. Kieran Tierney came on late but helped secure a solid defensive performance. On the international front, Gabriel played a full match for Brazil in their 2-1 victory over Colombia. He will miss the next game against Argentina due to a suspension. The upcoming matches featuring various international teams are set for this weekend, including key World Cup qualifiers.