Holders of the Nations Championship, Spain needed a stop-in-term interruption by Arsenal Michel Merrino to pull 2-2 against the Netherlands of 10 people.
The substitute Merino, who has completed as an improvised striker for the Gunners, showed his eye for the goal and again directing a level at an additional time of a fun game in Rotterdam.
The Dutch had struggled back after returning to the ninth minute with a goal from Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders, but ended with 10 men after the teenage defender Jorrel Hato was sent eight minutes of time for a challenge.
Late drama in Rotterdam
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Spain, who had not lost their previous 21 competitive internationals, opened the rating through Nico Williams after a quick start of the game.
Elsewhere, Ante Budimir and Croatia’s Ivan Perisic hit a 2-0 win over France in the square of their nations championship, the first leg, as the return of Kylian Mbappe and Oousmane Dmbele failed to get visitors to shoot.
Croatia also lost an early sentence when Andrej Kramaric’s spot was saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan and the 2023 runners were of full value for a victory that could easily be achieved with a higher margin.
France created the odds and has been tested several times by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, but it was a performance under the PAR on a night that he had promised much with the return of MBAPPE, especially after defining the last four lamps on his side.
