Overview

• Spain cruised in Valladolid with two headers from Mikel Merino, an Atanas Chernev own goal and a stoppage-time penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal after Merino was fouled.
• Luis de la Fuente’s side have opened qualifying with four wins, a 15-0 aggregate and a three-point lead over Turkey in Group E as they move closer to the 2026 World Cup.
• Merino’s double took him to six goals in his last four Spain matches, and he said scoring is something he worked on as the team’s chance creation fuels his surge.
• Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi impressed in 63 minutes with 90 touches and 81 of 82 passes completed, reinforcing Spain’s control in midfield.
• Stat services and reports rated Merino’s display among the best of the round, including a Sofascore 10/10 and a WhoScored 9.9, feeding discussion over his role at Arsenal ahead of club play resuming this week.