Mateo Kovacic and Kristijan Jakic reflect on Croatia 2-1 defeat to Spain

Croatian midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Kristijan Jakic voiced their disappointment after Mikel Merino's 88th-minute volley condemned the hosts to a 2-1 defeat. Despite Ivan Perisic's red card in the 79th minute, Croatia had created several opportunities to double their lead before Spain's late onslaught.

Jakic admitted conceding so late was painful for the whole dressing room.

"It really is a shame for all of us," Jakic said. "It was a tough match, especially when you concede to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute after having two good chances before that."

Kovacic focused on the squad's response following intense criticism from their previous outing against England. "You can never be happy after a defeat, but we showed a reaction, which was important for us after a few really difficult days," Kovacic explained.

"We came out very well, scored, and could have scored a second. When you don't score against a team like that, they punish you."

"We had to be more aggressive and fight for every ball, which we did not do against England. Today was a step forward."

Jakic conceded that Spain's technical dominance eventually wore down the Croatian defensive shape, particularly after numerical advantage shifted. "They are world champions and currently the best team in the world, and individually better than us," Jakic admitted.

"When they find a bit more space, you have to drop back and it becomes very difficult."

Spain controlled 67% of possession to seal the victory.

Both players expressed gratitude to the 32,000 spectators who cheered the team continuously at Stadion Poljud. "The fans mean so much to us, especially after a heavy loss," Jakic noted.

"They supported us throughout the entire match and proved they are our 12th player."

Croatia will target a positive result in their final group fixture against England.