By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Mattia Zaccagni's Last Minute Stunner Sends Italy to Euro 2024 Last 16, Breaking Croatian Hearts
Mattia Zaccagni’s last minute stunner earned Italy a 1 on 1 draw, sending the defending champions through to the last 16 of Euro 2024 and breaking Croatia’s hearts in the process. Luka Modrić’s goal 10 minutes into the second half, following a missed penalty, seemed poised to secure Croatia a spot in the knockout stages. However, Zaccagni had other ideas. In the 98th minute, he latched onto Riccardo Calafiori’s pass and bent his shot past the outstretched hand of Dominik Livaković into the top corner.
Final Whistle
The referee blew for full time immediately after the restart, leaving the distraught Croatian players, who were seconds away from victory, sinking to the turf. Modrić, in particular, cut a forlorn figure on the bench, burying his face in his hands.
Spain Tops Group B
Meanwhile, Spain defeated Albania 1 to 0, thanks to a first half goal by Ferrán Torres from Dani Olmo’s through ball, finishing top of Group B with nine points from nine.
Late Drama
Croatia has long been a challenging opponent for Italy, with the Azzurri failing to secure a victory against them in their last eight encounters, dating back to November 1994. Italy’s only previous win in this fixture was when the two sides first met in 1942.
A chastening 3 to 0 defeat to Spain in Croatia’s opening game of Euro 2024 raised doubts about whether this tournament was a step too far for their aging team. These doubts remained unanswered following a 2 to 2 draw with Albania.
Italy, meanwhile, has also struggled in Germany. They barely scraped by with a 2 to 1 win over Albania before being thoroughly outplayed by Spain, a match that the Italians were likely relieved ended with only a 1 to 0 loss.
Italy vs. Croatia, First Half Drama and Penalty Heartbreak
The opening 25 minutes were relatively subdued, with both teams likely feeling the nerves and the precariousness of the situation.
Luka Sučić had an early long range strike tipped over the bar by Gianluigi Donnarumma, one of the tournament’s standout players. Italy’s defender Mateo Retegui then saw his header blocked for a corner kick.
Italy should have taken the lead minutes later when Nicolò Barella’s delightful cross found Alessandro Bastoni unmarked at the far post. However, a stunning save from Dominik Livaković denied what seemed like a certain goal.
The Azzurri displayed far more intent, and although Croatia grew into the half, Italy continued to threaten. Lorenzo Pellegrini forced another smart save from Livaković with a low strike from the edge of the area.
It was an unusually subdued first half from Croatia, who knew that only a point would likely not be enough to advance to the knockout stages.
The half time substitution of Ante Budimir for Mario Pašalić instantly transformed Croatia. They dominated the early exchanges and earned a glorious opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot after a VAR review concluded Davide Frattesi handled the ball inside the area.
Luka Modrić’s weak penalty kick was saved by Donnarumma, but the ball fell back to Modrić's feet less than a minute later. This time, he made no mistake, firing the ball into the roof of the net after Donnarumma had denied Budimir from close range.
Zaccagni's Heroics Spare Italy as Bastoni's Miss Nearly Costs Team
Italy had a chance to respond almost immediately when Alessandro Bastoni was left unmarked at a corner kick, but the defender missed another glorious opportunity, placing his header over the crossbar. Had the score remained unchanged, Bastoni, more than most, would have faced a few sleepless nights while Italy awaited its fate as one of the four best third placed teams.
Fortunately for Bastoni, that anxious wait was avoided when Mattia Zaccagni became the unlikely hero. He scored his first international goal by curling a sublime first time effort into the top corner with unerring accuracy.
No matter how unconvincing Italy may appear, underestimating the Azzurri comes at a risk. Few teams in world football know how to secure a crucial result when it matters most, and no country will relish the prospect of facing this resilient Italian team.