Euro 2024: Mattia Zaccagni rescues Italy with last-gasp strike, leaving Croatia in limbo
- Italy progress in second place behind winners Spain with 1-1 draw against Croatia and will face Switzerland in the last 16
Mattia Zaccagni’s superb last-gasp strike fired Italy into the Euro 2024 knockouts with a 1-1 draw against Croatia in a fraught Group B clash on Monday.
Italy progress in second place behind winners Spain and will face Switzerland in the last 16, while Croatia are on the verge of elimination but could still progress depending on other results later in the week.
With only two points it is unlikely Zlatko Dalic’s side will qualify as one of the four best third-place teams but it is still possible.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric became the oldest goalscorer in the competition’s history with his strike after 55 minutes, just 33 seconds after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the 38-year-old’s penalty.
It seemed enough for his team but Zaccagni whipped a brilliant strike into the top corner on the break in the 98th minute to send Italy through from what was dubbed a “group of death”.
After shipping five goals in the first two games, Dalic opted to shore up the midfield by bringing in Mario Pasalic and Luka Sucic amid four changes.
The coach also kept established trio of Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic despite their struggles in the 3-0 defeat by Spain and 2-2 draw against minnows Albania.
Luciano Spalletti’s Italy beat Albania 2-1 but were dominated by Spain in a 1-0 defeat and the coach shifted to a 3-5-2 formation, dropping Juventus’ Federico Chiesa.
