Italy delivers a final blow to Croatia, leaving them in a valley filled with sorrow with their last shot
Luka Modric etches his name as the oldest goalscorer in EURO history, but tears stream down his face at the end of a pulsating EURO night. A mere seconds before the added time, Italy snatches a draw and secures their spot in the elimination stage,potentially dashing Croatia's hopes of progressing.
Defending champions Italy managed to salvage a berth in the knockout round at the death, and it seems they've dealt a fatal blow to Croatia's aspirations of entering the elimination stage. In Leipzig, Italy held on for a 1-1 (0-0) draw against a tenacious third-place team, whose standout players include the venerable Luka Modric (38), who appeared set to grab the winning goal, with Croatia now merely two points away from being knocked out.
Mattia Zaccagni (90.+7) netted the equalizer for Italy, securing their round-of-16 bout against Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday (6 PM).
The Croatians, who had briefly taken the lead through Modric's goal (55.), scored just 31 seconds after a missed penalty, now face a slim chance of advancing as one of the top four third-place teams. This chapter may be closing: Modric, the captain of Croatia during their recent successes, may have played his final international game.
Both teams entered the game with a clear understanding of its significance, with Croatia's coach Zlatko Dalic describing it as a "do-or-die match without additional time." The 30,000 spectators of the 2018 World Cup finalists were in high spirits in Leipzig's city center and at a fan march towards the stadium.
The pitch action mirrored the crowd's enthusiasm, with Luka Sušić forcing Donnarumma into a spectacular save from afar early on (4.). The Italians seemed sluggish at first but soon became a threat. Mateo Retegui almost found the back of the net from a cross by Riccardo Calafiori (21.).
The game swung back and forth, with Alessandro Bastoni's header repelled magnificently by Croatia's Livakovic (29). Both teams were cautious not to make mistakes. The half ended in a 0-0 stalemate that was completely justified.
Following the restart, the action heated up. Modric missed an opportunity from a penalty caused by Davide Frattesi, but Croatia continued their pursuit. Livakovic made a strong save from close range against Ante Budimir substitute, and Modric cleared the rebound powerfully off the line. The Italians were now on the back foot and appeared to have run out of ideas.
