Italy's final effort leads Croatia to a tearful valley
Luka Modric scores the oldest goal in EURO history, propelling Croatia towards elimination. With mere seconds left in extra time, Italy snatches victory and claims a spot in the EURO Eightfinals, set to face Switzerland on Saturday (18.00 Uhr) in Berlin.
Titled champions Italy managed to save themselves from elimination in the last minute, denying Croatia their dream of advancing to the knockout stage. In a tense duel in Leipzig against the courageous third-placed team, the ageing Croatian squad, anchored by veteran Luka Modric (38), who seemed set to secure the winning goal, was merely two points away from elimination.
Mattia Zaccagni (90.+7) equalized for Italy, advancing them to the Round of 16 as group runners-up behind Spain.
The Croatians found themselves in front 31 seconds after Modric's penalty miss, breaking the record for the oldest goalscorer in EURO history. The likelihood of advancing to the knockout stage as one of the best four third-placed teams looked grim for Croatia, signaling the possible end of an era: Modric, the leader of the "Vatreni" in their successful years, may have played his final international match.
Aware of the gravity of the match in advance, both nations arrived ready for battle. Croatia's coach Zlatko Dalic referred to it as a "knockout game without extra time." The 2018 World Cup finalist's fans were in high spirits, flooding the streets of Leipzig and the fan march towards the stadium.
The Croatians took control of the game at the start, with Luka Sušić forcing Donnarumma into a stunning save with a long-range shot (4.). After a disappointing display in their 0:1 against Spain, the Italians struggled to find their footing, but soon became sharp: Mateo Retegui narrowly headed wide after a cross from Riccardo Calafiori (21).
The game opened up, and Alessandro Bastoni's header was brilliantly saved by Dominik Livakovic (29). Both teams were hesitant to take risks, and the first half ended in a well-contested 0:0.
Post-half-time, the action picked up: Modric missed a penalty due to Davide Frattesi, but the Croatians stayed in the fight: Livakovic made a strong save from close range against substitute Ante Budimir, and Modric cleared the rebound powerfully off the line. The Italians found themselves under pressure and fought fiercely to keep their dreams alive.
