Nick Ames was at Leipzig Stadium tonight and his verdict has landed. Here it is! Congratulations to Italy, commiserations to Croatia, and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Tonight’s results in Group B mean England, France and the Netherlands are all also through to the last 16. All three teams are now guaranteed to finish at least third in their group, and with four points already to their names, they can’t go out.
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History Repeating dept. “Keen (and likely teary) eyed Azzurri fans will note the similarity of that equaliser to Del Piero’s strike that sealed the deal against Germany in 2006,” observes Grant Tennille. He’s not wrong. Look!
Croatia are not mathematically eliminated yet. But they’re teetering on the precipice. They’ll be out if England fail to beat Slovenia by at least three goals tomorrow. As their players line up to thank their supporters for having their back, the drained look on their faces suggest they know the jig is almost certainly up. Modrić in particular wearing the thousand-yard stare.
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Italy did very little up front until the 98th minute. But wow, when they did finally get it together, it was worth waiting for. The defending champions make it through to the last 16 thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s glorious late, late, late, late, late strike. What a slalom by Riccardo Calafiori to tee it up, as well! Luka Modrić heartbroken, but offering handshakes of congratulations to the Italians nonetheless. How much more of the great man will we see in a red-and-white checked shirt? With about 40 seconds of added time remaining, he was thinking about facing Switzerland on Saturday. Now it’ll be Italy taking them on. What a sickener for Croatia; what delight for the Azzurri!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Croatia | 3 | -3 | 2 |
| 4 | Albania | 3 | -2 | 1 |
FULL TIME: Croatia 1-1 Italy
The whistle goes. Italy wheel off in delight, while Croatia crumple to the turf as one. They were seconds from going through to the knockout stage in second place; now they need a miracle if they’re to make it in third.
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90 min +9: Well, that’s Italy through in second place unless there’s another wild twist!
GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Italy (Zaccagni 90+8)
What drama here! Calafiori channels his inner Beckenbauer and slaloms down the middle. He slips a pass wide left for Zaccagni, who is in acres. He cuts into the box, opens his body, and steers a glorious power-curler across Livaković and into the top right! What a wonderful goal, and it’s heartbreak for Croatia!
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90 min +7: Italy have run out of ideas. Budimir bursts clear down the left but is penalised for tugging back Bastoni.
90 min +6: Fagioli is booked for a cynical tug on Gvardiol. Meanwhile Spain have beaten Albania. They’d already won the group, but they’ve done so with a 100 percent record. Albania are off home.
90 min +5: Nothing comes of the Croatian free kick, but time is not on Italy’s side.
90 min +4: Budimir’s presence draws a free kick from Barella out on the Croatian left. He’s been a handful since coming on at half-time.
90 min +3: Gvardiol deals with the corner, then sends Juranović scampering down the left. Calafiori takes one for the team, and goes into the book. He’ll miss Italy’s next match, should they get through. They’ll almost certainly grab one of the four third-place parachutes on offer, but nothing will be decided tonight.
90 min +2: Scamacca shoots from a desperate distance. But his shot takes a deflection off Brozović and it’ll be a corner coming in from the left.
90 min +1: Brozović is booked for a late lunge on Bastoni. That’s their sixth booking of the game.
90 min: There will be eight added minutes.
89 min: Josip Juranović replaces Andrej Kramarić, who gees up the Croatian crowd before he departs.
87 min: Retegui is sent into space down the right. He fizzes a wonderful low ball through the six-yard box, but Scamacca can’t extend a leg to poke home from a couple of yards. Huge chance. On the touchline, Luciano Spalletti does not look impressed.
85 min: Brozović dinks a cross in from the right. Donnarumma claims. At the moment, Italy look all out of whack after the plethora of substitutes by both sides, and Croatia the more likely to score the next goal. But let’s see.
84 min: Italy are fortunate that Calafiori comes across to cover and clear, Italy’s last man with Majer and Budimir bearing down towards a loose bouncing ball.
82 min: Italy make a double change. Mattia Zaccagni and Nicolò Fagioli replace Matteo Darmian and Jorginho. Zaccagni is immediately flipped into the air like a fried egg, Stanišić the spatula. Into the book the Croatian defender goes.
81 min: The goalscorer Luka Modrić makes way for Lovro Majer. Croatia looking to keep hold of what they have.
80 min: Brozović crosses from the right. Bastoni eyebrows clear with Budimir lurking, preparing to slam a header home from six yards. Superb last-ditch defence.
78 min: Pongračić is booked for a cynical check on an in-flight Frattesi.
77 min: Di Lorenzo launches one down the right and nearly releases Chiesa. An attempted one-two with Scamacca doesn’t come off, then Chiesa crosses to nobody in particular. “Despite the Italian pressure since the goal, the Azzurri haven’t created any clear cut chances,” notes Kári Tulinius. “They seem strangely unbothered about it, as if just trusting that being above Hungary on goal difference will see them through.”
75 min: Gianluca Scamacca replaces Giacomo Raspadori.
74 min: Retegui is fouled in the midfield, a garden-variety incident. Ivanušec, only just on, kicks the ball away and is immediately booked. “I look forward to the day when Scotland eventually make it out of their group at a major tournament, to be greeted by celebratory flying pigs.” Simon McMahon there, folks, not quite yet over last night’s events it would seem.
72 min: Calafiori curls in from the left for Frattesi, who is going nowhere with his back to goal but is needlessly shoved in the back by Gvardiol. Free kick in a very dangerous position, just outside the D, just right of centre. After Calafiori dummies, Raspadori takes. Deflected. Over. Corner cleared. That’s a bit of a waste.
70 min: Ivan Perišić comes on for Luka Sučić, who had all but disappeared. Luka Ivanušec also enters the fray, in place of Mateo Kovačić.
68 min: Livaković punches the corner clear. Italy return the ball. Livaković kicks it clear this time. This is beginning to turn into a siege as Italy ratchet up the pressure.
67 min: Darmian again with the ball at his feet in the Croatia box, near the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. His cross-cum-shot is no good. But Italy come again – again – and Frattesi wins a corner on the right. It’ll be Italy’s ninth of the game.
65 min: Chiesa wins another corner down the right. The set piece falls to Chiesa on the edge of the D. He opts against shooting and feeds Darmian to his left. Darmian’s floated cross is no good. But Italy come again, and that man Chiesa nearly one-twos his way clear down the middle with Frattesi. Not quite, and Livaković collects, but this is so much better from Italy. Chiesa has made such a difference since coming on.
63 min: The goal was met with quite a few celebratory flying pints. The German officials won’t be happy with that.
61 min: Chiesa wins a corner down the right. It’s sent into the centre, right on Bastoni’s head. He’s got to hit the target from eight yards out, unchallenged, but powers it over the bar.
60 min: Modric is booked for a fairly agricultural scythe through the back of Frattesi, who has presumably had more enjoyable seven-minute periods in his life.
58 min: Frattesi, desperate to make up for his error in conceding the penalty that led to the goal, bustles into the Croatia box. Not enough space for a shot, but the ball’s deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, but this game, so dull for so long, is happening now!
57 min: All of a sudden, Italy are plunged into third-placed uncertainty, and they respond by replacing Federico Dimarco with Federico Chiesa.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Croatia | 3 | -2 | 4 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Albania | 3 | -2 | 1 |
GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Italy (Modrić 55)
What a reaction to the penalty miss! Italy didn’t react to Donnarumma’s save, and Croatia come straight back at Italy. A cross in from the right. Budimir hooks goalwards from close range. Donnarumma saves again, some point-blank brilliance, but the ball breaks to the nearby Modrić who roofs into the net from a couple of yards! Instant redemption!
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Modrić misses the penalty!
54 min: Modric sidefoots towards the bottom-right corner. Donnarumma guesses correctly and palms it clear! Not the greatest penalty but what a save nonetheless!
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Penalty to Croatia!
53 min: VAR will have a look at it! Danny Makkelie is sent over to the VAR screen. He doesn’t take long to turn back and point to the spot. Frattesi’s arm was at head height, it was a no-brainer.
52 min: Kramarić whips a cross in from the left. It flicks off Frattesi’s hand. Frattesi’s arm was well away from his body, and VAR may have a look at this.
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51 min: Modric drops deep with a view to quarterbacking, but his speculative pass down the inside-left channel is more Bryce Young than CJ Stroud. Oh Mr Tepper!
49 min: Kramarić is hauled down by Di Lorenzo out on the left flank. The free kick is sent into the mixer, but Kramarić can’t win the header. Modric fights to regain possession and soon Kramarić is spinning his way down the inside-left channel on a rococo journey into the box. He crosses to nobody in particular, and Dimarco runs off on the counter down the Italian left, only to carelessly wander out of play. The quality still not great here.
47 min: Barella latches onto a loose ball and strides towards the Croatia box. The referee Danny Makkelie gets in the way, so Barella does a couple of laps of him with the ball, as though making a point. Croatia then have the chance to break dangerously, but Gvardiol’s pass is too strong for Budimir.
Italy get the second half underway. Italy have replaced (the comparatively lively so presumably injured) Lorenzo Pellegrini with Davide Frattesi, while Croatia swap out Mario Pašalić with Ante Budimir. “In the event that a successful Italian attack takes the form of a perhaps unlikely combination, feel free to use the classic description: SuperCalafiori kicks it; Raspadori closes.” Scott Blair there, who may or may not be an Inverness Caledonian Thistle fan.
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Half-time entertainment. Balm for sore eyes after that nondescript half of football, in the shape of Tom Jenkins’ wonderful photo essay from the first week in Germany!
HALF TIME: Croatia 0-0 Italy
It’s good enough for Italy. It almost certainly won’t be good enough for Croatia.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Croatia | 3 | -3 | 2 |
| 4 | Albania | 3 | -2 | 1 |
45 min: Di Lorenzo attempts to find Darmian down the right with an insouciant flick of the boot. The pass flies out for a throw. Nothing is happening. The players aren’t the only ones waiting desperately for the half-time whistle. Just one more minute and everyone can regroup.
43 min: It’s all a bit congested in the middle of the park. “Do you think Argentine-born Retegui has been reminding Gvardiol of that Messi run at the World Cup?” wonders Andy Gordon.
41 min: Both teams appear to have slipped into Waiting For Half-Time Oranges mode.
39 min: Brozović attempts a Modricesque scoop down the right. Calafiori reads and intercepts with ease.
37 min: Pellegrini’s shot through a crowded box is smothered by Livaković. Croatia counter and Pašalić wins a corner down the left. Nothing comes of it. This match is threatening to spark into life, but it’s not quite happening yet.
35 min: The quality’s not been awful. But it’s not been great either, and this is pretty scrappy at the moment. That allows us to consider this missive from Vivek Rajendra: “Might I be the first of 1,057 others to point out to Kev McCready (29th min) that Robert Carlyle is the more obvious Modric doppelganger than Mackenzie Crook given that he is still strutting his stuff 28 Years Later?”
33 min: A loud firework explodes as Sučić attempts to bring down a ball from the heavens near the Italian box. It doesn’t help him. Meanwhile more from Italophile Stephen McCrossan: “And what a nice reaction from Barella there, applauding Livakovic’s save from Bastoni.”
31 min: A bit of space for Modric out on the right. He whistles a low cross into the mixer. Donnarumma sticks out a strong hand to deflect the ball away from danger, though he still needs a little luck in it avoiding all nearby red-and-white-checked shirts. He gets it. Italy clear their lines.
29 min: Croatia attempt to counter Italy’s gathering momentum with some sterile possession in midfield. They largely succeed. “As my wife Sara has just pointed out, you never see Luka Modric and Mackenzie Crook together,” notes detectorist Kev McCready.
27 min: Retegui’s neat run down the inside-left channel wins a corner. The set piece is worked towards Barella, just to the right of the D. He wedges a clever diagonal chip towards Bastoni, haring in from the left. Bastoni batters a header goalwards. Livaković tips over with a strong hand and nothing comes of the next corner. But Italy are in their groove now.
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26 min: This is so much better from Italy now, who are beginning to hog the ball. The possession stat is still 63% in favour of Croatia, though, which shows how long it took the Italians to get going. Meanwhile BBC viewer Stephen McCrossan writes: “Classic bit of gammon-style stereotypicalism from the perennially dull Danny Murphy there as he tells us the Italian lads are more keen to fall over than most. You’d never get that from Kane or Saka obvs.”
24 min: Pellegrini threatens to break into space down the left, so Sučić clips him cynically. Into the book he goes.
23 min: The corner’s worked back down the left flank to Raspadori, who either crosses or attempts a curler towards the top right. Either way, it’s not very good. Goal kick.
22 min: Pellegrini takes it this time. Like Dimarco’s effort before, it’s poor and fails to beat the first man, but Italy regain possession and Dimarco swings in properly this time. Retegui takes the ball down, 12 yards out, but his snapshot is deflected wide left.
21 min: After a really slow and unsure start, Italy are beginning to get on top. Calafiori sends an outrageously good ball in from the left flank, Retegui rising at the far stick, six yards out. He should get a header on target at the very least, but the presence of Gvardiol is enough to put him off. The header’s going wide, but it flicks off the defender and here comes another corner.
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19 min: Pongračić misjudges a simple ball bouncing down the middle of the pitch, and as it sails over his head, is very fortunate Retegui steps on the ball and falls over. The striker would have broken clear otherwise.
17 min: Modric scoops a ball down the right for Kramaric, who can’t get the better of Bastoni. A decent interception, but the clearance isn’t all that, and Stanišić is allowed time to cross the ball. Not quite enough time, though, as it takes a deflection off Calafiori and loops into Donnarumma’s arms.
15 min: Corner for Italy on the right. Dimarco swings it to the near post, but it’s easily cleared, and Modric is on hand to barrel up the left flank. Barella does well to spot the danger and shoulder the little genius off the ball. For a second there, Italy looked exposed at the back.
14 min: Some breathing space for Italy: Spain have gone 1-0 up against Albania. Michael Butler has the details.
13 min: Kramaric finds some space out on the right and feeds a low diagonal pass towards Sicic. Calafiori does very well to hook clear.
11 min: Jorginho finds Dimarco in space down the left. Dimarco crosses low. Pellegrini attempts to steer a diving header goalwards from the edge of the Croatian box, but the effort is always flying wide left. Still, full marks for ambition. It would have been a Houchenesque, Van Persieist spectacular had it gone in.
9 min: Croatia back on the ball. Kramaric probes down the left but is forced to turn tail.
7 min: Italy clearly not yet fully recovered from the runaround they were given by Spain the other night. They try to clear their heads with some possession at the back of their own. Then finally they show in attack, Di Lorenzo curling in low from the right in the hope of finding Retegui in the middle. Pongračić hooks clear.
5 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but that’s a very assured start by Croatia, who wasted no time in imposing themselves on Italy.
4 min: A long pass down the inside-right channel for Kramarić to chase. Bastoni ushers it out for a goal kick. But the ball’s soon coming back at Italy, and Sučić pearls a rising shot that Donnarumma is forced to tip over else it sneak into the top-left corner.
3 min: Croatia still have it.
2 min 03 sec: Italy touch the ball! Bastoni with a clearing header. Croatia regain possession and set about their business again.
2 min: Croatia spend the first couple of minutes pinging the ball around the back. Italy press but to no avail; they’ve not had a touch yet!
Croatia get the ball rolling. A huge roar. More Croatian fans than Italian in the ground tonight.
The teams are out! Croatia wear their famous red and white checks, while Italy sport their storied blue. National songs are sung: paeans to the Drava, Sava and Danube, hosannas sung from the Alps to Sicily. Both are nape-of-neck-bothering bangers. Amid a wonderful atmosphere at the Zentralstadion, hands are being shaken, fists bumped, coins tossed, and pennants swapped. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!
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Given the manner in which Italy have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, yet won the European Championship in between, you’d think the current squad would be well versed in the thin line between glory and abject failure. However, on the off-chance they’re not, the team Spain have put out against Albania tonight should have snapped them out of any residual complacency. The Red Fury are already through to the knockouts as group winners and, as the more cynical among us would have expected, have taken the opportunity of resting some of their top talent. Ten changes! So should Albania pull off a win and Croatia register another victory against a country they’ve got the sign over … well … addio, Italia, we hardly knew ye. Michael Butler has all the details of Luis de la Fuente’s Selección, and his MBM will be required reading tonight. Get toggling those tabs, kids.
Zlatko Dalic makes four changes to the Croatia XI that started the 2-2 draw with Albania. Josip Stanišić and Marin Pongračić replace Josip Juranović and Ivan Perišić in defence, while Mario Pašalić and Luka Sučić come in for Bruno Petković and Lovro Majer up top.
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti makes three changes to his side in the wake of the more-comprehensive-than-it-sounds 1-0 defeat by Spain, and they’re all in attack. Out go Davide Frattesi, Gianluca Scamacca and Federico Chiesa; in come Giacomo Raspadori and Mateo Retegui up front, with Matteo Darmain adding some ballast to the back line.
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The teams
Croatia: Livakovic, Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol, Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, Kramaric, Sucic.
Subs: Erlic, Majer, Labrovic, Perisic, Budimir, Petkovic, Ivanusec, Sosa, Pjaca, Vida, Juranovic, Ivusic, Marco Pasalic, Baturina.
Italy: Donnarumma, Darmian, Bastoni, Calafiori, Di Lorenzo, Barella, Jorginho, Dimarco, Pellegrini, Retegui, Raspadori.
Subs: Buongiorno, Gatti, Frattesi, Scamacca, Vicario, Chiesa, Bellanova, Cristante, Mancini, Zaccagni, Fagioli, El Shaarawy, Cambiaso, Folorunsho, Meret.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).
Here is #Croatia starting lineup tonight in Leipzig! 🤩 #CROITA #EURO2024 #PokažiSrce #Family #Vatreni❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/S8cp6jAEgY
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 24, 2024
Gli 1️⃣1️⃣ #Azzurri scelti dal Ct Luciano Spalletti per
— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) June 24, 2024
🇭🇷 Croazia 🆚 Italia 🇮🇹
🗓 Oggi
⏱ 21.00
🏟 Leipzig Stadium - Lipsia
📺 #RaiUno e #Sky#EURO2024#Nazionale #CroaziaItalia #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/KzPgB03Is3
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Preamble
Neither of these teams have particularly impressed so far. Italy conceded a goal after 23 seconds against Albania, then were thrashed 1-0 by Spain; Croatia put up a slightly better show against the Spanish in a 3-0 defeat (funny old scoring system, football) but shipped a late, late, late equaliser against the Albanians. All of which means this …
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Italy | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Albania | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Croatia | 2 | -3 | 1 |
… which in turn means Croatia almost certainly need to win tonight if they’re to make it through to the knockout stage. This is most likely the last hurrah for their golden generation, who have come second and third at the last two World Cups, and were runners-up in last year’s Nations League. But Croatia have never quite made it at the European Championships: their deepest run, to the quarter-finals in 2008, is best remembered for the wild celebration of a 119th-minute “winner” against Turkey that was equalised in stoppage time before the subsequent inevitable penalty loss. So perhaps the Euros owe them a little something.
The reigning champions Italy face plenty of jeopardy of their own. A draw will be enough to see them through to the knockouts, but if they lose tonight they’d go out should Albania shock Spain – who have already qualified as group winners and could be forgiven for easing off the gas, so nothing’s off the table. Worryingly for the Azzurri, their record against Croatia is not great: in nine matches they’ve only won once, losing three. They’ll gain succour from the fact that the last three meetings between the countries have ended 1-1, which would be more than enough tonight. So with both sides in vague states of desperation, this is poised deliciously. The fun in Leipzig begins at 8pm BST. It’s on!
