Last-gasp Zaccagni saves Italy’s Euros blush, Croatia on brink
A dramatic injury-time equaliser from substitute Mattia Zaccagni secured a vital point for Italy and kept their Euro 2024 title defence alive in a thrilling 1-1 draw with Croatia.
The Azzurri, facing elimination after Luka Modric’s record-breaking goal for Croatia, were rescued by Zaccagni’s stunning curling effort in the eighth minute of stoppage time. The late strike sparked joyous celebrations from the Italian faithful and a sideline sprint from their fiery coach, Luciano Spalletti.
Spalletti, however, channeled his post-match emotions into a fiery press conference, blasting unnamed individuals within the Italian camp for potentially leaking team tactics to the media. Despite his frustrations, Italy will progress to the knockout stages, facing Switzerland in the next round.
Their second-place finish in Group B came courtesy of Spain’s dominant performance. The group winners dispatched Albania 1-0 thanks to a Ferran Torres goal, ensuring safe passage for themselves and guaranteeing spots in the next round for England, France, and the Netherlands (as one of the four best third-placed teams).
Croatia, meanwhile, find themselves on the brink of elimination after Zaccagni’s heroics. The 38-year-old Modric defied age by becoming the oldest scorer in Euros history with his goal early in the second half, but it proved in vain. Their hopes now hang by a thread, needing a favourable outcome in other matches to potentially sneak into the knockout stages.
(Source: AFP)
