Mattia Zaccagni scored in the dying moments of stoppage time to earn Italy a dramatic 1-1 draw against Croatia. The defending champions progress to the Euro 2024 last 16.
Luka Modric initially put Croatia ahead early in the second half, finding the net after his penalty was saved. The Croatians looked set to secure a spot in the knockout stages until Zaccagni curled home a stunning equalizer in the 98th minute.
Italy, who will now face Switzerland on June 29, had struggled throughout the group stage. They came from behind against Albania in their opener and were beaten by Spain. Coach Luciano Spalletti made several changes for this match, but Italy still found themselves outplayed for large portions of the game.
Despite the challenges, Italy’s persistence paid off in the end. Their fans celebrated the last-minute heroics, hoping this will ignite a stronger performance in the upcoming matches.
The result leaves Croatia in a precarious position, with their hopes of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams at Euro 2024 now in doubt.
Meanwhile, Italy advances, aiming to reclaim their form as defending champions. They will need to improve significantly to stand a chance against a well-organised Switzerland team on Saturday. Apart from a promising 15-minute spell in the first half, Italy struggled to dominate Croatia.