Euro 2024 – Croatia-Italy 1-1: Zaccagni’s miracle in the 98th minute, the Azzurri finish second and find Switzerland

In the eighth minute of added time. At the last second. To the last action. The man of providence is called Mattia Zaccagni and never before has he had the opportunity to continuously wear the national team shirt. From this evening, the Lazio striker also officially entered the history of Italy. Because it is his, in the 98th minute, the goal that incredibly stops Croatia at 1-1, completely overturning the destinies and ranking of group B: the Azzurri are holding on to second place with tooth and nail and on Saturday they will challenge Switzerland in the round of 16, while the Croatians slip to third and essentially have to say goodbye to the European Championships. Complicated, tense race, without a master. Bastoni came close to taking the lead in the first half (Livakovic did a great job on his header), but previously Donnarumma had been great on Sucic. In the second half, King Luka Modric takes the stage. For better and for worse. First the Real Madrid champion had a penalty blocked by Donnarumma (Frattesi’s wide arm in the area) and then, in the space of a few seconds, he found the winning shot that made it 1-0 and made Croatia dream. The dream lasts until the 98th minute, the minute in which Zaccagni appears out of nowhere, served perfectly by Calafiori: right-footed shot under the top corner, Livakovic beaten, Italy second and qualified, Croats desperate. What a pain. But what a joy.

Croatia-Italy 1-1 (first half 0-0)

Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Modric (81′ Majer), Brozovic, Kovacic (70′ Ivanusec); Mario Pasalic (46′ Budimir), Kramaric (90′ Juranovic), Sucic (70′ Perisic). Ct. Dalic

Italy (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Darmian (82′ Zaccagni), Bastoni, Calafiori; Di Lorenzo, Barella. Jorginho (82′ Fagioli), Pellegrini (46′ Frattesi), Dimarco (57′ Chiesa); Raspadori (75′ Scamacca), Retegui. Ct. Spalletti

Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

Goal: 55′ Modric (C), 98′ Zaccagni (I)

Warned: Sucic, Modric, Ivanusec, Pongracic, Stanisic, Brozovic, Calafiori

5′ – Deadly left-footed shot from outside by Sucic, with Donnarumma forced to stretch to lift the ball beyond the top corner. Great parade.

21′ – Nice cross from Calafiori, Retegui takes a good shot at the far post, but his header – deflected by Gvardiol – goes just wide.

27′ – Perfect cross from Barella, at the far post Bastoni is very alone, but his header is lifted over the crossbar with a miracle by Livakovic.

54′ – Penalty awarded to Croatia for a touch with one arm in the area by Frattesi: Donnarumma, however, is very good at blocking Modric’s right-footed shot from the spot.

55′ – GOAL FOR CROATIA. Donnarumma also puts a stop to a close-range attempt by Budimir, but once again Modric is well positioned and this time he doesn’t miss from a step. 1-0.

98′ – GOAL BY ITALY. Central percussion from Calafiori and touch for Zaccagni, who with a perfect right-footed shot under the top corner found the equalizer on the last action. 1-1.

Mattia ZACCAGNI. Football is really strange. Zaccagni had entered and slipped on almost every ball, as if he had made the wrong studs. But then he’s there, with a divine right hand, beautiful, at the last second, at the last breath. It just seems like that thing right there: the goal of destiny. Do you ever see that really…

Davide FRATTESI. His impact on the match is a wide arm that forces Donnarumma to perform a miracle from 11 meters… And from which the Croatian goal arrives in the end anyway. From there Frattesi never recovered, making almost everything wrong. Bad. In fact, very badly.