June 25, (THEWILL) – Italy booked their place in the Euro 2024 knockout stages, thanks to a last-gasp 1-1 draw against Croatia in Group D. Mattia Zaccagni’s stoppage-time equaliser ensured the Azzurri’s fifth consecutive appearance in the tournament’s last-16, cancelling out Luka Modric’s second-half opener.
Croatia dominated early proceedings, with Luka Sucic forcing a spectacular save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy responded through Mateo Retegui and Alessandro Bastoni, yet Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic kept his team in the game with a series of impressive saves.
The match intensified after halftime when Croatia was awarded a penalty due to Davide Frattesi’s handball. Modric’s initial spot-kick was saved by Donnarumma, however the Croatian captain quickly redeemed himself by scoring moments later, becoming the oldest goalscorer in Euros history.
As full-time approached, Italy’s chances of progression looked slim. Substitute Zaccagni had other ideas, though. With seconds remaining, the Lazio forward curled home a stunning equaliser, breaking Croatian hearts and sending Italy through to the knockouts.
Italy now prepare to face Switzerland in the last-16 on June 29th, while Croatia anxiously await results from other groups to determine if their two-point haul is enough to progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
