Italy's Never-Say-Die Spirit Breaks Croatian Hearts

Italy have spent the last few years veering between ignominy and glory. When embarrassment beckoned, a glorious goal instead lent salvation.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Croatia Modric (55) 1

Italy Zaccagni (90+8) 1

For the 43 minutes when they trailed, the holders confronted the possibility of an early exit, of expulsion at the first stage.

Instead, almost certainly, Croatia will be cast out of Euro 2024. The team which can excel over 120 minutes and penalties missed a penalty and went out to a 98th-minute goal. When it was shaping up as another classic night in the career of an alltime great, Luka Modric, he was instead upstaged by a newcomer to such occasions.

When Mattia Zaccagni came off the bench, the 29-year-old forward had never scored for Italy. When he did, it was magnificent, the Lazio winger curling a shot around Dominik Livakovic.

Italy’s prize for a lovely leveller is a tie with Switzerland in Berlin and a reasonable route to the quarter-finals. Croatia wait to see if they will rank among the four third-best teams, but they probably won’t.

They can rue two injury-time goals against them: by Klaus Gjasula for Albania and, still later, Zaccagni for Italy. Six points became two; the final blow was the cruellest, probably the most decisive. An extraordinary evening had an incredible end.