Without suffering it is not Italy. This Monday, June 24, the Azzurri entered the field for the final round of the Eurocup group stage, in Leipzig, needing only a draw with Croatia to guarantee their place in the round of 16 of the competition. Even a defeat could be enough, although that would mean counting and probably facing a tougher opponent in the next stage of the tournament. Well, it wasn’t necessary. In the last move, Zaccagni scored a great goal and sealed the Nazionale’s passage to Berlin.
Croatia, who desperately needed victory to take second place in Euro Group B, had changes proposed by Zlatko Dalic. The coach opted for the third different nine in the competition (Kramaric, having used Budimir and Petkovic in previous games) and reinforced the creation on the sides with Pasalic and Sucic, in addition to protecting the defense with Gvardiol and Stanisic on the flanks.
On the other side, Luciano Spalletti also took precautions and returned to the 3-5-2 that worked well in the preparatory friendlies, giving up the 4-2-3-1 as a base – even though several of the team’s movements are the same in both systems. . They gained a place in the starting eleven Darmian, who played as a defender on the right, releasing Di Lorenzo, and the attackers Raspadori and Retegui. Starting players against Albania and Spain, Frattesi, Chiesa and Scamacca started on the bench. For the first time since the duel with Cameroon, in 1998, Italy entered the field in a Euro or World Cup game without Juventus athletes.
Italy missed some chances to open the scoring in the first half and, for the third time, came up behind in the Euros (AFP/Getty)
After just 5 minutes, Croatia had the first opportunity of the game. Sucic took a risk from outside the area and Donnarumma palmed it for a corner. The Chess players started with more possession of the ball and exchanged passes with great patience, trying to find some space, while the Azzurri behaved well defensively and waited for a mistake from their opponents. Tactically, it was Italy’s best start to the Euros.
In the 21st minute, the Italians had a good chance to score. Retegui received a cross from the left and rose higher than Gvardiol, but the ball glanced off the Croatian defender’s header and deflected past Livakovic’s post. Already in the 27th minute, Barella crossed into the area and Bastoni, free, also tested towards the goal. However, the chess archer performed a cinematic intervention and conceded the corner. Surely, the Fenerbahçe goalkeeper would still block a low shot from Pellegrini, at 36.
The Roma captain, in fact, would be pulled out by Spalletti at half-time – he already had a yellow card. Frattesi came on in his place, but made a huge mistake in his first minutes on the field: in the 52nd minute, he stood with his arm open inside the area and allowed Kramaric’s shot, which was heading towards the goal, to explode into his hand. Referee Danny Makkelie reviewed the play on the monitor and, evidently, signaled the penalty. Modric went for the penalty, but Donnarumma confirmed the reasons why he can be considered the best goalkeeper in this Euro and jumped into the right corner, saving the Croatian ace’s shot.
Donnarumma tried too hard and even took a penalty, but the Italian defense made a mistake and Modric redeemed himself (AFP/Getty)
But the Italian defense hasn’t helped its archer much. A minute later, the ball was crossed into the area, Kramaric deflected it and Donnarumma once again made a great intervention. On the rebound, however, there was no way to avoid Modric’s unmarked goal – for the third time in three games at this Euro, she conceded the first goal of the match in which she was involved. Fundamental in the offensive construction and with some good moments in their primary roles, Bastoni and Calafiori, left-footed players who had never played together before the Euros, have gotten into trouble in decisive plays. Lack of rapport.
The scenario was not the best for Spalletti’s team, considering that Croatia is one of the most complicated opponents to face in world football, especially when they have an advantage on the scoreboard. As soon as Italy conceded the goal, the coach replaced Chiesa in Dimarco’s place, promoting a more offensive 3-5-2 – which, however, didn’t change the look of the match much. Later, the coach called on Scamacca, Zaccagni and Fagioli, who took the positions of Raspadori, Darmian and Jorginho.
It was only after they switched to a kind of 3-3-4, with Chiesa, Zaccagni, Retegui and Scamacca in attack, that Italy really started to harass Croatia. In the 86th minute, the Azzurri made a beautiful exchange of passes and, on the Juventus winger’s low cross, the Atalanta striker almost managed to reach the ball and push it in. It didn’t seem like Nazionale night.
In Del Piero style: Zaccagni put him in the corner, frustrated Croatia and put Italy in the round of 16 (Getty)
Due to stoppages in the second half, Makkelie indicated eight minutes of stoppage time. Croatia was struggling, trying to make time pass, and Italy was trying to hold its head high, even in the face of a lack of inspiration. Until, in the last move, the good spirits of their fourth world championship campaign in 2006 once again inspired the Azzurri in Germany.
Leipzig became Dortmund and the Croatian fans, the vast majority in the stands, evoked the hostile atmosphere of the 2006 World Cup semi-final against Germany, the hosts. So, Calafiori turned into Cannavaro. The Bologna defender started from midfield and played with Frattesi, who took on Totti’s role. Ricky then transformed into Gilardino and found Zaccagni, free of marking, with a beautiful pass. Zac, finally, embodied Del Piero, his childhood idol: he adjusted his body and gave the ball a beautiful slap, sending it towards the cheek of the net. Just like 18 years before, Italy secured its classification and headed to Berlin.
With the draw at lights out, Italy freed itself from the bills and the tension of waiting for other results. It also avoided Portugal, which would be its opponent in the round of 16 in most of the possible match combinations, if it qualified as one of the four best third-placed teams in the Euro group stage.
With second place in their group, Italy will face Switzerland, second place in Group A, thanks to the draw suffered at the end of the duel with Germany. In Berlin, the venue for the fourth round, the Azzurri will be able to stage a rematch against the Swiss, who came out on top in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, leaving the Italians out of the tournament. The game will be at 1 pm, Brasília time, on Saturday (June 29).
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2024-06-25 01:06:40
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