Key events
Tonight’s results in Group B mean England, France and the Netherlands are all also through to the last 16. All three teams are now guaranteed to finish at least third in their group, and with four points already to their names, they can’t go out.
History Repeating dept. “Keen (and likely teary) eyed Azzurri fans will note the similarity of that equaliser to Del Piero’s strike that sealed the deal against Germany in 2006,” observes Grant Tennille. He’s not wrong. Look!
Croatia are not mathematically eliminated yet. But they’re teetering on the precipice. They’ll be out if England fail to beat Slovenia by at least three goals tomorrow. As their players line up to thank their supporters for having their back, the drained look on their faces suggest they know the jig is almost certainly up. Modrić in particular wearing the thousand-yard stare.
Italy did very little up front until the 98th minute. But wow, when they did finally get it together, it was worth waiting for. The defending champions make it through to the last 16 thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s glorious late, late, late, late, late strike. What a slalom by Riccardo Calafiori to tee it up, as well! Luka Modrić heartbroken, but offering handshakes of congratulations to the Italians nonetheless. How much more of the great man will we see in a red-and-white checked shirt? With about 40 seconds of added time remaining, he was thinking about facing Switzerland on Saturday. Now it’ll be Italy taking them on. What a sickener for Croatia; what delight for the Azzurri!
FULL TIME: Croatia 1-1 Italy
The whistle goes. Italy wheel off in delight, while Croatia crumple to the turf as one. They were seconds from going through to the knockout stage in second place; now they need a miracle if they’re to make it in third.
90 min +9: Well, that’s Italy through in second place unless there’s another wild twist!
GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Italy (Zaccagni 90+8)
What drama here! Calafiori channels his inner Beckenbauer and slaloms down the middle. He slips a pass wide left for Zaccagni, who is in acres. He cuts into the box, opens his body, and steers a glorious power-curler across Livaković and into the top right! What a wonderful goal, and it’s heartbreak for Croatia!
90 min +7: Italy have run out of ideas. Budimir bursts clear down the left but is penalised for tugging back Bastoni.
90 min +6: Fagioli is booked for a cynical tug on Gvardiol. Meanwhile Spain have beaten Albania. They’d already won the group, but they’ve done so with a 100 percent record. Albania are off home.
90 min +5: Nothing comes of the Croatian free kick, but time is not on Italy’s side.
90 min +4: Budimir’s presence draws a free kick from Barella out on the Croatian left. He’s been a handful since coming on at half-time.
90 min +3: Gvardiol deals with the corner, then sends Juranović scampering down the left. Calafiori takes one for the team, and goes into the book. He’ll miss Italy’s next match, should they get through. They’ll almost certainly grab one of the four third-place parachutes on offer, but nothing will be decided tonight.
90 min +2: Scamacca shoots from a desperate distance. But his shot takes a deflection off Brozović and it’ll be a corner coming in from the left.
90 min +1: Brozović is booked for a late lunge on Bastoni. That’s their sixth booking of the game.
90 min: There will be eight added minutes.
89 min: Josip Juranović replaces Andrej Kramarić, who gees up the Croatian crowd before he departs.
87 min: Retegui is sent into space down the right. He fizzes a wonderful low ball through the six-yard box, but Scamacca can’t extend a leg to poke home from a couple of yards. Huge chance. On the touchline, Luciano Spalletti does not look impressed.
85 min: Brozović dinks a cross in from the right. Donnarumma claims. At the moment, Italy look all out of whack after the plethora of substitutes by both sides, and Croatia the more likely to score the next goal. But let’s see.
84 min: Italy are fortunate that Calafiori comes across to cover and clear, Italy’s last man with Majer and Budimir bearing down towards a loose bouncing ball.
82 min: Italy make a double change. Mattia Zaccagni and Nicolò Fagioli replace Matteo Darmian and Jorginho. Zaccagni is immediately flipped into the air like a fried egg, Stanišić the spatula. Into the book the Croatian defender goes.
81 min: The goalscorer Luka Modrić makes way for Lovro Majer. Croatia looking to keep hold of what they have.
80 min: Brozović crosses from the right. Bastoni eyebrows clear with Budimir lurking, preparing to slam a header home from six yards. Superb last-ditch defence.
78 min: Pongračić is booked for a cynical check on an in-flight Frattesi.
77 min: Di Lorenzo launches one down the right and nearly releases Chiesa. An attempted one-two with Scamacca doesn’t come off, then Chiesa crosses to nobody in particular. “Despite the Italian pressure since the goal, the Azzurri haven’t created any clear cut chances,” notes Kári Tulinius. “They seem strangely unbothered about it, as if just trusting that being above Hungary on goal difference will see them through.”
75 min: Gianluca Scamacca replaces Giacomo Raspadori.
74 min: Retegui is fouled in the midfield, a garden-variety incident. Ivanušec, only just on, kicks the ball away and is immediately booked. “I look forward to the day when Scotland eventually make it out of their group at a major tournament, to be greeted by celebratory flying pigs.” Simon McMahon there, folks, not quite yet over last night’s events it would seem.
72 min: Calafiori curls in from the left for Frattesi, who is going nowhere with his back to goal but is needlessly shoved in the back by Gvardiol. Free kick in a very dangerous position, just outside the D, just right of centre. After Calafiori dummies, Raspadori takes. Deflected. Over. Corner cleared. That’s a bit of a waste.
70 min: Ivan Perišić comes on for Luka Sučić, who had all but disappeared. Luka Ivanušec also enters the fray, in place of Mateo Kovačić.
68 min: Livaković punches the corner clear. Italy return the ball. Livaković kicks it clear this time. This is beginning to turn into a siege as Italy ratchet up the pressure.
67 min: Darmian again with the ball at his feet in the Croatia box, near the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. His cross-cum-shot is no good. But Italy come again – again – and Frattesi wins a corner on the right. It’ll be Italy’s ninth of the game.
65 min: Chiesa wins another corner down the right. The set piece falls to Chiesa on the edge of the D. He opts against shooting and feeds Darmian to his left. Darmian’s floated cross is no good. But Italy come again, and that man Chiesa nearly one-twos his way clear down the middle with Frattesi. Not quite, and Livaković collects, but this is so much better from Italy. Chiesa has made such a difference since coming on.
63 min: The goal was met with quite a few celebratory flying pints. The German officials won’t be happy with that.
61 min: Chiesa wins a corner down the right. It’s sent into the centre, right on Bastoni’s head. He’s got to hit the target from eight yards out, unchallenged, but powers it over the bar.
60 min: Modric is booked for a fairly agricultural scythe through the back of Frattesi, who has presumably had more enjoyable seven-minute periods in his life.
58 min: Frattesi, desperate to make up for his error in conceding the penalty that led to the goal, bustles into the Croatia box. Not enough space for a shot, but the ball’s deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, but this game, so dull for so long, is happening now!
57 min: All of a sudden, Italy are plunged into third-placed uncertainty, and they respond by replacing Federico Dimarco with Federico Chiesa.
GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Italy (Modrić 55)
What a reaction to the penalty miss! Italy didn’t react to Donnarumma’s save, and Croatia come straight back at Italy. A cross in from the right. Budimir hooks goalwards from close range. Donnarumma saves again, some point-blank brilliance, but the ball breaks to the nearby Modrić who roofs into the net from a couple of yards! Instant redemption!
Modrić misses the penalty!
54 min: Modric sidefoots towards the bottom-right corner. Donnarumma guesses correctly and palms it clear! Not the greatest penalty but what a save nonetheless!
Penalty to Croatia!
53 min: VAR will have a look at it! Danny Makkelie is sent over to the VAR screen. He doesn’t take long to turn back and point to the spot. Frattesi’s arm was at head height, it was a no-brainer.
52 min: Kramarić whips a cross in from the left. It flicks off Frattesi’s hand. Frattesi’s arm was well away from his body, and VAR may have a look at this.
51 min: Modric drops deep with a view to quarterbacking, but his speculative pass down the inside-left channel is more Bryce Young than CJ Stroud. Oh Mr Tepper!
49 min: Kramarić is hauled down by Di Lorenzo out on the left flank. The free kick is sent into the mixer, but Kramarić can’t win the header. Modric fights to regain possession and soon Kramarić is spinning his way down the inside-left channel on a rococo journey into the box. He crosses to nobody in particular, and Dimarco runs off on the counter down the Italian left, only to carelessly wander out of play. The quality still not great here.
47 min: Barella latches onto a loose ball and strides towards the Croatia box. The referee Danny Makkelie gets in the way, so Barella does a couple of laps of him with the ball, as though making a point. Croatia then have the chance to break dangerously, but Gvardiol’s pass is too strong for Budimir.
Italy get the second half underway. Italy have replaced (the comparatively lively so presumably injured) Lorenzo Pellegrini with Davide Frattesi, while Croatia swap out Mario Pašalić with Ante Budimir. “In the event that a successful Italian attack takes the form of a perhaps unlikely combination, feel free to use the classic description: SuperCalafiori kicks it; Raspadori closes.” Scott Blair there, who may or may not be an Inverness Caledonian Thistle fan.
Half-time entertainment. Balm for sore eyes after that nondescript half of football, in the shape of Tom Jenkins’ wonderful photo essay from the first week in Germany!
HALF TIME: Croatia 0-0 Italy
It’s good enough for Italy. It almost certainly won’t be good enough for Croatia.
45 min: Di Lorenzo attempts to find Darmian down the right with an insouciant flick of the boot. The pass flies out for a throw. Nothing is happening. The players aren’t the only ones waiting desperately for the half-time whistle. Just one more minute and everyone can regroup.
43 min: It’s all a bit congested in the middle of the park. “Do you think Argentine-born Retegui has been reminding Gvardiol of that Messi run at the World Cup?” wonders Andy Gordon.
41 min: Both teams appear to have slipped into Waiting For Half-Time Oranges mode.
39 min: Brozović attempts a Modricesque scoop down the right. Calafiori reads and intercepts with ease.
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
