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How Croatia can still make Euro 2024 knockouts
Mattia Zaccagni scored an equalizer in the final minute of injury time Monday as Italy sent Croatia to the brink of elimination from Euro 2024. The outcome was even more painful for the Croatians after they suffered a similar last-minute heartbreak against the Albanians last week.
A win on Monday would have given Vatreni the requisite three points to advance to the Round of 16. However, their inability to win any of the three group-stage games (finishing with two points) and their goal difference (-3) means they must now depend on the outcome of other matches for the slightest chance of advancing in the tournament.
For one, they'd need the Slovenians — who also have two points, but with zero goal difference (GD) — to suffer a huge loss to England in their Group C tie on Tuesday. Such an outcome would propel Croatia ahead of Slovenia in the third-place running teams across all groups.
Updated Euro 2024 third-place teams (top four go through):
Austria: 3 points, +1 GD
Slovakia: 3 points, 0 GD
Hungary: 3 points, -3 GD
Slovenia: 2 points, 0 GD
Croatia: 2 points, -3 GD
Czechia: 1 point, -1 GD
History is not on Croatia's side. Since UEFA instated the new format of last-ditch teams outside the top two advancing in the Euros, no third-place team with two points has advanced. To complicate matters, there's a deadlock of four teams with three points in Group E, which almost guarantees three of the four advancing to the Round of 16.
Even Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic knows his team needs a miracle. After Monday's loss, Dalic rued his country's inability to put away Italy and Albania after they had both wins all but locked up.
"Last minute [against] Albania, last minute today. I can only congratulate the guys on the fight, the willingness, the sacrifice they showed," Dalcic told reporters. "We had the situation in our hands. Thank you to the people who cheered us on, I'm sorry for them. I'm mostly disappointed because of that."
Besides letting down their fans, the Croatians likely denied their leader, Luka Modric, a well-deserved swan song from the sport. Modric on Monday became the oldest player to net a goal in Euro history.
38 - At the age of 38 years and 289 days, Luka Modric is the oldest player to ever score at the UEFA European Championship finals. Timeless. #EURo2024 pic.twitter.com/ESECX0gDAk
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2024
It may have been his last goal for the Vatreni.
More must-reads:
- Italy snaps 281-minute cold spell with historic equalizer
- The 15 English teams to win the European Cup/Champions League
- The 'MLS teams' quiz
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