This was going to be the subsequent chapter in one in all European soccer’s nice fairytales: Luka Modric, hair greying, powers waning, pulling his socks up and taking Croatia on yet one more knockout journey. You might sense the tributes loading, the edits compiling, the collective Mexican wave of goosebumps on the arms of these watching.
It had all of the components of a fantastic one, in spite of everything. In Modric, a hero beloved by all. Standing in his approach, Italy, defending champions and stereotypical villains of the footballing world. Every thing about it was good. Within the story of Modric’s profession was the background-setting story of a person who had labored up, the exhausting approach, from tiny Zadar to the best groups on the planet. Inside the match itself, the speedy context he’d arrange was one any author would chunk your hand off for… he’d stepped up for a penalty, seen it saved by an unimaginable Gianluigi Donnarumma dive, hung round within the field and pounced on a rebound a minute later to smash the ball previous the evil (for the needs of this fairytale) big.
Scorer. Chief. Document-breaker.
���� Luka Modrić ��@Vivo_GLOBAL | #EUROPOTM pic.twitter.com/W5cID41gTq
– UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 24, 2024
That had made the rating ‘Croatia 1-0 Italy’ 5 minutes earlier than the hour mark. So as to add record-making heft to the story, it had additionally made Modric the oldest goalscorer in European Championship historical past (at two months wanting 39). Until the final minute of stoppage time, the seemingly perennial underdogs by no means actually got here near ceding that lead. Needing a win to ensure progress, they might virtually style the round-of-16. Until the final minute. Until 90’+8′.
Which is when Riccardo Calafiori determined to go on a run.
Calafiori had already taken lots of people abruptly this match. For the numerous who will not be common watchers of the Serie A, Calafiori was one thing they’d by no means even heard of earlier than: an attacking Italian centre-back. If ever there was an oxymoron, eh? A left-back from the Roma academy, Calafiori has gone by means of the grinder already, regardless of being solely 22. Six years in the past a severe knee damage virtually ended his enjoying profession earlier than it started, however he labored his approach again into the sport. By Roma, Genoa, Basel he lastly received to Bologna. There, revolutionary coach Thiago Motta transformed him from left again to centre-back and he blew Serie A away.
Given an Italy debut earlier this month by Luciano Spalletti, nobody had actually anticipated the person with 95 minutes of earlier Azzurri expertise to begin the Euros, however he had. There was one thing about him that Spalletti merely could not ignore. Regardless of scoring an unlucky personal aim in opposition to Spain, he’d left a deep impression already. That was going to get deeper nonetheless.
Gathering the ball inside his personal half, he strode ahead, shifting diagonally to the suitable. On the centre-circle he moved it onto Davide Frattesi earlier than switching course and placing on a burst of acceleration to finish the one-two. By now, he’d scythed by means of Croatia’s till-then stable central midfield, and he saved flowing ahead. A heavy contact lured Josko Gvardiol out of place, however simply earlier than the Croat might get to it, he poked it to his left…
…the place Mattia Zaccagni was in acres.
Attracted magnetically by Calafiori’s swashbuckling run, the Croatian defence had caved in upon themselves within the center and will simply stand by and watch as Zaccagni — frozen out by ex-coach Roberto Mancini, however valued as a super-sub by the present regime for his tempo and directness — channelled his internal Del Piero, leant again and curled an absolute pearler into the far prime nook first-time.
Zaccagni’s composure and end within the closing minute… ��#EUROGOTT | @AlipayPlus pic.twitter.com/pHyMHLzfot
– UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 24, 2024
With the final kick of the match, Zaccagni had despatched Italy by means of and put Croatia teetering on the point of elimination. Fairytale smashed to smithereens.
This will likely very nicely have been Luka Modric’s final look at a significant match for his nation and on his 178th look within the well-known red-and-white checks, his thunder had been stolen by two gamers with a mixed twelve caps between them. For the fourth time this Euros, a staff had scored after the 94th minute however this one may have knocked an all-time European nice out.
For that, for the unimaginable run-assist and the beautiful end, for the fairytale-smashing climax… Riccardo Calafiori and Mattia Zaccagni take our Second of the Day of day 11 of Euro 2024.