Key occasions
Croatia will not be mathematically eradicated but. However they’re teetering on the precipice. They’ll be out if England fail to beat Slovenia by at the least three objectives tomorrow. As their gamers line as much as thank their supporters for having their again, the drained look on their faces counsel they know the jig is nearly definitely up. Modrić particularly sporting the thousand-yard stare.
Italy did little or no up entrance till the 98th minute. However wow, after they did lastly get it collectively, it was value ready for. The defending champions make it by means of to the final 16 due to Mattia Zaccagni’s wonderful late, late, late, late, late strike. What a slalom by Riccardo Calafiori to tee it up, as nicely! Luka Modrić heartbroken, however providing handshakes of congratulations to the Italians nonetheless. How far more of the nice man will we see in a red-and-white checked shirt? With about 40 seconds of added time remaining, he was excited about going through 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, whereas Croatia crumple to the turf as one. They have been seconds from going by means of to the knockout stage in second place; now they want a miracle in the event that they’re to make it in third.
90 min +9: Nicely, that’s Italy by means of in second place until there’s one other wild twist!
GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Italy (Zaccagni 90+8)
What drama right here! Calafiori channels his inside Beckenbauer and slaloms down the center. He slips a go extensive left for Zaccagni, who’s in acres. He cuts into the field, opens his physique, and steers an excellent power-curler throughout Livaković and into the highest proper! What an exquisite objective, and it’s heartbreak for Croatia!
90 min +7: Italy have run out of concepts. Budimir bursts clear down the left however is penalised for tugging again Bastoni.
90 min +6: Fagioli is booked for a cynical tug on Gvardiol. In the meantime Spain have crushed Albania. They’d already received the group, however they’ve achieved so with a 100% file. Albania are off house.
90 min +5: Nothing comes of the Croatian free kick, however time isn’t on Italy’s facet.
90 min +4: Budimir’s presence attracts a free kick from Barella out on the Croatian left. He’s been a handful since approaching at half-time.
90 min +3: Gvardiol offers with the nook, then sends Juranović scampering down the left. Calafiori takes one for the staff, and goes into the ebook. He’ll miss Italy’s subsequent match, ought to they get by means of. They’ll virtually definitely seize one of many 4 third-place parachutes on provide, however nothing can be determined tonight.
90 min +2: Scamacca shoots from a determined distance. However his shot takes a deflection off Brozović and it’ll be a nook coming in from the left.
90 min +1: Brozović is booked for a late lunge on Bastoni. That’s their sixth reserving of the sport.
90 min: There can be eight added minutes.
89 min: Josip Juranović replaces Andrej Kramarić, who gees up the Croatian crowd earlier than he departs.
87 min: Retegui is shipped into house down the fitting. He fizzes an exquisite low ball by means of the six-yard field, however Scamacca can’t lengthen a leg to poke house from a few yards. Enormous probability. On the touchline, Luciano Spalletti doesn’t look impressed.
85 min: Brozović dinks a cross in from the fitting. Donnarumma claims. In the meanwhile, Italy look all out of whack after the plethora of substitutes by either side, and Croatia the extra more likely to rating the subsequent objective. However let’s see.
84 min: Italy are lucky that Calafiori comes throughout to cowl and clear, Italy’s final man with Majer and Budimir bearing down in the direction of a unfastened bouncing ball.
82 min: Italy make a double change. Mattia Zaccagni and Nicolò Fagioli exchange Matteo Darmian and Jorginho. Zaccagni is straight away flipped into the air like a fried egg, Stanišić the spatula. Into the ebook the Croatian defender goes.
81 min: The goalscorer Luka Modrić makes means for Lovro Majer. Croatia trying to hold maintain of what they’ve.
80 min: Brozović crosses from the fitting. Bastoni eyebrows clear with Budimir lurking, getting ready to slam a header house from six yards. Very good last-ditch defence.
78 min: Pongračić is booked for a cynical test on an in-flight Frattesi.
77 min: Di Lorenzo launches one down the fitting and almost releases Chiesa. An tried one-two with Scamacca doesn’t come off, then Chiesa crosses to no person particularly. “Regardless of the Italian stress because the objective, the Azzurri haven’t created any clear reduce probabilities,” notes Kári Tulinius. “They appear unusually unbothered about it, as if simply trusting that being above Hungary on objective distinction will see them by means of.”
75 min: Gianluca Scamacca replaces Giacomo Raspadori.
74 min: Retegui is fouled within the midfield, a garden-variety incident. Ivanušec, solely simply on, kicks the ball away and is straight away booked. “I look ahead to the day when Scotland ultimately make it out of their group at a serious event, to be greeted by celebratory flying pigs.” Simon McMahon there, of us, not fairly but over final evening’s occasions it might appear.
72 min: Calafiori curls in from the left for Frattesi, who’s going nowhere along with his again to objective however is needlessly shoved within the again by Gvardiol. Free kick in a really harmful place, simply exterior the D, excellent of centre. After Calafiori dummies, Raspadori takes. Deflected. Over. Nook cleared. That’s a little bit of a waste.
70 min: Ivan Perišić comes on for Luka Sučić, who had all however disappeared. Luka Ivanušec additionally enters the fray, rather than Mateo Kovačić.
68 min: Livaković punches the nook clear. Italy return the ball. Livaković kicks it clear this time. That is starting to show right into a siege as Italy ratchet up the stress.
67 min: Darmian once more with the ball at his ft within the Croatia field, close to the left-hand nook of the six-yard field. His cross-cum-shot is not any good. However Italy come once more – once more – and Frattesi wins a nook on the fitting. It’ll be Italy’s ninth of the sport.
65 min: Chiesa wins one other nook down the fitting. The set piece falls to Chiesa on the sting of the D. He opts towards taking pictures and feeds Darmian to his left. Darmian’s floated cross is not any good. However Italy come once more, and that man Chiesa almost one-twos his means clear down the center with Frattesi. Not fairly, and Livaković collects, however that is so significantly better from Italy. Chiesa has made such a distinction since approaching.
63 min: The objective was met with fairly a number of celebratory flying pints. The German officers received’t be proud of that.
61 min: Chiesa wins a nook down the fitting. It’s despatched into the centre, proper on Bastoni’s head. He’s acquired to hit the goal from eight yards out, unchallenged, however powers it over the bar.
60 min: Modric is booked for a reasonably agricultural scythe by means of the again of Frattesi, who has presumably had extra pleasing seven-minute intervals in his life.
58 min: Frattesi, determined to make up for his error in conceding the penalty that led to the objective, bustles into the Croatia field. Not sufficient house for a shot, however the ball’s deflected out for a nook. Nothing comes of the set piece, however this recreation, so uninteresting for therefore lengthy, is occurring now!
57 min: Unexpectedly, Italy are plunged into third-placed uncertainty, and so they reply by changing Federico Dimarco with Federico Chiesa.
GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Italy (Modrić 55)
What a response to the penalty miss! Italy didn’t react to Donnarumma’s save, and Croatia come straight again at Italy. A cross in from the fitting. Budimir hooks goalwards from shut vary. Donnarumma saves once more, some point-blank brilliance, however the ball breaks to the close by Modrić who roofs into the web from a few yards! Immediate redemption!
Modrić misses the penalty!
54 min: Modric sidefoots in the direction of the bottom-right nook. Donnarumma guesses appropriately and palms it clear! Not the best penalty however what a save nonetheless!
Penalty to Croatia!
53 min: VAR will take a look at it! Danny Makkelie is shipped over to the VAR display. He doesn’t take lengthy to show again and level to the spot. Frattesi’s arm was at head peak, 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 nicely away from his physique, and VAR could take a look at this.
51 min: Modric drops deep with a view to quarterbacking, however his speculative go down the inside-left channel is extra Bryce Younger than CJ Stroud. Oh Mr Tepper!
49 min: Kramarić is hauled down by Di Lorenzo out on the left flank. The free kick is shipped into the mixer, however Kramarić can’t win the header. Modric fights to regain possession and shortly Kramarić is spinning his means down the inside-left channel on a rococo journey into the field. He crosses to no person particularly, and Dimarco runs off on the counter down the Italian left, solely to carelessly wander out of play. The standard nonetheless not nice right here.
47 min: Barella latches onto a unfastened ball and strides in the direction of the Croatia field. The referee Danny Makkelie will get in the best way, so Barella does a few laps of him with the ball, as if making a degree. Croatia then have the prospect to interrupt dangerously, however Gvardiol’s go is simply too sturdy for Budimir.
Italy get the second half underway. Italy have changed (the comparatively full of life so presumably injured) Lorenzo Pellegrini with Davide Frattesi, whereas Croatia swap out Mario Pašalić with Ante Budimir. “Within the occasion {that a} profitable Italian assault takes the type of a maybe unlikely mixture, be happy to make use of the basic description: SuperCalafiori kicks it; Raspadori closes.” Scott Blair there, who could or might not be an Inverness Caledonian Thistle fan.
Half-time leisure. Balm for sore eyes after that nondescript half of soccer, within the form of Tom Jenkins’ great photograph essay from the primary week in Germany!
HALF TIME: Croatia 0-0 Italy
It’s adequate for Italy. It virtually definitely received’t be adequate for Croatia.
45 min: Di Lorenzo makes an attempt to seek out Darmian down the fitting with an insouciant flick of the boot. The go flies out for a throw. Nothing is occurring. The gamers aren’t the one ones ready desperately for the half-time whistle. Only one extra minute and everybody can regroup.
43 min: It’s all a bit congested in the midst of the park. “Do you suppose Argentine-born Retegui has been reminding Gvardiol of that Messi run on the World Cup?” wonders Andy Gordon.
41 min: Each groups seem to have slipped into Ready For Half-Time Oranges mode.
39 min: Brozović makes an attempt a Modricesque scoop down the fitting. Calafiori reads and intercepts with ease.