Italy and Croatia Face Decisive Euro 2024 Clash

Italy and Croatia, both wounded from recent defeats, face a decisive clash on Monday in Group B of Euro 2024. Italy's 1-0 loss to Spain and Croatia's 2-2 draw with Albania have left both teams on the brink of elimination.

Italy, currently second in the group with three points, can secure a spot in the last 16 as runners-up if they avoid defeat. However, they will be eliminated if they lose and Albania defeats group winners Spain.

Croatia, on the other hand, is in a more precarious position. After a 3-0 loss to Spain in their opening match, they are bottom of the table with just one point. They can only progress as runners-up if they beat Italy and Albania fails to beat Spain.

A draw is unlikely to be enough for either team, as no team has advanced to the next round with only two points since the Euro finals expanded to 24 teams in 2016.

Italy's loss to Spain has sparked widespread criticism and soul-searching. The Italian media has denounced the team's performance as "Little Italy" and demanded a "Reset." The loss was narrow, but it could have been far more emphatic, as Spain's 20 attempts on goal contrasted with Italy's four, their fewest in a Euro or World Cup match since at least 1980.

Croatia's struggles have also come as a surprise. The team reached the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar two years ago and the final in 2018. "We didn’t expect to have such a difficult story in these two matches, it has been a struggle," said coach Zlatko Dalic after their draw with Albania.

A major issue for Croatia has been their slow starts to games. They conceded three goals to Spain in the first half and fell behind to Albania within 11 minutes. While their technical ability is not in question, they have seemed flat in the final third and been unable to build sustained pressure.

With midfield maestro Luka Modric now 38, converted full-back Ivan Perisic, 35, and forward Andrej Kramaric, 33, Dalic has kept faith with the old guard that has served him so well in the past. However, this tournament could be one too far for a side that has frequently surpassed expectations.

"The World Cup was two years ago and slowly our players are getting older, and this whole tournament has shown us that everyone is having a hard time," Dalic said.

Tags: #Euro2024, #Italy, #Croatia, #GroupB, #Football