Italy manager Luciano Spalletti has hit out at his players who were ‘below their usual level’ in a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Croatia at Euro 2024 on Monday.
The Azzurri required only a point from their third and final group-stage fixture to secure a top-two finish in Group B and progress to the last 16, but they were made to work for that point against a Croatia outfit that needed to win to reach the knockout rounds.
After deploying a 4-3-3 formation in Italy’s first two group games, Spalletti opted to take a more pragmatic approach to the beginning of their encounter with Croatia and switched to a 3-5-2 system.
However, the European Championship holders struggled to get going during an uneventful first half before going behind 10 minutes after the break when Luka Modric fired home from close range, just 33 seconds after having a penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Spalletti soon ripped up the 3-5-2 system and made a host of attacking changes in the closing stages in search of an equaliser, while Croatia themselves switched to a five-at-the-back system as they attempted to see out the victory.
Italy’s persistence in the final third eventually told and they scored a dramatic 98th-minute equaliser with the last kick of the match from substitute Mattia Zaccagni, who curled a stunning first-time strike into the top corner to spark wild scenes among the Azzurri.
The result means that Italy have qualified as runners-up in Group B, setting up a last-16 clash with Switzerland at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Saturday, while third-placed Croatia are on the brink of elimination.
