Italy expected to triumph in cagey battle against Croatia
Monday’s clash between Croatia and Italy will be the main attraction on Day 10 of Euro 2024.
Spain have already secured top spot in Group B locked in, leaving Italy and Croatia to fight it out for second place. Albania could still sneak in if they pull off a miracle win against Spain, but that’s quite a task.
So, what’s on the line here? If Italy win, or even just get a draw, they’ll bag the second spot. But if Croatia come out on top, they’ll leapfrog into that coveted position.
There is still a scenario where both teams make it through. If Spain and Croatia both win on Monday, Spain stay first, Croatia take second, and Italy sit in third with three points. That might be enough to get them through as one of the best third-place teams but Italy’s coach Luciano Spalletti wouldn’t want to roll the dice.
For Croatia, it’s do or die – they need the win to control their destiny. Italy, having lost to Spain, are in the same boat. They both know what’s at stake, which is why Monday’s match at the Red Bull Arena is set to be a nail-biter.
Italy expected to triumph in cagey battle
Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia team have had a rough ride so far. They managed only one point from their first two games, they got thrashed 3-0 by Spain and then conceded a heartbreaker of a last-minute equaliser to Albania. They have shown flashes of brilliance, but also looked tired and sluggish at times. Those defensive lapses against Albania were costly, taking their total to five goals conceded – the worst in their group.
On the flip side, Italy didn’t fare much better against Spain, despite only losing 1-0. It wasn’t just the scoreline; they were dominated throughout, managing only four shots (a record low for them in a Euros game) and just one on target. Prior to that, they bounced back in their opener against Albania, overcoming the fastest goal ever scored in the Euros thanks to Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella.
Italy have the odds in their favour and have never lost back-to-back games at a European Championship. They know a win or a draw against Croatia secures them second place, so the pressure will be marginally on their opponents at the outset.
Donnarumma could have his hands full
For Croatia, the key to beating Italy will be dominating possession, where the likes of Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic can take charge. They have controlled possession and created chances in both of their games so far, so expect more of the same against Italy.
However, they will need to get past the towering presence of Gianluigi Donnarumma in Italy’s goal. Donnarumma only had one save to make in Italy’s opener, but he showed his class with a stunning eight saves against Spain, only conceding due to an unlucky own goal.
Keeping a clean sheet against Croatia in such a high-stakes match will be tough, but you can count on Donnarumma to pull off a few crucial saves.
Croatia’s Budimir could cause problems
Ante Budimir could be in line to start against Italy. Budimir got the nod against Spain but was dropped against Albania. In that match, Budimir came off the bench and made a huge impact, setting up both goals for Croatia.
This performance might just earn Budimir a spot in the starting XI over Petkovic. His goal tally for Croatia isn’t impressive, with only three goals in 23 caps, but the 32-year-old is fresh off his best club season ever, scoring 18 times for FC Osasuna.
It’s a tough call for Dalic, but Budimir’s recent form could make the difference.
