WHAT A FINISH! 👏 Croatia vs. Italy FULL REACTION from UEFA Euro Group B play | ESPN FC

WHAT A FINISH! 👏 Croatia vs. Italy FULL REACTION from UEFA Euro Group B play | ESPN FC

but we kick things off with a dramatic ending to say the least in group b because it looked like it would be Croatia who would be finishing second and would be advancing to The Knockout stages Modric with the goal that looked like it was going to be decisive but in the end Matas gag who come off the bench and score with pretty much the last kick of the game a wonderful goal from the Lazio substitute and that would be a draw and that’s enough to guarantee then Italy second they go through with Spain Croatia will not be one of the best third place finishing sides as they only manage two points they are out Ali Moreno joins us say kick things off first in in the studio CR we thought that was it we thought Italy were done yeah and they they did as well but I got to give them credit for plugging away and a fantastic goal by sag at the end a great finish that you know it was do or die at that point uh you know ccia just had to see the game out modri g off he was sitting in the bench he could take no further part he’s just closing his eyes there hoping uh but listen Croatia not a great side Italy not a great side I was okay with Italy going out I have to be honest I don’t like watching them they’re not very good they’re boring they’re dull even when they had to win this game you know they just I just didn’t didn’t don’t enjoy watching this Italian side they were walled by Spain in terms of out played the SC line was close but again got to give him some credit for hanging in there creating some chances at the end uh and that finish was absolutely brilliant but this is not a good Croatia side we we’ve seen this in this tournament uh this is not a good Italian side the first proper team they come up against and knockout stages they’ll get knocked out but fair play to them they’re in The Knockout stages they’ve managed to do it but spetti on the touch line he’s doing that because his team have not played well he most definitely is and zag will never have to buy another drink in Italy ever again Ali what a finish that was and in the moment and you just mentioned what a finish it was is it’s one thing that you’re open on the left hand side that you open up your body and you’re thinking in your mind that you’re going to be able to bend it to that far post it’s a completely different thing to do with the last kick of the game in this sort of scenario in this sort of setup in which you actually need to do it you need to deliver you’re gonna either be the hero or not and he certainly was the hero what a finish it was I would just say about Croatia this is not the first time in the tournament that they’re not able to see a game out the same thing happened against Albania and it was the same picture of Luca Modric sitting on the bench watching his team trying to see the game out and they’re unable to do so and so there is something about this Croatian team that in the last few minutes they’re unable to stay organized they’re unable to stay behind the ball they’re unable to force the ball into wide areas and in that last sequence of play as the ball just breaks open and K is driving the defense everybody collaps onto the ball from Croatia and they for forgot about saag they didn’t even know he was there didn’t realize he was there and then he just took full advantage what a finish it was what a moment for Italy what a result for Italy and heartbreak for Croatia yeah very much indeed because what was interesting once Croatia open the scoring Italy and really push for like 10 15 minutes made some changes and it looked like they would be enough to see them through didn’t they I mean Italy were doing a good impression of SC Scotland at one point that’s harsh well no they were better but only just not much in Scotland the poor not much and it was like the Italy no I mean I get it the old Italian St will play will get the point that got that went out the window with the goal there was obviously the missed penalty which is only I think his in dark side in commentary 33 seconds before Luka modic actually did score after Don rooma made a great save uh but but then ity it was almost like they were Spud into some sort of positivity because they had been so negative up to that point they did a little flurry in the first half to be fail to them and then they regressed back to the norm uh but you just look through this side and you know the Croatian side there’s no doubt it’s the end of an era with that and we saw that in the performances and this Italian side you know again we saw against Spain yes it was a very close score line but they were completely outplayed and this team here although there will be you know partying back in Italy tonight because they they’re through and that will involve some celebrations I think deep down even the the Italian supporters know that this side is extremely Limited in its ability Julian Lon joins us Jorge you must be delighted you didn’t have to watch this game with gab I must be delighted I didn’t hear the end of your question that you didn’t have to watch this with gab I know I know I know I mean I don’t know what kind of emotion he went through at the stadium because he was obviously there incredible really when you think about it when you think that Modric the whole Modric scenario and we’re all ready to to write and talk about what an incredible performance that he had and he carries this team and then the and his International career continues and his first goal at International level was against Italy 18 years ago so there was so many narratives within the whole Modric story tonight and then that happened football is incredible this euro is really has been pretty incredible since the start since day one and today was just another chapter I agree with Craig though I don’t think this this Italian team deserve to go through with four points really even against Albania they didn’t have much margin against Spain they were outplayed they were completely out thought how destroyed and even today they were not the best team and yet they still managed to go through is there any argument Ali that this could Galvanize the Italian side and this is it they’ve turned a corner now this last last minute draw will be enough to see them now get themselves together for The Knockout stages if we look at the history of international tournaments for Italy they seem seem to have these difficulties in the group stage in which they barely get through they barely do enough and here we go and somehow they find a way to win a game in The Knockout stage and Advance now that’s what Italy have been historically in in in in the international competitions but I don’t know that history plays much apart with this game or with this team and this version of Italy because frankly never mind what I say and and I agree wholeheartedly with what Craig and Jules saying but what about the face of jigi dun aruma after the game if you look at his face he tells you everything that you need to know he’s just we got away with one and a big one we were out or at the very least having to struggle to see if we’re in one of the best third place team we don’t know if we actually have answers in this team and somehow we’re second in this group he was almost ashamed and embarrassed as to how they’re able to get the goal they’ll take it they’ll advance and I suppose if you take a look at history say that Italy are dangerous but if you take a look at this team then not so much if you’re looking at teams that you could face in The Knockout stages Italy by the standard they’ve set over the years of course it’s a team you want to avoid but not maybe this version no not this version and we said it before the tournament as well this is not this is not a surprise really let’s be honest here spalti as great as he was at Napoli and even before that Roma and all the things that he did for the game and great no problem he’s a club coach he’s a Club manager he’s not International Football is very very different and this is all new to him this is a young Squad even if somewhere obviously there three years ago when they won against England in the last Euros you have Baston you have calafiori and caori did great on the on the goal obviously but this is still a learning curve for a lot of those boys and they’re just not ready yet and I think if you if I’m Switzerland and I’m watching this performance tonight and I know i’ be of course i’ be cautious and it’ be a local Derby too so there’s again there will be a lot of narratives before the last 16 but if I’m Switzerland if I’m Mora yakin or granny Chaka I’m looking at this tonight and say okay this is what they have to offer they had one shot on Target in the whole second half and that’s the goal and it’s an amazing goal there’s no doubt but that’s the only thing they had in that second half if I’m cha and the swis boys I’m like okay bring it on it’s incredible St considering what state yeah and if Croatia had the quality that they once had in the final F they don’t quite have that anymore they would probably and should have killed this game off in the second half they had uh as Italy tried to go forward there was times when the F the right back got forward and midfielders were getting in the box and they either turned out or they played a poor ball in so they could easily have killed it off but that that stat is damning now there was one ball in particular that fizz I think kza fizzed it across the Box yeah that skaka almost got on but but apart from that they huffed and puffed and Croatia defended stoutly for for the for the main part but but again uh you know the crotia didn’t have that quality to kill this game off or see it out and even even in the goal they had a couple of chances they two opportunities to make a challenge one 30 yards from the goal and one just outside the box that they weren’t able to make and that allowed uh the ball to get out to that uh left hand side I have to say that the Finish we can’t talk complain about the finish the Finish was absolutely outstanding particularly with the pressure as that ball fell uh it fell to him on the right foot and he opened his body up he knew that it was never never right he was not getting another chance they were not getting another chance and he couldn’t mess it up and it was absolutely we saw it you know if your camera was right behind on the angle and you could it was no guessing what he was going to do I’m just seeing a replay of it behind you in the big screen over there it’s uh it’s it’s incredible so yeah you got to credit from that perspective but I’ve just been disappointed maybe I shouldn’t be but I’m disappointed with the approach of spetti I know it’s International Football uh I know is different but it’s a complete contrast to what he was doing with Napoli there’s not even a sense of trying to play in the way that they did at Napoli or play this kind of football it it’s it’s sort of reverting back to type and as I say they’ve gotten away with it but it was damn close uh for ctia we kind of knew this coming in didn’t we Ali this is very much the end of an era yeah and it’s confirmation I think the performances that we have seen in this tournament we f like it’s a little late for this Croatian national team and certain certainly when you look at the Personnel that is available and the what has been surprising about Croatia is that there isn’t a new generation in place there isn’t a young player that you can say hey maybe that’s going to be the next Mage and I know that’s a high standard but you’re not seeing that in the Midfield you’re not seeing that in the attacking third you’re not seeing the new player from Croatia and so you are depending on luuka Modric you are depending on kovic and brovich and when you see brovich run you kind of go yeah somebody needs the legs to get around in the Midfield and that’s not the guy that’s not the guy with the legs and when you see that it’s that confirmation of what I think we already knew we fear that that would be the case but it was confirmed in this tournament that Croatia as we know it and that successful team that we suffer so many runs H that’s coming to an end and coming to an end quickly manzukic went quite some time ago rakitic went Modric is going to go brovich is not far away kobic isn’t far behind not quite at the end of his career but certainly uh towards that end there have been others as well in the backline that uh I can’t remember the names exactly but there’s been quite a few but those have been the standout the real core and and it feels like there’s there’s maybe only one or two of them hanging on but they’re close to going and it it’s it’s sorry to say but it’s it’s difficult to keep particularly of a country of around four and a half million uh which Croatia is it’s difficult to keep chunning that kind of quality player out when you think back to the past about the guys that they’ve had been playing at Real Madrid and the pranet and Dav sukers and the list is endless but like a lot of countries they’re just not producing that quality of player anymore it’s really really difficult to keep doing so and I I think definitely we saw and we have seen uh problems that they’re having uh in terms of bringing new youngsters through in this tournament and once these other guys go I think we’re going to see a big fall away from this country what was interesting Jules when this draw was made obviously like group of death look at that You’ got Croatia you’ve got Italy you got Spain Albania could very much throw a spanner in the works as well [Music]

WHAT A FINISH! 👏 Croatia vs. Italy FULL REACTION from UEFA Euro Group B play | ESPN FC

Ale Moreno, Julien Laurens and Craig Burley join Dan Thomas on ESPN FC to recap the 1-1 draw between Croatia and Italy in UEFA Euro 2024 Group B play.

0:00 Group B standings
5:42 Will this galvanize Italy?
10:18 End of an era for Croatia?

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