Zaccagni's Last-Minute Goal Breaks Croatian Hearts
Italy Finish Second in Group B, Croatia Crash Out
Mattia Zaccagni's 94th-minute equalizer stunned Croatia and sent Italy into the knockout stages of the European Championship on Tuesday.
The defending champions were trailing 1-0 to Croatia and on the verge of elimination when Zaccagni pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box and fired home. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Italian players and fans, while the Croatian players were left heartbroken.
Italy finished second in Group B behind Spain, while Croatia finished third and crashed out of the tournament. Croatia needed to win by at least two goals to qualify for the knockout stages, but they were unable to find the back of the net after Mario Pasalic gave them the lead in the 67th minute.
Italy will now face second-place finishers from Group A in the knockout stages, while Croatia will head home disappointed.
Conclusion
Zaccagni's late goal was a cruel blow for Croatia, who had fought valiantly throughout the match. But it was a moment of brilliance from the Italian forward that ultimately decided the game and kept Italy's hopes of retaining their European Championship title alive.
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