Switzerland will face Italy in the round of 16 of the Euro on Saturday in Berlin. A goal from Mattia Zaccagni at the very end of the match allowed the Nazionale to snatch a draw against Croatia on Monday (1-1).
The Lazio Rome player, who came on in the 81st minute, found Dominik Livakovic’s top corner at the end of added time with a right-footed shot (98th). A goal which destroyed Croatia’s hopes of qualification.
The Nati should not have any complexes against this Italian team that it had held in check in Rome in November 2021 (1-1) and was ahead in the race to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. This Nazionale does not display in besides not the same quality which allowed her to become European champion during the last edition, a few days after having largely dominated Yakin’s troops in the group stage (3-0).
Donnarumma as an asset
As against Spain a few days earlier, the selection of Luciano Spalletti indeed had all the difficulty in the world to appear dangerous in Leipzig. Only a header from his defender Alessandro Bastoni worried Livakovic (27th) before the stroke of genius from the savior Zaccagni.
In the meantime, the Croats thought they had done the hard part thanks to a goal from Luka Modric (55th), a minute after Donnarumma stopped a penalty taken by the 2018 Ballon d’Or. The Italian goalkeeper will be the main asset of the Squadra Azzurra against Switzerland. However, he will have to do without his defender Riccardo Calafiori, who will be suspended on Saturday, just like Silvan Widmer, scorer in the last duel between the Swiss and the Transalpines.
Three out of three for Spain
Already assured of first place in Group B, Spain for its part did the job by destroying Albania’s slim hopes of qualification. Luis de la Fuente’s La Roja, who made a total of ten (!) changes for this third match, only needed a goal from Ferran Torres in the first period (13th) to win 1- 0.
/ATS
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