The race for the round of 16 of Euro 2024 continues and the final table will continue to take shape on Monday, with the conclusion of group B, which risks being fatal to Croatia or Italy and who will say if the Spain confirms its superb start to the tournament.
Sunday evening, Germany equalized in the last moments against Switzerland (1-1) and thus won first place in group A. Which, paradoxically, is perhaps not a gift for the host country .
Because this places the Mannschaft in a very tough part of the final table, where it finds itself with Spain and Portugal, the two teams having given the best impression so far.
Didier Deschamps’ French team has been warned: to avoid this minefield and slip into the half of the table which seems more welcoming, it will be necessary to finish at the top of group D.
While waiting for the Blues’ match on Tuesday, a first big piece could leave the Euro on Monday, at the end of a duel between Luka Modric’s Croatia and Italy, title holder, in the Group B report.
Aging and lacking in efficiency, the team in the checkered jersey is in difficulty after having foundered against Spain (3-0) and with only one point taken against Albania (2-2).
“A second chance”
Finalists of the 2018 World Cup, third again in 2022 in Qatar, Modric (38 years old) and his team traditionally have more difficulty at the Euro. But in 2016 as in 2021, they had at least reached the round of 16.
To achieve it again in Germany, the Croatians will likely have to beat Italy on Monday. A defeat would eliminate them for sure and a draw would most likely not be enough.
Italy, the title holder, for its part was able to see during the previous match against Spain, ultra-dominant despite a close score (1-0), that it was for the moment very far from the score in the collective plan.
“We talked to analyze what happened. When you lose, you either sink or you look for motivation to do better. Football always gives you a second chance,” Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni said on Sunday.
“It’s clear that after a match like this, there is the idea of changing something,” recognized his coach Luciano Spalletti.
Faced with a terrible shortage of valuable offensive elements, the former coach of Naples and Inter Milan is also still looking for the right solution up front and could launch Mateo Retegui, among other changes.
Serene Spain
But the Nazionale is not in a very bad position, thanks to its initial victory against Albania, and a single point on Monday in Leipzig against the Croatians would be enough for it to reach the round of 16.
“We don’t want to think like that, it doesn’t interest us,” nevertheless assured midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini. “It didn’t show against Spain but we represent Italy, our people, and that must push us to do more,” added the AS Roma player.
In the second match of the day, Spain will be perfectly calm against Albania in Düsseldorf. Driven by the youth and speed of its wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, La Roja is in fact already qualified and certain to finish in first place in group B.
Coach Luis de la Fuente could therefore rotate his squad a little. “There are plenty of challenges tomorrow: prestige, recognition, continuing to improve. We are going to approach the match like the previous ones, with a game plan that we consider to be the best for this match, thinking only about winning,” he still warned.
For this important match, Albania, which can still qualify, will have to do without its striker Mirlind Daku, suspended for two matches after being filmed shouting insulting chants towards North Macedonia after the match against Croatia.
