Just when you have thought that it's all over, football strikes back to leave you stunned. Either you will shed tears of joy or tears of immense sadness. Football can essay fairytales, football can break hearts into pieces.
Just when Luka Modric and Croatia looked ready for one last dance on the big stage, a beautifully curled equalizer from the Italy substitute Mattia Zaccagni, with virtually the last kick of eight minutes added time, triggered euphoria at Leipzig.
At the other end, the Croatian players on the pitch and Mordic in the dug out started crying. They could not believe what happened despite the efforts on the pitch.
A cruel night for Modric who fired a penalty too close to Gianluigi Donnarumma after the break. Within 33 seconds, though, he had wrought a moment for the record books. In the next attack he thrashed in a rebound to become the oldest player in the tournament to score.
In a straight knockout match, Croatia needed a victory while Italy a draw to advance.
Spalletti - the Italian coach - bore out his promise to shake things and switched to 3-5-2 that turned 5-3-2 while defending Italy remained resilient and the intention was to grab the opponents on the counter.
Croatia started on the front foot and was more skilful and technical. It appeared that Dalic’s players evidently the more practised at working the ball in tight spaces.
Italy were finding space with the occasional quick switch out wide and came closer to open the scoring, but Livakovic showed outstanding reflexes.
After taking the lead, Croatia looked for containment and defended for their lives.
With a few seconds remaining, the Azzuri unit that looked out of sorts, Calafiori salomed down the middle. He slipped a pass wide left for Zaccagni, who had all the spaces to exploit and take the risk.
He cut into the box, opened his body, and steered a glorious power-curler across Livakovic and into the top right - heartbreak for Croatia.
Football, bloody hell!
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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