UEFA EURO 2024 – Group B
Croatia……..2
Albania…….2
Volksparkstadion was rocking. The chants from both sets of fans reverberated around the stadium from the moment the teams stepped out of the tunnel.
Having lost their opening group stage matches, both sides knew defeat was no option. And thus, a cagey opening ensued in Hamburg.
Content to slow the tempo, Albania soon became comfortable in possession. And then, almost out of nowhere, Qazim Laçi broke free at the near post to glance in Jasir Asani’s pinpoint delivery from the right. Another quick opening goal for Sylvinho’s men.
Croatia were momentarily shaken, and the Eagles saw their opportunity to go again. This time, Nedim Bajrami darted into the danger zone, but to the relief of Zlatko Dalić, failed to test Dominik Livaković.
Now pressing higher up the pitch, Croatia engineered their first real threat as Marcelo Brozović’s anxious snap-shot flew well wide. Unfazed, Albania continued to push for a second, and in the 31st-minute Livaković was forced to deny Kristjan Asllani.
Despite sitting deep to protect their advantage, Albania breached the Brozović-protected Vatreni back line once more before half-time; however, Livaković dealt with Rey Manaj’s close-range header.
With the interval introduction of Mario Pašalić and Luka Sučić, Croatia produced two decent chances. Thomas Strakosha got a strong hand to Sučić’s powerful shot, before Pašalić fired over.
Dalić’s team were now enjoying their best spell of the game, and as Albania’s energy levels waned, Croatia’s threat increased.
The Vatreni were probing for a chink in the Albanian armour, and eventually, in the 74th minute, their breakthrough came. As Albania switched off, Andrej Kramarić found the bottom corner to restore parity – his first EURO goal on his 33rd birthday. Two minutes later, Croatia struck again, Klaus Gjasula deflecting into his own net amid a goalmouth scramble.
Still turning the screw until the full-time whistle, Croatia’s tremendous second-half performance looked to have secured them all three points. However, in a dramatic twist, Gjasula – who only came on in the 72nd minute – found redemption by driving in a low last-gasp leveller. Both sides duly claimed their first points of EURO 2024.
Line-ups
Croatia: Livaković; Juranović, Šutalo, Gvardiol, Perišić (Sosa 84); Modrić, Brozović (Pašalić 46), Kovačić; Majer (Sučić 46), Petković (Budimir 69), Kramarić (Baturina 84)
Albania: Strakosha; Hysaj, Djimsiti, Ajeti, Mitaj; Asllani, Ramadani (Hoxha 85), Laçi (Gjasula 72); Asani (Seferi 64), Manaj (Daku 85), Bajrami
