Pressed by the score, defeated in their debut in the Euro Cup, Croatia and Albania fought a heartbreaking match in their unprecedented meeting in Hamburg. The two refused to lose and did not know how to win a match whose draw leaves Croatia very damaged waiting for its last match against Italy. The depth of the squad, personified in Budimir, was not enough for them to claim victory after overcoming an initial goal from Albania. Sylvinho’s team rebelled not to repeat the clash against Italy, a day in which they also took the lead very early on the scoreboard, and reached 2-2 in added time, after an exercise of courage and football solidarity in line with the enthusiasm of the fans deployed in Germany.
2
Dominik Livakovic, Josip Juranovic, Ivan Perisic, Josko Gvardiol, Josip Sutalo, Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Bruno Petkovic, Lovro Majer, Andrej Kramaric, Mario Pasalic (Marcelo Brozovic, min. 45), Luka Sucic (Lovro Majer, min. 45), Ante Budimir (Bruno Petkovic, min. 68), Borna Sosa (Ivan Perisic, min. 83) and Martin Baturina (Andrej Kramaric, min. 84)
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Thomas Strakosha, Berat Djimsiti, Mario Mitaj, Elseid Hysaj, Arlind Ajeti, Nedim Bajrami, Ylber Ramadani, Kristjan Asllani, Jasir Asani, Qazim Laçi, Rey Manaj, Taulant Seferi (Jasir Asani, min. 63), Klaus Gjasula (Qazim Laçi, min. 72), Arbër Hoxha (Ylber Ramadani, min. 84) and Mirlind Daku (Rey Manaj, min. 84)
Goals
0-1 min. 10: Qazim Laci. 1-1 min. 73: Kramaric. 2-1 min. 75: Klaus Gjasula. 2-2 min. 94: Klaus Gjasula
Referee François Letexier
Hysaj (min. 75), Ivica Ivusic (min. 86), Mirlind Daku (min. 92), Klaus Gjasula (min. 96)
Still stunned by the 3-0 defeat against Spain, Croatia was lost for a long time on the Volksparkstadion field. The team did not respond to Dalic’s changes and he was a simple spectator of Albania’s enthusiasm. Modric could not find the passing line, Perisic did not go deep either and that defense so admired in the qualifying phase conceded one more goal – the fourth in the tournament – shortly after the start of the match, when Laçi headed in unopposed a cross from the right of Asani. The play endorsed the solidarity and intense football of the Albanians and denounced the parsimony of Croatia. The chain of errors by the Balkans, as slow as they were widespread, culminated in Livakovic’s mistake.
The goalkeeper was too soft against Laçi and on the contrary supported his team after intervening decisively in two very candid shots, one from Asllani in an action that began with a loss by Modric and the second from Manaj, a forward who has made a fortune in Turkey after his time at Granada, Albacete and Barça B. Manaj’s movements disorganized the Croatian defense and generated the best chances for Sylvinho’s squad. Albania closed in on their court from 1-0 down and from time to time launched a counterattack that had more venom than the offense of Modric’s team. Croatian football was too slow, clumsy on the inside and predictable on the outside, with no options for the last pass and shot against Strakosha.
The goalkeeper arrived at half-time without having received a shot between the three sticks, practically unprecedented until the 49th minute, when the changes reactivated Croatia and Sucic demanded Strakosha. Dalic did not stop moving the bench, he ordered the lines to be advanced, possession was no longer innocuous and the openings on the sides began to be more damaging to Albania’s containment system. The entry into the field of Budimir, Osasuna’s striker, was decisive because Croatia turned the score around in the blink of an eye with goals from Kramaric and the 2-1 own goal from Gjasula. Opening the match, the trade in the Budimir area marked the differences until Gjasula’s self-love rescued the irreducible Albania.
The midfielder hooked a ball won by Hoxha and once again left the game as it was—tied—when he entered the field, unlucky at 1-2 and excellent in the shot at 2-2 that surprised Lovakovic. The Croats entrusted themselves to their goalkeeper since they declared the game won early with two plays that excessively penalized Albania’s effort and faith. The Croats are not stabilizing, deranged by the effectiveness of the Spanish and awaiting their appointment against Italy, while Albania does not give up, hooked like a limpet on the Euro Cup before facing Spain. It was enough to see the final image of the dejected Modric to gauge the impact of a result that threatens to put an end to a golden era of football in Croatia.
Excellent in the last two World Cups, runners-up in Russia and semi-finalists in Qatar, Dalic’s team does not know how to play the European Championship.
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