Croatia v Italy LIVE: Result and reaction as Azzurri snatch last-gasp equaliser to reach Euro 2024 knockouts plus Spain v Albania latest

And so Italy grew to become the primary workforce to go the place no different nation among the many favourites at Euro 2024 have bothered, or dared, or thought worthwhile, thus far.

No, not to go all-out-attack and wipe the ground with an opponent – Germany did that on the opening night time. Not to drop a giant title, both, or to omit a number one goalscorer.

Instead, Luciano Spalletti ensured the Azzurri had been the primary of the massive weapons to try to present their tactical proficiency in multiple distinct form, altering their set-up from a again 4 and vast forwards within the opening two fixtures to line up 3-5-2 towards Croatia of their decisive Group B encounter.

Against Spain particularly, their vast gamers had failed to have any sort of impression and Federico Chiesa was a kind of to pay the value, making manner as Spalletti’s alterations noticed a roving two-man strikeforce come into play, Gianluca Scamacca additionally pulled into bench responsibility, key man from the qualifying marketing campaign Giacomo Raspadori changing him and Matteo Darmian beginning as a 3rd central defender.

It lasted an hour, earlier than panic mode set in.

If hosts Germany and Euro 2024 will miss the Tartan Army and the environment the travelling followers introduced to the event, the identical can’t be stated of Scotland on the pitch. If three video games introduced one level and an early exit, the identical as three years in the past at Euro 2020, Scotland can hardly faux to be exhausting carried out by. Their 17 pictures at Euro 2024 is the joint-lowest ever recorded in a bunch stage – solely Northern Ireland, in 2016, confirmed much less attacking risk and even they managed what Scotland couldn’t and reached the knockouts.

And so the worry earlier than the event that Scotland didn’t have sufficient objectives within the facet proved right, as an absence of creativity and attacking ambition grew to become brutally obvious. In a must-win sport towards Hungary, Scotland failed to have a shot till the hour. Holding out for one second – on this case, interesting for a penalty as Stuart Armstrong went to floor within the field together with Hungary’s Willi Orban – was a big gamble Clarke took. And it defined Scotland’s passive begin. “It was a one-goal game,” he stated. For him, it hinged on a “100 per cent” penalty.

As Harry Kane was speaking concerning the pressures concerned in carrying one shirt, he was supplied one other. Playing for England brings strain, duty and criticism. The escape route was supplied by an enterprising reporter from native German tv, inviting Kane to play for seventh-tier SG Lauscha/Neuhaus. The supply included free bratwurst, he stated, sufficiently assured to convey a shirt with the striker’s title on it whereas brandishing a contract. “I’ll have to talk to my agent and see what we can do,” smiled Kane.

The harsher phrases had been reserved for the one different Englishman to win the Golden Boot within the World Cup. Gary Lineker had branded England’s efficiency towards Denmark “s**t” on a podcast. “The bottom line is we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that and they know how tough it is,” countered Kane.“All I would say is remember what it is like to wear the shirt and that their words are listened to. I am sure they want us to win a major tournament and being as helpful as they can and building the lads up with confidence would be a much better way of going about it. I’m not telling people not to do their job, it’s their job to analyse games and players. There will be games where I get stick or other players will get stick. Maybe when I’m 40 or 50, I’ll be on one of those shows trying to dig players out – I hope I’m not.”

England play their third and last group stage sport at Euro 2024 on Tuesday, understanding that they nonetheless require a optimistic outcome to guarantee they high Group C after a stuttering marketing campaign thus far.

The Three Lions beat Serbia in nervy trend first day trip, then had been considerably lucky to draw with Denmark to high the group heading into their final fixture towards Slovenia – and obtained loads of criticism within the course of.

Gareth Southgate appears set to shuffle the pack, at the very least in midfield, in quest of a successful line-up for England to not solely safe first place and their spherical of 16 spot, but additionally some confidence and a bit of extra cohesion as they transfer by means of the event.

There are additionally query marks over the vast forwards within the line-up and probably at left-back, the nearer Luke Shaw will get to full health.

Here’s every thing you want to know forward of the sport together with all of the latest workforce information.

Turning our consideration to tomorrow’s very important England sport…

Gareth Southgate is assured England will ship an improved efficiency towards Slovenia as the Euro 2024 hopefuls look to high their group following days of scrutiny and criticism.

An unconvincing 1-0 victory towards Serbia of their Group C opener was compounded by arguably their worst main event show beneath the previous defender.

England had been lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw towards Denmark on Thursday, main to widespread examination and evaluation of a workforce that has hit again at ex-players in latest days.

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have been among the many most vocal critics and Southgate, who claims to be “oblivious” about such feedback, says it’s time the Euro 2020 runners-up do their speaking on the sector.

“We have had time on the training pitch and plenty of discussions with the players,” the England supervisor stated on the eve of Tuesday’s group finale towards Slovenia.

Europe’s greatest strikers are vying for particular person honours as effectively as workforce success as they intention to high the scoring charts at Euro 2024.

Footballing greats such as Antonie Griezmann, Fernando Torres, Alan Shearer and Gerd Muller are amongst those that have received the distinguished prize all through the historical past of the Euros and the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Jamal Musiala and Romelu Lukaku are hoping to be a part of them this time round.

Some gamers have gotten off to a quick begin however others have nonetheless received loads of work to do so as to problem on the high of the standings as we advance by means of the ultimate spherical of group video games and the knockout stage.

Zinedine Zidane didn’t get this earlier than dominating Euro 2000, when he was 28. Despite that hole, Musiala is being seen in related phrases to the French nice then, at the very least as far as a person European Championships goes. That is as the potential participant of the event.

While the favourites all appeared fallible coming into this European Championship, they have off to robust begins throughout the board. Germany had been most spectacular of all and thumped Scotland within the event’s curtain-raiser in Munich to ship out a sign that the hosts are a severe prospect, powered by the expertise of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.

Here, we assess how each Euro 2024 nation stacks up after the primary spherical of group video games (this text can be up to date after every spherical of matches).

Below is the complete schedule for Euro 2024. You may see day-by-day fixtures and occasions (BST) in textual content type, with the knockout video games and studies to be included as the event progresses.

Here’s an up to date checklist of the outcomes at Euro 2024 then.