Euro 2024: Croatia faces Italy in crunch survival clash

Spain dominates Group B as Italy and Croatia fight to stay alive in Euro 2024, facing potential early exits.

Group B was dubbed Euro 2024’s ‘Group of Death’ but while Spain soared through with a game to spare, heavyweights Italy and Croatia meet on June 24 fighting to stay in the competition.

Both sides were outclassed by Spain, and while reigning champions Italy edged Albania 2-1, Croatia could only draw 2-2 with the minnows.

It gives Italy the upper hand ahead of their clash in Leipzig, with Croatia’s golden generation at risk of a disappointingly early exit if they fail to win.

Croatia, who reached the 2018 and 2022 World Cup final and semi-final respectively, may make several changes as they scrap for Euros survival.

Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, playing in Saudi Arabia, has come in for criticism after sub-par outings in the first two matches, while Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, 38, has also struggled.

Full-back Ivan Perisic has looked a shadow of himself, still to find his footing after a long injury lay-off.

“It makes me cry when I watch (Modric) on the pitch, he is giving his last atoms of strength... but he is not (the Modric) we are used to seeing,” read one column in Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List.