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Italy Advances to Round of 16 After Last-Minute Goal Against Croatia

Zaccagni's Heroics Secure Draw in Thrilling Match

98th-Minute Goal Sends Italy Through

In a dramatic turn of events, Italy secured a place in the Round of 16 at EURO 2024 after a 98th-minute goal by Mattia Zaccagni earned them a 1-1 draw against Croatia. The thrilling match saw Croatia dominate much of the play, but Italy's resilience paid off in the dying seconds.

Croatia took the lead in the 20th minute when Luka Modric converted a penalty. Italy struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match, but they remained determined. In the 88th minute, Zaccagni replaced Nicolò Zaniolo, and his fresh legs proved to be vital.

With just seconds remaining in stoppage time, Leonardo Spinazzola found Zaccagni in the Croatian box. Zaccagni controlled the pass with his chest and fired a low shot past goalkeeper Dominik Livaković to send the Italian bench into ecstasies. The draw means Italy advances to the next round, while Croatia's hopes of qualifying are now in jeopardy.

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