Zaccagni 98th minute equaliser saved Italy from EURO 2024 elimination | OneFootball

Italy would have been eliminated from EURO 2024 at the end of the group stages had Lazio’s Mattia Zaccagni not come up with a 98th minute equaliser against Croatia on Monday night.

The point against Croatia has proved to be crucial for the Azzurri, as Luciano Spalletti’s side would have been knocked into third place in Group B had they lost against Croatia.

Why Zaccagni equaliser was crucial for Italy

Had Zaccagni not equalised in the dying seconds of the game, Italy would have finished the group in third on three points with a goal difference of -1.

Goal difference is the determining factor that would have knocked Italy out, as the four best third placed teams to have qualified for the round of 16 include Slovenia, who went through from Group C on three points with a goal difference of zero, while the Netherlands, Slovakia and Georgia went through from Groups D, E and F respectively, all on four points.

Fortunately, Zaccagni’s goal against Croatia with virtually the last kick of the game means that Italy actually finished the group in second on four points with a goal difference of zero.

The Azzurri will go on to play Switzerland at Berlin’s Olympiastadion in the round of 16 and the winner of that game will progress to face the winner of England vs Slovakia in the quarter-final.