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Mattia Zaccagni, , shattered Croatian dreams and kept Italy's aspirations alive. The second-half substitute, who had never previously scored for the Azzurri, became a national hero with his stunning finish that soared into the top right corner. Italy, the reigning champion, was on the brink of being knocked out as it would've been dependent on other results to scrape through in third place, until rocked the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig to its foundations.

Croatia, who has consistently demonstrated its remarkable comeback abilities at major tournaments, is not officially out yet. But it is unlikely to finish as one of the four best third-placed teams after picking up just two points - and no wins - at Euro 2024. Croatia seemed to have crossed the finish line on Monday after Luka Modric put them ahead - just 30 seconds after missing a penalty.



However, in a heartbreaking twist, this may be the last time we see the Real Madrid wizard wearing a Croatia jersey. Despite being named man of the match, it was a hollow victory as he held back tears, while his crestfallen teammates struggled to rise from the pitch. Italy will now face Switzerland in Berlin on Sunday for a spot in the quarter-finals, despite not having defeated Croatia since 1942.

This feels like the end of an extraordinary era for the team that made it to the World Cup final in 2018 and finished third four years later, following another gallant effort. However, there is still a faint glimmer of hope that Croatia could some.

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