Croatia vs Italy preview, team news, tickets & prediction

A heavyweight Group B clash awaits at the 2024 European Championship when Croatia takes on 2020 Champions Italy in their last group stage match.  

It will be a battle of wits as the first round of Euro 2024 ends with Croatia facing Italy for a shot at advancing into the Round of 16. Croatia are ranked tenth in the world and their opponents are a single place above to depict just how evenly-matched both teams are on paper. 

Croatia are nevertheless undefeated against the Azzurri, with the two legs of their most recent meetings ending in a draw during the Euro 2016 qualifiers. 

There is a massive pedigree behind the Vatreni who have qualified for all but two major tournaments since 1994. They are thus the youngest national team ever to occupy the Top 10 of the World Rankings, having done so in 1998.

Spain knocked out Zlatko Dalić’s side on penalties in the Last 16 of Euro 2020, and they are back after securing their second bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Given their prowess in high-pressure situations, they will undoubtedly be undaunted by being drawn into the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Italy, Spain, and Albania. 

The Checkered Ones began their qualification campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Wales but grabbed the first win in a 2-0 victory over Turkey. UEFA Nations League duty in June saw them defeat the Netherlands 4-2 after extra-time before losing to Spain on penalties in the final. 

Croatia resumed their Euro 2024 qualification journey with wins against Latvia and Armenia but Turkey and Wales dealt them back-to-back defeats. Nevertheless, they overcame the qualification line with victories in the final two games to finish a point behind Turkey on the log. 

They may have been unspectacular during the qualifiers, but Croatia is built for tournament football and thrives in the big games. Croatia must aim higher this term after reaching the quarter-final of the European Championship twice (1996 and 2008).

Indeed, they may have to dislodge one of the tournament’s favorites to advance from this group and there is no more significant scalp than the reigning champions.  

Italy has returned to the stage at which they shone brightly in the summer of 2021, and their run in the qualifiers would be manageable given how they prefer to embrace the underdogs’ tag. 

The Blues advanced in a bruising group containing England and Ukraine despite winning only half of their eight qualifying matches. 

After failing to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup, Italy began the calendar year with one win from their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers. Spain also defeated them in the UEFA Nations League semi-final before they won the bronze medal in an epic clash against the Netherlands. 

Roberto Mancini subsequently resigned and was replaced by Luciano Spalletti who led them to three wins and two draws in the last six games of qualifying. Italy would finish level on 14 points with Ukraine but managed to secure automatic qualification courtesy of a better head-to-head record. 

The Blues can compete under Spalletti but must quickly absorb the manager’s ideas, especially in a very competitive group like theirs. Every point gained would be crucial in the battle for qualification to the knockout stage. 

However, it is pertinent to note that the sole defeat under the former Napoli boss came in a big match against England. 

Match tickets

This match will occur at the 42,000-capacity Leipzig Stadium on Monday, 24 June 2024, with a kick-off set for 7 PM UK time. Fans can purchase match tickets on the UEFA website through a public application window with applications for over 20 million copies.

The quality of players on both sides makes it a must-see game for fans and neutrals alike. There is also the added incentive of this fixture deciding the top three spots in the group, so there is the possibility of high drama in this one. 

Croatia and Italy fans will pour into the stadium in crowds to create a vibrant atmosphere for this big game. Hence, tickets will be in huge demand but official sources may not be able to cater to the overwhelming requests

We advise those still looking for Croatia vs Italy tickets to try their luck on a ticket resale site. 

Team news

Croatia marksman Ivan Perisic suffered a torn ACL and is in a race against time to be fit enough to play at the Euros. Mislav Orsic is also out with a similar injury but the forward is expected to return in early 2024.

Meanwhile, Italy has it worse with Rafael Toloi, Alessio Romagnoli, Riccardo Orsolini, Gianluca Scammacca, Tommaso Pobega and Moise Kean all currently injured. 

Sandro Tonali will surely miss out due to a worldwide ban for breaching betting rules.

Line-ups

Luka Modric is Croatia’s captain, most-capped player and talisman whose influence would again be vital to this team’s fortunes in Germany. He forms part of the best midfield trio on the European continent which is a significant factor behind their expert game-management when the big tournaments kick-off.

Despite the absence of Perisic, Croatia may have found their best-attacking combination in Mario Pašalić and Andrej Kramarić supporting Bruno Petković. 

Croatia: Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Gvardiol, Barišić; Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić; Pašalić, Kramaric, Petković

Italy are aware of the advantages of having a consistent line-up and they must harness that team chemistry in the group stage battles that await. 

Spalletti will be pleased with the balance of his attack and, in particular, the availability of Federico Chiesa. 

Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco; Jorginho, Frattesi, Barella; Zaniolo, Chiesa, Raspadori

Prediction

It will be a tactical masterpiece from the coaches as they look for the small margins to decide this game against experienced campaigners. Given that they both like to dominate the park’s center, that midfield match-up will be worth the ticket prices alone.  

This game would favour the most clinical side on the day, but each can score goals. It promises to be breathless and intriguing. 

Croatia 2-2 Italy