A remarkable 2-2 tie between Albania and Croatia at the 2024 European Championship was achieved by Klaus Gjasula, who scored goals at both ends of the field.
On the other hand, Croatia controlled for significant portions of the second half in Hamburg, despite the fact that Qazim Laci had placed Albania ahead in the early stages of the match and that their advantage at the break was well-deserved.
The comeback was secured by Andrej Kramaric and an own goal scored by Gjasula. However, the drama was far from done as Gjasula scored an own goal while firing it home from within the penalty area in the 95th minute to win his country a point that might save them from elimination from the competition.
Despite the fact that the draw ensures that both countries will continue to compete in the tournament, they will have to face the possibility of defeating Italy and Spain in their remaining Group B matches in order to have a chance of making it to the round of 16.
Ivan Perisic, a seasoned player, was chosen to start at left back for Croatia, with Josko Gvardiol shifting inside and Marin Pongracic falling out of the game. This was the most noteworthy piece of squad news that came out of the Croatian camp.
Armando Broja, a forward for Chelsea, was excluded from the starting lineup for Albania. Instead, Rey Manaj, an attacker for Sivasspor who is known for his ability to score freely, was selected.
In a sun-kissed Hamburg, Croatia dominated the opening exchanges, and Albania was prepared to sit deep. However, the minnows of the competition scored their second early goal of the tournament in the eleventh minute, which was an incredible accomplishment.
During the time when Jasir Asani was out on the right side of the field, he waited for a run from a member of his squad. Laci was the one who took responsibility for the situation, as she ran 25 yards to get in behind Perisic and then glanced an inswinging delivery past the goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic.
Although the structure of the game remained the same, with Albania staying deep and breaking in droves, it was not until the 21st minute that Croatia had a chance to threaten a goal. Marcelo Brozovic fired the ball from a distance, but it went wide of the far post.
In addition, Bruno Petkovic could have performed better with a header from eight yards out, and it almost cost Croatia the game. Albania, on the other hand, squandered a fantastic opportunity at the other end of the field, with Kristjan Asllani somehow failing to beat Livakovic after getting in behind the defense.
Also guilty of failing to double Albania’s lead in the waning moments of the half, Manaj sent a header straight at Livakovic from in front of the goal. This made it impossible for Albania to extend their lead.
Zlatko Dalic did not waste any time in making adjustments to his Croatian team. He made two substitutions after Brozovic and Lovro Majer were removed from the lineup. Luka Sucic and Mario Pasalic were brought in to take their places.
It was inside the first five minutes of the restart that Sucic had the opportunity to score after finding space inside the penalty area; however, goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha was able to maintain his position and deflect his shot away from the danger zone.
As Albania continued to drop deeper and deeper, their attackers, presumably tired from their efforts in the first half, fed on bare scraps. This was the spark for a continuous stretch of pressure from Croatia, which Croatia maintained throughout the match.
It is to Albania’s credit that they answered with brief bursts of attack, which provided their defense with a much-needed break. However, as the game neared its final quarter, Pasalic fired another header over the crossbar at the far post.
In the final sixteen minutes of play, Croatia was eventually able to equalize the score. Kramaric had been unproductive for the majority of the match; nevertheless, on his birthday, the 33-year-old demonstrated the poise that is required in the big moment when it was required. He displayed the composure by wrong-footing an Albanian defender before putting the ball inside the near corner from ten yards out.
Almost immediately after that, Croatia went ahead, which caused Albania’s hearts to break. Following a combination between Kramaric and Ante Budimir, the latter drew the ball back to the area where an Albanian defender hit the ball against the defenseless Gjasula and into the net.
As the game was drawing to a close, it appeared that Croatia was more likely to score a fourth goal of the competition than Albania. This goal effectively knocked the stuffing out of Albania that they had been playing for.
Sylvinho’s side, on the other hand, turned that perception into a laughingstock. Gvardiol had courageously prevented Mirlind Daku from volleying home from very close range, but it only set up Gjasula for his famous moment. The Darmstadt 98 midfielder, who had been introduced as a substitute, swept home from 12 yards. Gjasula’s goal helped Albania collect just their fourth point at a European Championship.
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