Croatia and Albania are set for a crucial clash on Wednesday at Euro 2024, both needing a win to reignite their campaigns and keep their hopes of progressing alive.
Croatia, despite their illustrious World Cup history, stumbled in their opening match, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Spain. Meanwhile, Albania, making their second appearance at a major tournament, put up a commendable fight against defending champions Italy, taking an early lead before ultimately falling 2-1.
Both teams are desperately seeking points in their second game at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion. A win would either put them in contention for one of the two qualifying spots or bolster their chances of being among the four best third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stage.
Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic is calling for more aggression and speed from his squad, which boasts a mix of seasoned veterans like Luka Modric (38, likely playing in his last major tournament) and promising youngsters like Josko Gvardiol (22). “We know what we’re up against. We have two difficult matches. It’s not over, keep your heads up. Our goal is to advance from the group and we will do our best to achieve that,” Dalic emphasized, acknowledging the do-or-die nature of the game. “Everything is still in our hands, still under our control. We need to be better… It’s up to me to turn things around, point out the flaws and not dwell too much on the Spain match.”
Despite being considered underdogs, Albania topped their qualifying group, beating teams like the Czech Republic and Poland, proving they are not at the tournament merely to make up the numbers. Their Brazilian coach Sylvinho plans to keep his team disciplined before launching attacks against Croatia, employing the same tactic that led to their opening goal against Italy just 23 seconds into the match. “I have seen other sides in this tournament. If you try and go toe-to-toe with them, they will score five or six against you,” he cautioned. “It’s only our second time here in the Euros. We have young players, very good players, but it’s not easy.”
Jasir Asani, Albania’s right-winger, poses the main threat to Croatia in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two nations. The outcome of this clash could significantly impact the future of both teams in Euro 2024, making it a highly anticipated encounter.
