Euro 2024: Zaccagni's last-gasp stunner sends Italy through, Spain complete perfect group stage

Mattia Zaccagni rescued Italy with a 98th-minute equalizer as the defending champions booked their spot in Euro 2024's last 16 on Monday with a 1-1 draw in a tense game against Croatia, whose tournament hopes are hanging by a thread.

Luka Modric gave Croatia a 55th-minute lead, moments after missing a penalty. That looked like sending them through before late substitute Zaccagni bent a stunning finish past the despairing dive of Dominik Livakovic into the far corner.

The result left Italy, who next face Switzerland, second in Group B on four points, with Croatia third and waiting to see whether two points will be enough to take them through to the knockout stage as one of the best four third-placed sides.

"We deserved to go through tonight in terms of what we produced out there," Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. "It was hard to make it through this group. Spain are brilliant, Croatia are excellent."

An early Ferran Torres strike gave Spain's second-string side a 1-0 win over Albania on Monday as the three-time champions finished the Euro 2024 group stage with a perfect record and the defeat eliminated their opponents.

Barcelona winger Torres finished off a fine move in the 13th minute in Duesseldorf to puncture the atmosphere in a stadium filled with a majority of noisy Albanian fans.

However, this game was not a cruise for a Spain team showing 10 changes to the side which started their 1-0 victory over Italy four days earlier.

Spain had already secured top spot in Group B, but Albania knew they realistically needed a win to go through and that made for a frantic encounter at times, particularly as they pushed forward in the second half.

Despite their best efforts, Albania go home after picking up only one point and finishing bottom of a difficult section.

It is a regression for them from their debut European Championship appearance in 2016, when they also went out in the first round but did manage to win a game.

"I am proud of the players. We competed against three great sides," insisted Albania's Brazilian coach, Sylvinho.

"The experience for us and for the country was amazing. The players gave everything and will remember this for the rest of their lives."

Beating a Spain side who have probably been the most impressive so far in Germany was always going to be a big ask for them.

It is the first time since 2008 that Spain have won all three group games at either a World Cup or European Championship.

"We are forging our own path," said Torres, scorer of 20 goals in 44 appearances for his country, when asked to compare this Spain team to the side that won the title in 2008.

"We are working very well together. We are like a big family. Now we are through to the last 16 and we are just going one game at a time, but why shouldn't we have big dreams."

(With input from AFP, Reuters)