Albania joy in thriller as Croatia's golden era on brink

It whitethorn not person been a win, but for Albania it surely felt for illustration it.

After Klaus Gjasula scored a 95th-minute equaliser successful a 2-2 thriller pinch Croatia, their fans were celebrating nan infinitesimal agelong aft nan last whistle - nan sound of drums could beryllium heard arsenic good arsenic nan overseas firecracker arsenic they made distant from Hamburg's Volksparkstadion.

An early exit from this summer's European Championship successful Germany is still astir apt for Albania, arsenic is nan likelihood they will exit without a win, but they person shown they did not travel present to conscionable dress up nan numbers.

They scored aft 23 seconds against Italy successful their Group B opener, earlier yet losing 2-1, and successful this crippled they again took nan lead, earlier recovering from different turnaround to gain nan draw.

“We are proud," Albania leader Sylvinho said afterwards. "The federation should beryllium proud astir nan consequence and nan performance.

“The players near everything wrong nan pitch. It was astonishing and represents our people."

While they shared nan aforesaid result, nan temper was very different for Croatia.

Just 2 years aft they hit Brazil to scope nan semi-final of nan World Cup successful Qatar, they are facing nan very existent imaginable of exiting this tourney astatine nan group stage.

At nan last whistle, Croatia players dropped to their knees, knowing conscionable really damaging nan rustle will be.

After 2 games successful Group B they person conscionable 1 constituent and must hit Italy successful their last crippled connected Monday to person a chance of progressing.

"The Croatian players were fuming," ex-Premier League footballer Clinton Morrison said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"They cognize they person a reliable crippled against Italy, they person to support believing, but their assemblage connection looks for illustration they are out."

As deserved arsenic nan consequence was for Albania's wished and spirited display, it besides raised questions astir this Croatia team.

Previously, they had been successful a position somewhat akin to nan 1 Albania now finds themselves in.

They were nan underdogs who shocked large sides, though did person immoderate large sanction individuals to thief them spell acold successful awesome tournaments.

At nan World Cup successful 2018 they hit Argentina and England connected their measurement to reaching nan final, past 4 years later they knocked retired Brazil earlier yet finishing third.

Mercurial Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric played astatine some those World Cups, and he is their talisman erstwhile again present successful Germany.

But he is now 38, while different cardinal players from past tournaments specified arsenic Andrej Kramaric and Ivan Perisic are successful their 30s.

Croatia's inability to lucifer Albania's tempo suggests that nan country's cardinal players, considered their aureate generation, could beryllium connected their measurement out.

"The World Cup was 2 years agone and our players are getting older," said Croatia leader Zlatko Dalic.

"But this tourney has shown america that everyone is having a difficult time.

"For Portugal it was difficult for them to get a triumph against Czech Republic and besides for England against Serbia, truthful this tourney is really unfastened and each teams are beautiful equal."

While this consequence and capacity against Albania was disappointing for Croatia, it was a different communicative successful their 3-0 nonaccomplishment successful their opening crippled against Spain.

That crippled was evenly matched, but nan quality was nan Spanish took their chances.

"Football is not thing you tin predict," Croatia guardant Kramaric said.

"They [Spain] had 3 situations and scored 3 goals. If you look astatine nan statistic we had much expected goals than them.

"Sometimes you win, but sometimes you don't return nan extremity chance."

Croatia's business puts them precisely wherever they person been astatine awesome tournaments successful caller years - nan underdogs.

That is what could service them good arsenic they look to support live their hopes of avoiding an early exit by beating Italy.

"We will judge until nan very end," Kramaric added. "We dream to beryllium a spot luckier against Italy.

"Croatia tin ne'er do thing nan easy way, we person proved this galore times.

"We will do our champion to return these 3 points."