On June 15th, local time, the first round of matches in Group B of the UEFA European Football Championship, known as the “Group of Death”, took place in Germany. The tournament favorite Spain defeated Croatia 3-0, while defending champion Italy staged a comeback to beat underdog Albania 2-1.
This edition of the Euro Cup features 6 groups, with Group B expected to be the most fiercely contested. Italy won the previous championship, Spain reached the semi-finals in the last Euro Cup, and Croatia has finished in the top three in the last two World Cups. It’s worth noting that in the previous season of the UEFA Nations League, Spain, Croatia, and Italy finished as champions, runners-up, and third respectively. Additionally, these three teams are all ranked in the world’s top ten by FIFA, with Albania being the weakest team at number 66.
In the first match of the “Group of Death,” Spain faced Croatia. The lineup announcement caused a buzz as 16-year-old Spanish talent Yamaar competed on the same field as Croatia’s 38-year-old captain Modric. They respectively play for Barcelona and Real Madrid with a 21-year and 280-day age difference, the biggest age gap between two players in European Championship history.
In terms of overall team strength, there was a noticeable distance between the two sides. Croatia, despite boasting stars like Modric, Kovacic, and Gvardiol, appeared to struggle with Modric’s age catching up to him, whereas Spain’s youthful roster was full of vigor. By halftime, the suspense in the game had already dissipated.
In the 29th minute, Ruiz made a through pass, Morata seized the opportunity and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give Spain a 1-0 lead. Just 3 minutes later, Pedri’s cross from the right was collected by Ruiz, who adjusted and fired a low shot into the net to extend Spain’s lead to 2-0.
During added time in the first half, young star Yamaar delivered a pass from the right side of the box, Carvajal followed up with a shot which went in, helping Spain take a commanding 3-0 lead. This marked the second time in Euro Cup history that players from Barcelona and Real Madrid combined for a goal for Spain, the last time being in the 1964 Euro Cup. Moreover, both players set records for Spain, with 32-year-old Carvajal becoming the oldest Spaniard to score his first Euro Cup goal and Yamaar becoming the youngest player to provide an assist in Spain’s history.
The second half witnessed a tight contest as Croatia pressed for a goal but just couldn’t find the breakthrough. In the 79th minute, a dramatic sequence unfolded. Spain’s goalkeeper Simon made a mistake, giving the ball away to the opponent which led to a foul by Rodri in the box, resulting in a penalty. Typically, a last-man foul would result in a red card for the defender along with a penalty kick, but the ref only showed a yellow card, much to the disappointment of the Croatians.
Subsequently, Petkovic’s penalty was saved by Simon, and Perisic passed the ball to Petkovic who tapped in the rebound. However, the goal was disallowed as the referee ruled Perisic had stepped into the box early. The replay confirmed Perisic’s foot was indeed over the line.
In the end, Spain triumphed over Croatia 3-0, making a strong start to their campaign. Post-match statistics revealed that Spain, known for their possession-based style, only had 47% of the ball possession, a rarity since the 2008 Euro Cup final against Germany where they had less possession in an official match.
Defending champions Italy faced the weakest team in their group, Albania, in their first match. Despite expectations of Italy securing a convincing victory as they had won all five of their previous encounters, they were surprisingly caught off guard as Albania scored just 23 seconds into the game, breaking the record for the fastest goal in Euro Cup history.
With only 23 seconds on the clock, Dimarco’s error in the backline gifted the ball to Bayrami in the box who cleverly made a turn and fired a shot into the bottom corner, giving Albania a dream start with a 1-0 lead and setting a new record for the fastest goal in the Euro Cup history.
However, Italy did not panic after conceding. In the 11th minute, Italy scored an equalizer through Bastoni’s header from Pellegrini’s corner kick into the six-yard box. Five minutes later, Barella scored a powerful shot after Skamaka’s attempt was blocked, putting Italy ahead with a 2-1 lead.
After quickly overturning the deficit, Italy regained control and dominated the game. In the second half, Italy chose to maintain the rhythm and control the game tempo, resulting in a dull affair, while Albania struggled to mount any significant attacks. Ultimately, Italy’s goals from Bastoni and Barella secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Albania, putting them in a favorable position to advance from the group stage.
In the next round of the “Group of Death,” Croatia will face Albania, with the expectation that the “Checkerboard Armies” will secure a victory. Italy, on the other hand, will face the challenge of Spain, the group leaders. The outcome of this match will be crucial in determining the future of Group B.