Croatia vs Italy EURO 2024 Group B Matchday 3 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups

When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA EURO 2024 Group B match between Croatia and Italy.

Croatia vs Italy at a glance

When: Monday 24 June (21:00 CET kick-off) (16:00 Suriname time)
Where: Leipzig Stadium
What: UEFA EURO 2024 Group B Matchday 3

What do you need to know?

Coaches Zlatko Dalić and Luciano Spalletti both have plenty to ponder going into this pivotal Matchday 3 fixture. Croatia have just a point so far after following up their defeat by Group B winners Spain with a 2-2 draw against Albania. Their once parsimonious back line has already been breached five times, and a positive result in Leipzig will require strong defensive foundations.

Bastoni: ‘We want to show what we’re made of’

The Azzurri were also given a fright by Albania in their opening game – conceding inside 23 seconds – before recovering to win 2-1, though the holders had no answer to Spain next time out. Only one team have successfully defended their EURO crown, yet the minimum expectation for Italy is a knockout place and they have work to do. As do Croatia.Who needs what to qualify?

Possible line-ups

Croatia: Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Gvardiol; Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić; Mario Pašalić, Kramarić, Sučić
Misses next match if booked: Ivušić

Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco; Cristante, Jorginho; Barella, Pellegrini, Chiesa; Retegui
Misses next match if booked: Calafiori, Cristante, Donnarumma, Pellegrini

Form guide

Croatia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DLWWWD

Italy:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWWDWW

Expert predictions

Elvir Islamović, Croatia reporter

Croatia have got out of tougher situations. Their slogan – “Best when it’s hardest” – is wholly apt. It didn’t quite gel in the first two matches, but on both occasions things looked better in the second half. Dalić will surely make several changes, possibly leaving out Marcelo Brozović, moving Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić back and playing the talented Luka Sučić in front of them. Dalić must find a way; when the going gets tough, he usually does.

Kovačić ready for decisive Italy test

Paolo Menicucci, Italy reporter

After the positive start against Albania, the reigning champions were brought back down to earth by Spain. Spalletti is expected to make some changes to his starting XI, but most of all he will have to work on his players’ heads as the Azzurri too often appeared frustrated against La Roja. Facing Croatia with the fear of elimination could be a huge mistake. Italy can certainly play better than they did in Gelsenkirchen.

What the coaches say

Zlatko Dalić, Croatia coach: “We haven’t started the tournament well. We have not been at our true level. We are conceding goals too easily. In Qatar [at the 2022 World Cup], we conceded one goal in the group stage, and now we’ve conceded five in two matches. We don’t have Ivan Perišić in the top form he was in in Qatar. Some players are two years older, and we are playing against strong opponents. But I think the main issue is that we have been conceding goals too easily.”

EURO quiz: Croatia

Luciano Spalletti, Italy coach: “Croatia are not only a great team, but they are also very experienced. We’ll have to be switched on to gauge when to speed up the tempo of the game, and when to calm down and control possession. I made a mistake in not making some changes between the first and second games. So this time, I think I need to make some.”

uefa.com

Featured images: Croatia and Italy meet to conclude their UEFA EURO 2024 Group B campaigns on Monday 24 June.