Croatia 1-1 Italy analysis: The magic of Modrić
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
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Croatia could not hold on for a win, but Luka Modrić showed in Leizpig on Monday night how brightly his talent still shines at 38.
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A history-making goal to seemingly put Croatia into the last 16, then late heartache. Time will tell whether this was Croatia playmaker Luka Modrić's farewell to the EURO stage, yet if that proves the case, the 38-year-old showed in Leizpig last night how brightly his talent still shines.
With his second-half goal he became the oldest scorer in UEFA European Championship finals history, aged 38 years and 289 days. However, it was the details of his creative work that underlined why he has been one of European football’s finest craftsmen of this century, a guiding light as Croatia reached FIFA World Cup and UEFA Nations League finals.
As this video shows, Modrić’s manipulation of the ball remains sublime. Thanks to the telestrated images, in clip one, we see him scan the scene around him, anticipating the approach of Jorginho and shielding the ball successfully as he carries it infield. Then, with Italy players expecting him to play the ball in one direction, he conjures a line-breaking pass in an entirely different direction for Luka Sučić.
The second clip features more wizardry: with an effortless first touch, he executes an outside-of-the-foot pass to Andrej Kramarić. Any budding young midfielder should look closely at the path of the pass, the ball reaching Kramarić on his back foot, allowing him to play forward right away.
At times, Modrić dropped out to the right and this is where we find him in clip three: with one touch he controls the ball; with the second he flicks a line-breaking pass to Marcelo Brozović, again with the outside of his right foot.
What follows remains to be seen, given that Croatia are stuck on two points in third place in Group B, with four other sections still undecided. Lamenting a second successive added-time equaliser against his team, Modrić said: "Football is a cruel sport, it seems it just wasn't meant to be for us."
The Italian who provided the 98th-minute sucker punch, Mattia Zacagni, celebrated becoming a teenager in the month that Modrić played in the first of his five EUROs in 2008, marking his tournament debut with the winning goal from the penalty spot against Austria. Last night he had a penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma yet recovered to score a minute later and the UEFA technical observers found much to applaud in his performance.
Modrić completed the most passes in the final third (16) and ranked first for Croatia for line-breaking passes (eight). Off the ball, his industry was reflected by six ball recoveries – a total surpassed only by Joško Gvardiol in the Croatia side.
Modrić, 39 in September, looked crestfallen when receiving his Player of the Match award and said "it's not the right time" to discuss what may come next. Yet what is not in doubt is that the sentiment of the Italian journalist who thanked him for all he has given the game will be shared by so many when he does finally exit the international arena.
Analysis at EURO 2024
