Euro 2024 Group B: Spain - Croatia - Italy - Albania

[Firnen]

We got the 1st group where the 3rd placed team won't make it I believe.

UNLESS Italy beats Spain and fields a B team against Croatia.

[Greyn]

2-2 Albania, they're taking Croatia out with them?

They can travel back home by one plane. From Germany to Zagreb and then to Tirana. Lower costs.

[matt]

A draw in this game is the worst result for Italy. Croatia must now win against Italy, a draw good for both is not a scenario anymore. Albania might find a non-motivated Spain.

Who knows though, maybe Spain won't win tomorrow.

[Firnen]

A draw in this game is the worst result for Italy. Croatia must now win against Italy, a draw good for both is not a scenario anymore. Albania might find a non-motivated Spain.

Who knows though, maybe Spain won't win tomorrow.

Why do you think Italy will lose to Spain?

[MercedesBenz240]

I think my heart almost gave up.... What a match!!

[matt]

A draw in this game is the worst result for Italy. Croatia must now win against Italy, a draw good for both is not a scenario anymore. Albania might find a non-motivated Spain.

Who knows though, maybe Spain won't win tomorrow.

Why do you think Italy will lose to Spain?

I'm considering the worst scenario. I'm curious to see Italy against a top country, i find really hard to make a prediction, also because i didn't watch Spain against Croatia.

[rpo.castro]

I think Spain will win or get a draw against Italy, but who would say that Croatia would draw Albania or Belgium lose?

[fabiomh]

I don't think this is true in the UK where you still see lots of youngsters playing football, formal and informal.

Meanwhile, last season in the EFL there were record-breaking attendances (the Championship is now the second highest attended league in Europe behind the EPL).

You are making an excellent point here, there are different kind of popularity for football in a country, more or less active:

• 1. Teaching football

• 2. Playing formally

• 3. Playing informally

• 4. To be a referee

• 5. Watching it in a stadium

• 6. Watching it on TV

• 7. Talking about it

I have not data and statistics to show,I talk from what I see and I know, and this about Italy.

1. Like @fabiomh already pointed out, the investments of top Serie A sides in academies after the Bosman ruling were drastically reduced. For instance, while in England even Manchester City has a Foden (and perhaps others) coming from the club academy, in Serie A none of the top clubs really relies on the academy anymore to build up the top level team: it is somehow cheaper to buy youngsters from Africa for example.

2. Compared to the past, a lower percentage of athletes formally plays football, and an higher percentage plays other sports.

3. Compared to the past, a lower percentage of kids and youngsters informally plays football (like in a park or renting an indoor pitch).

4. Honestly, I don't know for sure, but now I am curious about it.

5. AFAIK, except for maybe Juventus at home, and big events (derbies and such), the stadiums are difficult to fill up.

6. Lots of people buys TV contracts to watch football on TV, so well this still very popular, and no other sport comes even close.

7. If I am here...

Agree at ....86%
About topic 5., I noticed that this was true 5-10 years ago. As far as I watched on TV, stadiums were difficult to fill up (BTW this was not nice to see on TV too)
Now, after pandemic, it is really hard find tickets for Serie A football matches too as well as for the music concerts, unless you buy them in the early moments.

A personal recent experience, I wanted to go to San Siro and attend Milan-Salernitana, last MD, an useless match vs a relegated team in the last position. Milan was already sure of 2nd place. No motivation for both teams.
There were very few tickets available one week in advance and they were either too expensive or for the worst sits.
At the end of the day I decided that it wasn't worth it.

[offside]

About topic 5., I noticed that this was true 5-10 years ago. As far as I watched on TV, stadiums were difficult to fill up (BTW this was not nice to see on TV too)
Now, after pandemic, it is really hard find tickets for Serie A football matches too as well as for the music concerts, unless you buy them in the early moments.

Yes, true, in these last years watching Serie A matches in a stadium gained some appeal again, but I think that compared to the late '80 and '90 to fill up San Siro for a match of AC Milan is harder today. Of course, it was another AC Milan...

[babaluj1]

A draw in this game is the worst result for Italy. Croatia must now win against Italy, a draw good for both is not a scenario anymore. Albania might find a non-motivated Spain.

Who knows though, maybe Spain won't win tomorrow.

Why do you think Italy will lose to Spain?

Today, Croatia is a limited national team and has no chance of winning against the A national team of Italy. The defense has never been worse in the last 20 years, defensive midfielder Brozović plays recreational football in Saudi Arabia, and the stopper couple is a disaster, Šutalo has been a difficult hole all season in Ajax, Gvardiol very bad in both games, totally out of shape.
Modrić does not have the strength for more than half an hour of play, the only one of the midfielders who plays at the level is Kovačić.
The first half against Albania is probably the worst played half in a major competition ever. An idealess attack without real wings and without a real centre-forward, 4 Croatian players collide in front of the Albanian penalty area (Kovačić, Majer, Petković and Kramarić), and there is no one in the penalty area and on the wings. Totally failed tactics!
The only chance for Croatia to pass the group is Italy's victory over Spain, and then Croatia possibly defeating Italy B in the decisive match.

[Dragonite]

Another game where Croatia "won" in all the secondary stats, except the only numbers that really matter.

More shots (21-15), more shots on goal (9-7), more corner kicks (3-1), more ball possession (65%-35%), more xG (2.6-1.4).

Having 1 point after round 2 is nothing new for them, they were exactly in the same situation in Euro 2020. They also started with a defeat (0-1 against England) followed by a draw (1-1 against Czechia) and then they won their third game and advanced (3-1 against Scotland). Let's see if they'll do it again, this time against Italy.

By the way, in the 2006 World Cup they also started with a defeat (0-1 against Brazil) followed by a draw (0-0 against Japan), and then they couldn't win their third match (2-2 against Australia) and were eliminated.

[Greyn]

By the way, in the 2006 World Cup they also started with a defeat (0-1 against Brazil) followed by a draw (0-0 against Japan), and then they couldn't win their third match (2-2 against Australia) and were eliminated.

Legendary match Croatia - Australia when Josip Simunić was probably first ever player in the history or World Cup Finals who was allowed to stay on the pitch after receiving 2 yellow cards and eventually was sent off after the 3rd one.

[Komiti Melb]

Albanian striker Mirlind Daku has landed himself in hot water after footage emerged of him holding a megaphone and shouting derogatory chants in Albanian, translated into English as 'f*** Macedonia.

Will be interesting to see if he just gets away with a fine or if UEFA will suspend him for their crucial final fixture against Spain. If the later, he'd be kicking himself as he gives them something different off the bench, especially if they are in need of a crucial goal.

[Dragonite]

defensive midfielder Brozović plays recreational football in Saudi Arabia

You're mixing Brozovic and Perisic.

Perisic is the one that plays recreational football.

Brozovic plays for AFC CL quarterfinalist Al Nassr. The only match that they lost was precisely one where he didn't play.

[Dragonite]

Spain with 1 change compared with their previous match:
Laporte instead of Nacho

Italy with no changes compared with their previous match.