Euro cup 2012 Result – Italy 1 – 1 Croatia

The game started of with few chances and both teams seemed to settle into the game without really creating many chances. Their wasn’t many chances in the first 20 minutes with both teams feeling there way into the game.

Not much happens until the first goal and what a good goal it was Italian Pirlo bends in one of his trademark free-kick to put the Italians ahead. Croatia dont really look like their competing in this game with Italy controlling the game and probing for a second goal before the half time whistle goes.

The second half started with croatia coming out of the blocks, they dont look like the same team that played in the first half with Modric playing in a different role further up the pitch.

The mid part of the second half the game ebbs and flows with both teams doing well when Croatia’s Mandzukic scores and excellent finish striking the ball from just over two yards out from a really tight angle, hitting the goal post as he scores, Buffon had no chance.

After the goal Italy came more into the game but there is no real tempo to the play, with many fouls being given and a few interruptions to the game due to the Croatian fans lighting flares and throwing them onto the pitch cause a smoke cloud to form on the pitch. The game has to be stopped for a few minutes to allow the smoke to lift enough for play to resume.

Croatia look like the team that are more likely to win with the team putting together some really good passing moves and a few good chances on goal. Mandzukic the goal scorer is still giving the Italian defence a torrid time even in the dying moments of the match. There is 5 minutes of extra time after the flare incidents.

Towards the end of the game Croatia seemed to be trying to force a winner as they take control of they match. They clearly want to get the qualification over and done with. The goal scorer Mandzukic is taken off minutes before the end through injury, the last thing that the Croatians will want to see. The game ends 1 – 1

The referee was Howard Webb from England and the highly rated referee had a decent match.