EURO 2024
Gjasula snatches point for Albania
Darmstadt midfielder Klaus Gjasula scored in the 94th minute to snatch a point for Albania as they drew 2-2 with Croatia in their 2024 UEFA European Championship Group B clash.
Croatia 2-2 Albania
Goals: 0-1 Laçi 11' (assist: Asani), 1-1 Kramarić 74' (assist: Budimir), 1-2 Gjasula 76' (own goal), 2-2 Gjasula 90'+5
After suffering defeats in their respective group-stage openers, both teams needed the win to have a realistic chance of progressing. Croatia, having been on the end of a 3-0 loss to Spain, were in the worse position due to their poor goal difference, but it was their opponents who had the better of the first half. Albania weren't quite able to match their goal against Italy, which was the quickest in this tournament's history, but they were still in front inside 15 minutes through Qazim Laçi's header. Had it not been for Dominik Livaković's save towards the end of the opening period, Rey Manaj would have sent his team into the break two to the good. Wolfsburg's Lovro Majer was replaced at the interval, but Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramarić and Union Berlin's Josip Juranović remained as the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists cranked up the pressure. And the former ultimately netted the equaliser with a low drive inside the box. It took fewer than 60 seconds for Croatia to complete the turnaround, albeit fortuitously as Darmstadt midfielder Gjasula inadvertently put into his own net. The moment's villain, though, atoned for his earlier error deep into stoppage time, stroking into the back of the net from inside the box. In their quest to reach the next stage of the tournament for the first time, Albania face Spain, while Croatia play Italy.
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