JAKARTA - Croatia and Albian are both chasing their first point in the Euro 2024 preliminary phase when they meet in the second match of Group B in Volksparks Stadium, Hamburg, Germany, Wednesday, June 19 at 20.00 WIB.
After losing their first match at the weekend, the two teams will automatically try to keep competing in order to get a ticket to the knockout round of the tournament.
Previously in their first match, both of them did not get points. Croatia had to admit Spain's superiority, while Albania was beaten by the defending champions of the competition, Italy.
Croatian gold generation, which is now aging, struggles to perform well against La Furia Roja. They were immediately three goals behind in the first half and could not reply until the game was over.
Meanwhile, Albania had surprised the Azzurri with their quick goal when the game had only been running for 23 seconds, a fastest goal in tournament history. However, two goals after that from defending champions forced them to go home empty-handed from Signal Iduna Park.
Thus, the victory in this second match is very important for both teams. If they lose then their journey in this four-year event could only reach the group stage.
Croatia is actually one of the favorites of this year, which is their seventh appearance in a tournament or sixth in a row. However, the result against Spain cut that prediction.
Although the team nicknamed The Vatreni has never lost in a row in the finals of the same year since Euro 1996, Albania doesn't seem like an opponent to be underestimated when they meet for the first time in international football at senior level.
To keep hopes of advancing to the knockout stages, Luka Modric and his friends must secure at least one point in Hamburg before the reigning champions wait for them in the group's final match.
On paper, Croatia can still be seeded against Albania because of the experience they have. The reason for this opponent is their second appearance at the Euros since becoming an independent country.
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But what Croatia needs to watch out for is Albania's impressive record. The result against Italy was their first competitive defeat since March 2023 or ending seven unbeaten matches in official matches to this event.
After losing the opening match of the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Poland, Albania then advanced without defeat and finished at the top of the group standings in front of the Czech Republic in second place and Poland in third place.
Unfortunately, the draw for Euro 2024 isn't very good for them. The three strong teams that will be reached automatically are a big task for them to even get a point against Croatia and there is still Spain in the group's last game.
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