In the early hours of June 25th, Italy will face Croatia in the final round of the European Championship group stage. The defending champions face a crucial battle to decide their qualification fate. Ahead of the game, Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti attended a press conference, revealing possible tactical changes and the team’s current state.
In the last round against Spain, Spalletti used the same starting lineup that won against Albania, but he had used up all five substitutions by the 64th minute. Spalletti believes that despite the painful loss, adjustments must be made quickly in major tournaments, and he is confident that his team can bounce back in the final group stage game.
Spalletti said: “After losing to Spain, I considered changing formations. I may have made a mistake by not adjusting our lineup quickly, as I thought making changes would be a risk. Of course, we’ve also seen the recent public opinion. When tactics stop working, we will definitely make changes.”
Besides Spain, who have won both their matches, the other three teams in Group B still have a chance to qualify. Spalletti knows that only a win will secure Italy a place in the knockout stage, and the consequences of a loss could be devastating. Spalletti said: “Some games ultimately decide whether this journey is a great story or a forgotten one, it depends on these crucial games. Our intentions were not shown in the game against Spain, now we need to prove everything again with action. As I said before, besides tactical mistakes, our attitude against Spain was wrong. I think the key to winning this match depends on whether we can control the game, because the more the ball is at your feet, the more confident you will be. So against Croatia, the more we have possession, the better.”
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