Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic rated his players’ first half performance in their 2-2 draw with Albania at Euro 2024 as “very bad”.
Croatia conceded an early goal in the 11th minute with Qazim Laci’s effort separating the two teams in Hamburg for majority of the encounter.
It took the Blazers over 60 minutes to find an equaliser through Andrej Kramaric and moments later, Klaus Gjasula’s own goal turned the game around to put Croatia in front in the 77th minute.
Zlatko Dalic’s men were on the verge of securing their first win in the tournament but a late goal by Gjasula spoilt their celebrations and ensured a share of the spoils for both teams.
“Two completely different. Half time. First half time again. Bad, bad play. We played badly. We took this goal and then we couldn’t do anything,” Dalic said after the game.
“We were very slow. Our opponent was motivated behind a ball, very dangerous in counter attacks. We’ve made a lot of errors, lost many balls and then we were hanging in the end.
“In the second half we played a lot better, a lot better, a lot more decisive. We had our ideas, we knew what to do. We changed some things, and we really had to put everything in to get to 2-1.
“We put everything that we had, and for 45 minutes, opponent couldn’t pass to the centre. And then in the last extra time, we allowed him to come out and, we received this goal.
“The most important thing is that we’re still alive and that this last match, decides everything we have to go for the win against Italy. We always learn everything the hard way.
“In the second half time encouraging, but the first one was really bad.”
Croatia find themselves at the bottom of Group B with just a point after two games and they are in a must-win scenario when they face Italy in their final fixture on Monday, June 24.
