EURO 2024: Albania, Croatia settle for draw after rare Gjasula feat
Albania and Croatia settled for a draw after a rare Klaus Gjasula feat saw him score for both teams in their EURO 2024 Group B matchup.
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ALBANIA, CROATIA SETTLE FOR DRAW IN EURO 2024 THRILLER AFTER GJASULA EXPLOITS
Balkan teams Albania and Croatia ended in a draw after Gjasula made the rare feat of scoring for both squads on Wednesday.
Qazim Laci scored first for Albania in the 11th minute before Andrej Kramaric tied it for Croatia in the 74th minute.
Gjasula’s own goal in the 76th minute gave Croatia a 2-1 lead.
However, the Albania substitute would redeem himself by converting on a low shot in the 95th minute to tie it.
The match generated loud cheers at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany, between red-clad Albania fans and spectators in Croatia’s checkered shirt.
However, the result would make it difficult for both teams to advance beyond the group stage of the tournament.
GJASULA, ALBANIA PROUD OF TEAM’S PERFORMANCE DESPITE OUTCOME
Gjasula and the Albanian squad celebrated the most, as they were proud of the team’s performance despite the outcome.
“My first minutes on the pitch were very, very difficult for me not only for the own goal but also other situations,” Gjasula said.
“Then God wanted and gave me the opportunity to score. A very beautiful, historic day for me,” he added.
Albania coach Sylvinho lauded his players as his team is playing only its second European Championship.
“It was amazing. I will remember this game all my life,” he said.
The third-place Albanians are ahead of Croatia on goal difference after the match.
KRAMARIC, CROATIA DISAPPOINTED AFTER ALLOWING LATE GJASULA GOAL
Kramaric, Luka Modric, and their teammates were disappointed after their squad yielded Gjasula’s late goal.
“We would have been a lot happier if we hadn’t conceded the last goal. The situation would have been totally different,” Kramaric said.
“We turned the match and we should have won. But that’s football,” he added.
Croatia nearly faced a bigger deficit if not for goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic blocking a shot by Kristjan Asllani.
Livakovic also foiled a header from Rey Manaj that kept it Albania up 1-0 at halftime.
Kamaric’s shot just inside the post tied it for Croatia after the break.
Gjasula was unlucky when Albania tried to clear the ball from the penalty area.
However, the ball bounced off him and into the net, as he tallied the fourth own goal of the tournament.
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