Croatia v Italy LIVE: Result and reaction as Azzurri snatch last-gasp equaliser to reach Euro 2024 knockouts plus Spain v Albania latest

And Italy have become the first of the Euro 2024 favourites to go somewhere no other country has ever bothered, tried or thought was worthwhile.

No, it’s not about going all out and overwhelming the opposition, as Germany did in their opening game. It’s not about missing out on a big name or missing out on a top scorer.

Instead, coach Luciano Spalletti switched from a back four and wide forwards for their opening two matches to a 3-5-2 for their deciding Group B match against Croatia, as Italy became the first big-name team to attempt to demonstrate their tactical mastery in several different ways.

Especially against Spain, the wide players had no impact and one of the players who ended up paying the price was Federico Chiesa. Spalletti’s substitutions allowed for two mobile strikers to flourish, Gianluca Scamacca was also on the bench, with Giacomo Raspadori, a key man in the qualifiers, replacing Scamacca and Matteo Darmian starting as the third centre-back.

It went on for an hour and I went into panic mode.

Below is the full Euro 2024 schedule. You can also find daily match dates and times (BST) in text format. More knockout games and reports will be added as the tournament progresses.

Below is the latest list of Euro 2024 results.

Spain: Spain had already topped their group with a 1-0 win over Italy, and after beating Albania they now have maximum points and will face one of the top four third-placed teams on Sunday 30 June at 8pm in Cologne.

Italy: On a dramatic night in Leipzig, the champions denied Croatia with a last-minute equaliser to progress to the last 16, where they will face Switzerland.

Croatia: Luka Modric and his men looked set to win again, but a late goal from Mattia Zaccagni meant they were eliminated. Croatia needed a win but were eliminated from the round of 16. Two points would not be enough to qualify in third place, but if the results of the other groups go in their favour, they might have a chance.

Albania: Albania needed to beat Spain to progress to the knockout stage, but lost 0-1.

Instead, Croatia will almost certainly be eliminated from Euro 2024. A team capable of excelling over the 120 minutes and in a shootout missed a penalty and conceded a goal in the 98th minute. It looked like it was going to be the night of Luka Modric, the greatest player of all time, but instead the spotlight was stolen by a newcomer to such occasions.

Mattia Zaccagni came off the bench, the 29-year-old forward had never scored for Italy, and when he did it was spectacular, with the Lazio winger curling his shot past Dominik Livakovic.

Security guards were sent onto the pitch during the Albania vs Spain match after a young fan ran past security, causing the game to be briefly stopped.

The youngster stepped onto the pitch in Dusseldorf in the 90th minute of a Euro 2024 group stage match.

He was chased by several flashy dressed security personnel before turning towards the Albanian bench and was subsequently captured and taken away.

Despite making 10 changes to their line-up from the previous match, Spain, the favourites to win the match, won 1-0.

Spain finished top of their group and advanced to the knockout stage.

It’s quite a walk from Düsseldorf Central Station to the Merkur Spiel Arena – around 90 minutes in normal times, but with the 27 degree temperature and spring sunshine reflecting off the Rhine’s waters and burning your cheeks, it feels much longer. Still, the long, straight riverside road is picturesque, and on Monday evening, the blue of the Rhine balanced the red of the riverbank as hordes of Albanians and Spaniards made their final journey before the group stage matches.

It will be the Albanians’ final appearance at Euro 2024, but they did not think it was inevitable before kick-off.

Here they were vastly outnumbered by the Spanish supporters, who were jubilant and full of confidence. At the Oberkasseler Bridge crossing near the start of the route, fans who had decided not to walk to the stadium were getting in and out of their cars, the latter singing songs and waving flags, the former honking their horns and with the national coat of arms tied to their bonnets.

Had this indeed been the second match of the night, those watching Italy vs. Croatia might have missed their chance to see the fifth-best team in Euro 2024. That happened to be the No. 2 team in Spanish football, which continued to play more fluidly than virtually any other team in the tournament.

They had many of the same strengths as the top teams, but also the same flaws in finishing. But that didn’t matter here, beating Albania 1-0 and completing a perfect group stage with three wins in a row. They will surely be aiming to become the first European champions to win every game, something that has yet to be achieved in the 16-team format. That’s what Spain should be aiming for.

This is no slight on Albania, who ultimately held on until the very end, knowing they had a chance to stay in the competition but just couldn’t get close enough, eventually dropping to their knees in disappointment but perhaps too much fatigue from chasing passes.

Watch Zaccani’s goal in real time: what a finish!

That means Spain and Italy are guaranteed to advance from Group B, while Croatia will wait nervously to see if they qualify for the next round.

Italy will face Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday 29 June at 5pm BST.

Spain have yet to decide who they will face, but we do know that they will play in Cologne on 30 June at 8pm BST against the third-placed team from Group A, D, E or F.