Not all is not yet lost? 4 conditions for Croatia to qualify for the play-offs

Yesterday, the Croatian national team lost their lead in the eighth minute of added time in their decisive Euro 2024 group stage match against Italy, resulting in Zlatko Dalić's team finishing third in the group.

According to the regulations, finishing third does not automatically mean elimination. Four out of the six third-placed teams will advance to the Round of 16. Croatia has only two points and a goal difference of -3, making advancement nearly impossible but not entirely out of reach.

For Croatia to make it to the Round of 16, four specific conditions must be met in the remaining matches:

• England must defeat Slovenia by a margin of 3 or more goals.
• Turkey must either beat the Czech Republic or play to a goalless draw.
• Portugal must either beat Georgia or play to a goalless draw.
• Denmark must defeat Serbia.

Hungary, which finished third in Group A, has already secured three points and is ahead of Croatia. In Group E, all three teams have three points, ensuring the third place in that group will also be higher. The same situation applies to Group D, where France and the Netherlands have 4 points each, and Austria has 3 points.