Euro 2024: Impeccable Spain win group as Italy finish second

Spain scored in the first half to defeat a spirited Albanian side 1-0 in their final Group B match at the 2024 UEFA European Championship. 

Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the encounter held at the Dusseldorf Arena on Monday night.

The much-changed Spanish team barely made it over the line in a match they had more possession of, while Albania threatened to derail the party late.

Torres put Spain ahead in the 13th minute when he met Dani Olmo’s pass with a first-time shot that bounced in off the post to put his nation in a 1-0 lead.

The Albanians put up a spirited display and went close through Kristjan Asllan’s long-range strike and Armand Broja’s late opportunity, but David Raya, Spain’s goalkeeper, thwarted both.

The result meant Spain maintained a flawless record at the tournament, the first nation to win all three group matches at Euro 2024.

La Furia Roja finished with nine points, five ahead of Italy, which also qualified thanks to a last-gasp equalizer in their 1-1 draw with Croatia.

For Croatia, it was heartbreaking and perhaps the end of an era, as they are likely to bow out with only two points from three matches.

The Croats went ahead through Luka Modric, who earlier missed a penalty, but Mattia Zaccagni curled into the back of the net from the edge of the area with virtually the last kick of the match to seal Azzurri’s passage into the knockout phase of the tournament.