Defending champions Italy and World Cup third-place finishers Croatia were holding final preparations on Sunday for their crucial Euro 2024 group match amid elimination fears for either side.
While Italy will advance with a draw after a 2-1 win over Albania and a 1-0 defeat against group winners Spain, Croatia must win because they crashed 3-0 against Spain and were held 1-1 by Albania.
Should Croatia win and Albania upset Spain in the other game Italy would be ousted in what would be another disaster after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups.
"We've spoken a lot to try and understand what we did wrong against Spain. When you lose, you can either let it get you down or try to solve the problems. Fortunately, football always gives you a second chance," coach Luciano Spalletti said in a news conference.
"We will need change our attitude, we will need more intensity and resilience. We will try to be more solid and not risk giving them chances to hurt us. But it won't be easy because there are many ways they can."
Team manager Gianluigi Buffon insisted that "we must not enter the next game with fear" and that "we must regain security and confidence in ourselves."
Defender Alessandro Bastoni, meanwhile, stressed that "fear is a word that I don't like to use when we are talking about football. Fear is for things more important than football."
Spalletti said that defender Federico Dimarco has recovered from his injury and will have further tests, but should be available for Monday's game.
Italy defender Matteo Darmian warned that "Croatia are strong, have experience and many quality players."
The semi-finalists from the last two World Cups and 2023 Nations League runners-up Croatia have however shown little of this so far amid suggestions that the team still led by 38-year-old Luka Modric may be past its prime.
"We are lacking aggressiveness," coach Zlatko Dalic admitted. "Our players are getting older and the outcome of the tournament is totally open."
But he added defiantly: "For us, the knock-outs start now, so let's get on with it."
