VIDEO: Mario Mandzukic misses penalty vs. Italy, opens scoring for Croatia moments later

Madness consumed the opening minutes of Croatia's Euro 2016 qualifier versus Italy.

Playing behind closed doors after Croatia was sanctioned for racist behaviour, crowd disturbances, and the setting off of fireworks and missiles in the reverse fixture, Mario Mandzukic had a chance to put his national team ahead when Niko Kovac's side were awarded a penalty in the seventh minute.

However, Gianluigi Buffon read Mandzukic like a book, denying the Croatian forward with a phenomenal diving save.

Italy then appeared to have opened the scoring in the ninth minute, when Stephan El Shaarawy slotted home a cross inside the six-yard box. But to the disbelief of Antonio Conte's side, the goal was chalked off as El Shaarawy was controversially deemed to have been in an offside position.

When the action returned to the other end of the pitch seconds later, Mandzukic redeemed himself and finally produced the qualifier's opening goal - one-timing a delivery from Ivan Rakitic past Buffon.

Four months had passed since Mandzukic last found the back of the net.