Report - Spain 0 - 0 Italy (Spain win 4-2 on penalties)
To every country their tactic, that is part of the beauty of football. Each side must play to their own strengths to give themselves the best chance of winning the game. For Italy, in this game, this meant defending in numbers, nullifying the threat of the more skillful Spanish side and hoping for either a breakaway goal to win the game, or the inevitable penalty shoot out.
As it turned out, the latter was the result, but Italy were ruined by their own tactics, and Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who saved Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale's penalties to end Spain's long penalty jinx and send them through to a semi final showdown against Russia.
The game itself was a terrible one, largely ruined by a combination of Italian tactics and Spanish cautiousness. For the whole of the first half, it was difficult to recall a chance for either side, save for a low shot from David Villa which was comfortably saved by Gigi Buffon in the Italy goal, and a chance for David Silva that slipped inches wide after good work from Fernando Torres.
In the second half, Mauro Camorinesi had a rare chance for Italy, as the Spanish defence momentarily panicked and the Italian player saw his shot saved by the legs of Iker Casillas. And there was a nervy moment at the other end, when a long shot from Marcos Senna went straight through him, and he was fortunate to see the ball bounce back off the post.
Into extra time then, and as Italy continued to stifle, Spain continued to get frustrated. Silva shot wide with the best chance of the period, while both Di Natale and Luca Toni headed over for the Italians.
But it was all for naught, and so to penalties. Spain had been knocked out of the World Cup in 1986 and 2002, and the European Championships in 1996 on penalties, and all on the 22nd of June, but after David Villa and Fabio Grosso had scored, and Santi Cazorla had made it 2-1 to Spain, De Rossi saw his penalty saved by Casillas. Senna and Camorinesi both scored their kicks, yet the game was kept alive when Buffon saved Guiza's effort.
Casillas though, had the last word, saving Di Natale's effort, and Spanish substitute Cesc Fabregas scored his kick to settle the tie in favour of his team.
So Spain now face a rematch with Russia, the team that they beat 4-1 in the group stage, as they seek to break their run as international tournament underachievers.
Result
| Italy | 0 | Spain | 0 |
Spain win 4 - 2 on penalties
Teams
Spain: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Marchena, Puyol, Capdevila, Iniesta (Santi Cazorla 59), Senna, Xavi (Fabregas 59), Silva, Villa, Torres (Guiza 85).
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Aquilani (Del Piero 108), De Rossi, Ambrosini, Perrotta (Camoranesi 58), Toni, Cassano (Di Natale 75).
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