Euro 2016 - Italy 2 - 0 Spain (Last 16)

Italy 2 - 0 Spain

Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pellè end Spain’s European reign

Home team scorers
Giorgio Chiellini 33
Graziano Pelle 90 +0:27

Perhaps this game did not live up to its billing, perhaps it never could, but the result was a big one. Spain are far from invincible any longer and are on their way home. Whether that counts as a shock depends on how stern a view one takes of the Spanish fall from grace in Brazil two years ago, though what is indisputable is that Italy were superior in almost every department with the possible exception of finishing.

If Antonio Conte had a goalmouth predator at his disposal in the great Italian tradition the scoreline might have been even more emphatic. As it was Italy were hanging on at the end until Graziano Pellè’s breakaway goal in stoppage time, a position they should never have been in considering their overall superiority.

It might have been the effect of a downpour straight after kick-off that soaked the players and sent spectators in the Saint-Denis seats scuttling for cover on the stairways, but Spain were slow to get into their stride. Italy made the first couple of openings, with David de Gea twice busy in the opening 10 minutes, first getting down low to his left to keep out a Pellè header from a free-kick then reacting well to push Emanuele Giaccherini’s overhead effort onto a post. Italy seemed sharper, even if the slippery conditions made precise passing difficult, and though Andrés Iniesta was doing his best to launch attacks he was doing so from positions a long way from goal.

Italy’s main strength is defence, Robbie Brady’s header against them in Lille when they had already topped their group was the only goal they conceded in their first three matches, and when David Silva and Nolito finally managed to present Cesc Fàbregas with a shooting opportunity midway through the first half Mattia De Sciglio was swiftly out of the defensive line to block.

The left wing-back De Sciglio was quite an influential figure in the first half, even if he did pick up yet another Italian caution, for a shirt pull. He provided the cross from which Marco Parolo headed wide as Italy came forward again, and also the teasing ball across the face of goal which Sergio Ramos could only divert at the expense of a corner, almost putting through his own goal in his determination to prevent it reaching Pellè at the far post.

Italy really needed something to show for their pressure, Spain were quite comfortable as long as the game remained scoreless, and just after the half-hour mark they gained their reward for an encouraging start. Gerard Piqué fouled Pellè on the edge of the area, De Gea could not hold Éder’s powerful free-kick, and of the two Italians who were quicker than the Spanish defence to the rebound Giorgio Chiellini got there after Giaccherini but provided the crucial last touch. De Gea did well to keep out the initial shot but will blame himself for not making a clean save, or at least for not getting a firm enough hand to the ball to push it away to safety.

Guardian