Euro 2008 - Spot-on Spain knock out Italy

Eurosport - Mon, 23 Jun 10:38:00 2008

Spain booked their place in the semi-final of Euro 2008 as Iker Casillas emerged as the hero in a dramatic penalty shootout win over Italy.

FOOTBALL 2008 Euro 2008 Spain Spain-Italy Casillas - 0

Spot kicks were needed after 120 minutes of normal play in a dour encounter that failed to produce a goal at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.

Real Madrid keeper Casillas saved twice - from Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale - to give substitute Cesc Fabregas the chance to put Spain 4-2 up and into next week's last-four clash with Russia. And the young Arsenal midfielder - used as a second-half substitute again - made no mistake with his kick.

It was an historic night for Spain, who had not beaten their opponents in a major competition since the 1920 Olympics and had, bizarrely, lost three previous penalty shootouts on the particular date of June 22 - at the 1986 World Cup, Euro 96 and the World Cup in 2002.

Luis Aragones's side laid those superstitions to rest, and at the same time went a long way to disproving the accusation that they are chokers in big games at big tournaments.

It was not pretty and the fluency of the football they produced in their Euro 2008 opener against Russia was sorely missing, but Italy should shoulder most of the blame for making this a turgid affair.

With playmaker Andrea Pirlo out suspended along with Gennaro Gattuso, Italy coach Roberto Donadoni fielded four central midfielders in his starting line-up, depriving the Azzurri of any kind of width and the game of any excitement.

And that meant service for Luca Toni, effectively playing up front on his own, was limited at best. Decent crosses were few and far between, and the Spain back line - noticeably giving away a few inches to Toni - were rarely forced to contend with dangerous balls into the box.

And even when the Spanish defence were stretched, Italy could not apply a finishing touch - Simone Perrotta headed straight at Iker Casillas before Toni's goalbound header was blocked rather fortuitously by Carlos Marchena later in the first half.

With Italy sitting back and relying on Toni's ability as a target man to forge any opportunities, Spain were left to make most of the running early on.

That said, even an intelligent and skilful midfield consisting of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, David Silva and Marcos Senna found it difficult to find a way through an organised Italian defence and chances were few and far between.

David Villa brought Gianluigi Buffon into action with a well-struck free kick on 25 minutes before the Italy keeper had to be alert to keep out a low Silva drive seven minutes later.

The Valencia man then let fly with a left-footed effort which flashed just wide of the upright, but other than a penalty claim following a Fabio Grosso challenge on Silva just before the half-time whistle, that was all Spain could muster.

With no changes made at the break, it came as no surprise that the second-half panned out in much the same vein and failed to produce a goal.

Despite their negative manner, it was Italy who came closest to breaking the deadlock during the second period, when Casillas denied substitute Mauro Camoranesi with his legs following a Keystone Cops-style goalmouth scramble.

It was by far Italy's best chance of the game, but Spain forged one of their own soon after, albeit with a little help from Buffon, who allowed Marcos Senna's long range strike slip through his fingers with just nine minutes of normal time remaining. Only the base of the upright sparred his blushes.

Into extra-time and the game finally began to open up a little. Silva again fired wide before Di Natale brought a save from Casillas with a header in the 95th minute.

Substitute Santi Cazorla should perhaps have done better with virtually the last kick of open play, but the advent of penalty kicks was almost as inevitable as an Italy win before they commenced.

Fortunately for Spain, Casillas proved that particular school of thought very much wrong.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 146 - 165 of 165

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. I guess there is a reason why most of the stadiums in Italy are half empty for every game. I would not pay to watch the sort of rubbish Italy showed against Spain either. That has to rank as the most negative display of football ever to disgrace this fabulous game. Italians please do not try to justify it.

    From chris h, on Tue 24 Jun 2:15AM

  2. dorin c ma perche no te ne vai a fanculo a te e le tue paielle di merda.

    From Pepe, on Tue 24 Jun 12:19AM

  3. The majority of you people that have wrote comments have spoken out of the back of your butts!! Typically of English people, you think you can only win a game by scoring 4 or 5 goals, or to keep attacking all match. But put yourself in Donadonis possition, your facing a Spanish side who by far have the best attck in the tournament, you wont go all out like the England side attempt to do and fail at doing, you defend, otherwise you will get beaten harshly, like Holland did to Italy. But the main point is that Italy actually had the best chance of the game, i.e. Camorenesi's chance on 61 minutes, and if that was in, that was Italy's so called 'boring' defensive football into the semi's. So instead of criticising the tactics, actually think like a football fan...now i am Italian but good luck to Spain and i hope they do well...

    From gianni.romano, on Mon 23 Jun 9:20PM

  4. lol the English are overrated, just cause they made they sport does not make them the best at it, and the Italians are a superpower indeed, but they are not the best of the best, they will never reach the passion, talent and skill of South American teams such as Brazil and Argentina, where people live football. anyways shame the Italians are out of the cup, but hey, there is a first time for everything, it was Spain's time to shine and I surely hope they defeat Russia again and move on to the finals to take it all. VAMOS ESPANA!!! SI PODEMOS! VIVA LA FURIA ROJA! CONSQUISTAREMOS!!

    From leo.hernandez, on Mon 23 Jun 8:25PM

  5. Italy have turned an entertaining sport into a horrible viewing experience. They have to be the most boring team ever to play this wonderfull game. Why do they even bother to turn up if this is the sort of negative boring uncreative nonsense they are going to force us to watch. I'm off to paint a wall, watching it dry will be a hotbed of exitement compared to watching Italy play. Thank God they got knocked out.

    From chris h, on Mon 23 Jun 5:14PM

  6. CHI VIVE SPERANDO MUORE CACANDO!!!!

    From dorin c, on Mon 23 Jun 4:27PM

  7. to all you short memory morons who keep saying that Italy plays boring soccer remember that they scored 12 goals in 06 an average of almost 2 goals per including 3 against Ukraine. They scored at least 1 goal in every game in 06 and from 11 different players. How is that boring? The two games against Germany and France were classics. This year their team was completely depleted and they were lucky to even get that far with their lineup. They played more conservative soccer because that is the only way they could win. Anyway you are judged in soccer on winning and not how many attacks you had in a game.

    From toni_canavarro, on Mon 23 Jun 4:10PM

  8. some people love to put down italy & act glad that they are out,go ahead.italy still has 4 world cup wins & will still be considered world champs for 2 more years.italy has the richest football history & most class of all the euro teams.they will shine again.

    From jeff g, on Mon 23 Jun 1:45PM

  9. AS EXPECTED A VERY BORING GAME......

    From abrokenlife, on Mon 23 Jun 11:02AM

  10. Mama mia, I have it, Ulrika! Have the penalty shoot-out before the game. I do not know whether this will work ; it may be fun finding out.

    From Geoff, on Mon 23 Jun 10:39AM

  11. jovola is right! due to the current system same teams may meet twice, it did not happened this time, nevertheless it is not a very clever way of doing things.

    From mystic, on Mon 23 Jun 10:00AM

  12. how can one possibly support Italy unless being from this country? (I suppose I would if I were Italian, I mean we are all more or less chauvinistic...) This game against Spain was a real purge. They didn't show anything brilliant, just like in the 2006 world cup...
    Yep Jovola, Italy, France (and the Netherlands) in the same group is weird, UEFA criteria are questionable, and it's a shame that groups shouldn't be crossed. We will get Russia-Spain again, we almost got Germany-Croatia! Stupid!

    From aerialweb67, on Mon 23 Jun 9:55AM

  13. I would also like to hear from you people about the way teams were seeded and the way they cross in elimination rounds for me it is idiotic by Uefa first to see France Italy and Duch in the same group and then not to prevent teams from the same groups meeting before final ( it is very easy thing to do).

    From Jovola, on Mon 23 Jun 9:35AM

  14. It was not Toni, he needs different kind of tactics to deliver goals. If Italy played closer to opponents goal and sent more balls from the wings he would have scored many. We had the same thing with Zigic . He needs to play in attacking minded squad so the balls would be delivered to him from wide. But our national coaches are cowards so Zigic has to play 30 meters away from the goal hence his poor record in national jersey. Not his fault believe me.

    From Jovola, on Mon 23 Jun 9:23AM

  15. Vamos Espanyola ! Is that right ? Did not think there was a keepr in a pen shoot out that could out do Buffon ... am I glad I was wrong, football won ! Hope Spain n Russia play open attacking footy, that would be a great Semi

    From ispurs, on Mon 23 Jun 9:20AM

  16. bbboooorrriiinnngg...Its good italy are out..they should have been out earlier only, romania should have qualified..italy only were there coz of the gr8 gigi buffon..but cassilas showed his class...well done spain!!!

    From shubhemro, on Mon 23 Jun 9:16AM

  17. Cassillas was just too good for italy,what a very good penalty from fabregas.

    From ayoyemibiggs, on Mon 23 Jun 9:12AM

  18. if italy did not play Toni up front they would have played a more attractive style of football. Toni cannot shoot and has no skill. I don't know how he scores in the german league but i am certain he is really lucky to score! Should of played Del Piero and Cassano upfront from the go! Donadoni should be shot!

    From void, on Mon 23 Jun 9:08AM

  19. Oh boy not much excite game! both real sissy when they got fell down with thier fake face of expression ! lol

    From Craig O, on Mon 23 Jun 9:03AM

  20. Justice have been made. Footbal win over antifootbal, if italy wer calified would be an offence to footbal fenomen.

    From iancu m, on Mon 23 Jun 8:54AM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account