Spain make history as they crush Italy 4-0
Defending champions Spain secured an unprecedented third successive major trophy as they beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev on Sunday.
It is the biggest winning margin in the history of the tournament - beating West Germany's 3-0 win over the Soviet Union in 1972.
Goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba gave the world champions a comfortable advantage as they scored more than once for the first time in the tournament's knockout stages.
Further goals came from substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata - a minute after coming on - in the second-half against an Italy side that had to play the last 30 minutes down to 10 men as they used up all their substitutes.
The Spanish broke the deadlock in the 14th minute as Cesc Fabregas set up Silva, who headed home and all but put the game beyond the Italians in the 41st minute as Alba, outstanding all tournament, collected a superb ball by Xavi and slotted it home.
Thiago Motta's injury in the 61st minute just after coming on as their third replacement left them with 10 men and Torres and Mata rounded off a facile victory.
SPAIN 4
Silva 14, Alba 41
Torres 84, Mata 88
ITALY 0
Spain
Iker Casillas (capt) - Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba - Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso - David Silva (Pedro 59), Francesc Fabregas (Fernando Torres 75), Andres Iniesta (Juan Manuel Mata 87).
Italy
Gianluigi Buffon (capt) - Ignazio Abate, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini (Federico Balzaretti 21) - Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Riccardo Montolivo (Thiago Motta 57) - Daniele De Rossi - Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano (Antonio Di Natale 46).
Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal).
Attendance: 64,000.
20 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joe Bugelli
Jul 3rd 2012, 23:27
@ Kyle Podesta : You are happy because ITALY lost. Obvious. So far you have never been happy because ENGLAND wins. Only the Queen's activities make you so happy. But being happy also because now Italy cannot help covering a recession, is something else. At first I thought that you get only happy seeing the Italians lose and the Queen waving her hands. But now you speak about Italy's recession. Something that may effect directly or indirectly our country, MALTA. And for that you are happy, Mr Podesta. SHAME ON YOU !
Kyle Podesta
Jul 2nd 2012, 14:21
A huge number of English supporters in Malta are happy tonight...
Ole Ole Ole, it was like men playing boys in that final, Im glad Italy didnt win because now nothing covers the match fixing scandals or the recession that Italy are in.
matthew tanti
Jul 2nd 2012, 17:25
just as nothing covers that italy booted england home a week before!
Raymond Sacco
Jul 2nd 2012, 12:35
Spain are simply one of the best national teams ever and no other team can match them. As Jurgen Klinsman said last week, they seem to be from another planet.
francois esteva'
Jul 2nd 2012, 02:31
Well done Spain, i knew you can do it for the third time, i bet its all quiet in Malta/Bugibba and perhaps noisy Sliema.. LOL lOL LOL will celebrate to-morrow with a bottle of Spanish Champers. Hasta La Vista Hombres. That'll teah the Itas to count the chicken before they hatch.
matthew tanti
Jul 2nd 2012, 11:44
who was counting chickens before they hatched? as far as i know prandelli was rightly saying that spain are the favourites!
Kevin Camilleri
Jul 2nd 2012, 01:07
A number of English supporters are happy tonight...
Anyway... Italy did much more than what was expected of, actually, as an Italian supporter, although disappointed by tonight's result, I am amazed by what the team managed to pull through! Grazie Ragazzi!
LOUIS JOSEPH BORG
Jul 2nd 2012, 00:50
spain already made history when they won the euro 2008 and than the world cup ,while both germany and france held both euro and world cup wins , thier world cup wins were on home soil unlike spain on neutral ground
Alfred Spiteri
Jul 1st 2012, 23:32
That's to show that Italy were never meant to be in the final in the first place see what happens now what about
Balotelli he pushed a man out of his side he did not even shake hands with the spanish players what a sports men he is
matthew tanti
Jul 2nd 2012, 11:34
Why weren't Italy were never meant to be in the final in the first place? As far as I know "all" it takes to get to the final is to win previous matches: they did and so deserved to be in the final, which Spain deserved to win.
James Camilleri
Jul 1st 2012, 22:42
With whom were Spain playing? 4 - 0 Never in the history of football have such a high score been registered in a final. Shouldn't have Balotelli scored 4 for his father? Maybe he is not good at arithemtic. Literalment iddamdmu. The italian commentator said that they had not an ounce of carburante. I leoni spno diventati gattini.
Cecil Attard
Jul 2nd 2012, 00:22
Ezattamente come i tre leoni con l-Italia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
matthew tanti
Jul 2nd 2012, 09:55
they weren't playing with england for sure! gattini? nahseb dawk li ghandhom fuq il-flokk l-inglizi, u li kieku mhux ghalihom ikun vojt, bi stilla wahda.
James Camilleri
Jul 2nd 2012, 23:22
@Cecil Attard and Matthew Tanti - In 120 mins Italy did not manage to score 1 goal against England. Only the penalties decided the outcome and this could have gone either way. Had England managed to achieve this you would have said that England was lucky but since it is Italy ...... no more said
matthew tanti
Jul 3rd 2012, 11:45
england did not manage to score against italy either.... and italy at least played football, having some 20 shots on goal. we beat the germans who had beaten england 4-1 two years ago.
Rose Wiegers
Jul 1st 2012, 22:23
congratulations to all Spanish people way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from Canada.
Rose Wiegers
Jul 1st 2012, 21:51
GO SPAIN GO AAAAAAAAAALL THEWAY!!!!!
Reuben D. Spiteri
Jul 1st 2012, 22:39
Ghal li jista jkun ma' l-inglizi zzomm?
Joseph Arpa
Jul 2nd 2012, 00:28
@ Reuben
Does it matter....revenge is so sweet.....whichever way it comes!!!
matthew tanti
Jul 2nd 2012, 11:54
revenge is when england kick italy out of a competition.... fadlilkom x'taqdfu!
Please choose the reason of your report below: