Spain crush Italy 4-0 to win historic crown

Spain 4
Silva 14, Alba 41; Torres 84, Mata 88;
Italy 0

Spain confirmed their status as one of the greatest national teams in football history by overwhelming Italy 4-0 in last night’s Euro 2012 final in Kiev to retain their European crown.

Vicente del Bosque’s team became the first side to successfully defend a European Championship title, as well as the first to win three consecutive major tournaments after their triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Accused in some quarters of having lost their ability to excite, Spain produced a thrilling demonstration of attacking football to confirm beyond doubt that this remains a golden age for Spanish football.

Andres Iniesta and Xavi were the architects of victory, playing key roles in goals by David Silva, Jordi Alba and Fernando Torres, who teed up fellow substitute Juan Mata for Spain’s fourth.

The match-winner in the Euro 2008 decider against Germany, Torres became the first player to score in two European Championship finals, while it was the most handsome winning margin in a final in the tournament’s history.

Italy played the last half an hour with 10 men after third substitute Thiago Motta was forced off by injury moments after coming on, as the momentum that had taken the Azzurri past Germany and England in the knockout rounds disappeared.

The star of the semi-final win over the Germans, Mario Balotelli endured a fruitless evening, while Andrea Pirlo was upstaged by the pass masters in the Spanish midfield.

Dropped for the semi-final against Portugal, Cesc Fabregas returned to Spain’s starting line-up to occupy the ‘false nine’ role he had taken up against Italy in the 1-1 draw between the sides in Group C on June 10.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli also made one change to his starting XI, with Ignazio Abate replacing Federico Balzaretti at right-back after missing the semi-final win over Germany due to muscle fatigue.

It was quickly apparent that Spain had a point to prove and in the 10th minute there was a glimpse of the pin-sharp attacking football that had eluded them in recent matches, as Xavi exchanged passes with Fabregas before rifling a shot narrowly over.

Four minutes later the deadlock was broken, Iniesta threading a superb pass down the inside-right channel to Fabregas, who slipped around Giorgio Chiellini before cutting the ball back for Silva to head home.

Chiellini’s evening lasted barely more than 20 minutes, as the Juventus defender was forced off after landing awkwardly and had to be replaced by Balzaretti.

Having being eclipsed by Iniesta in recent matches, Xavi proved that reports of his demise are grossly premature by creating Spain’s second goal four minutes before half-time.

The 32-year-old maestro collected a pass from Alba and then delayed his pass supremely before freeing his future Barcelona team-mate to run in and place the ball past Gianluigi Buffon for his first international goal.

Prandelli replaced Cassano with Antonio Di Natale at the interval and the Udinese man made an immediate impact, heading just over from Abate’s centre and then obliging Casillas to save after ghosting in behind Spain’s defence.

At the other end, Buffon thwarted Fabregas after the Barcelona man weaved his way past Balzaretti and Leonardo Bonucci, who was lucky not to concede a penalty when he appeared to block Sergio Ramos’s header with his arm.

Italy’s hopes of a comeback evaporated in the 62nd minute, as Motta was carried off on a stretcher with an apparent hamstring injury just five minutes after replacing Riccardo Montolivo, leaving Prandelli’s side with 10 men.

The game dipped in intensity until the arrival of Torres, who rolled home Spain’s third from Xavi’s pass in the 84th minute before teeing up Chelsea team-mate Mata for an 88th-minute tap-in.

Aftermatch comments

Iker Casillas (Spain): “This is such a truly wonderful moment. The second goal from Jordi (Alba) clinched it really.

“It’s been four marvellous years. You might think that a 4-0 margin against Italy means it was easy – but we have been gradually stepping up as the tournament went along.

“We have been able to get the best out of our players and make full use of our characteristics. And they (the Italians) were tired. Now we will go off and savour the win together.”

Cesare Prandelli (Italy): “We came up against a terrific side. They’re world champions. Obviously, when you go down to 10 men, the game’s over.”

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy): “Against Spain, you accept losing more easily.

“It was a great adventure. In a final, you have to win but today we played against a team of incredible quality.”

Spain
I. Casillas, A. Arbeloa, G. Pique, S. Ramos, J. Alba, Xavi, S. Busquets, X. Alonso, D. Silva (Pedro 59), F. Fabregas (F. Torres 75), A. Iniesta (J. Mata 87).

Italy
G. Buffon, I. Abate, A. Barzagli, L. Bonucci, G. Chiellini (F. Balzaretti 21), C. Marchisio, A. Pirlo, R. Montolivo (T. Motta 57), D. De Rossi, M. Balotelli, A. Cassano (A. Di Natale 46).

Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal).

Attendance: 64,000.

Previous winners

1960: USSR
1964: Spain
1968: Italy
1972: West Germany
1976: Czechoslovakia
1980: West Germany
1984: France
1988: Netherlands
1992: Denmark
1996: Germany
2000: France
2004: Greece
2008: Spain
2012: Spain

Day-to-day fixtures

Group A

» Poland » Greece » Russia » Czech Republic

Poland vs Greece - 1-1
Russia vs Czech Rep. - 4-1
Greece vs Czech Rep. - 1-2
Poland vs Russia - 1-1
Czech Rep. vs Poland - 1-0
Greece vs Russia - 1-0

Final standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Czech Rep.	3	2	0	1	4	5	6
Greece	3	1	1	1	3	3	4
Russia	3	1	1	1	5	3	4
Poland	3	0	2	1	2	3	2

Group B

» Holland » Denmark » Germany » Portugal

Holland vs Denmark - 0-1
Germany vs Portugal - 1-0
Denmark vs Portugal - 2-3
Holland vs Germany - 1-2
Portugal vs Holland - 2-1
Denmark vs Germany - 1-2

Final standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Germany	3	3	0	0	5	2	9
Portugal	3	2	0	1	5	4	6
Denmark	3	1	0	2	4	5	3
Holland	3	0	0	3	2	5	0

Group C

» Spain » Italy » Ireland » Croatia

Spain vs Italy - 1-1
Ireland vs Croatia - 1-3
Italy vs Croatia - 1-1
Spain vs Ireland - 4-0
Croatia vs Spain - 0-1
Italy vs Ireland - 2-0

Final standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Spain	3	2	1	0	6	1	7
Italy	3	1	2	0	4	2	5
Croatia	3	1	1	1	4	3	4
Ireland	3	0	0	3	1	9	0

Group D

» France » England » Ukraine » Sweden

France vs England - 1-1
Ukraine vs Sweden - 2-1
Ukraine vs France - 0-2
Sweden vs England - 2-3
England vs Ukraine - 1-0
Sweden vs France - 2-0

Final standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
England	3	2	1	0	5	3	7
France	3	1	1	1	3	3	4
Ukraine	3	1	0	2	2	4	3
Sweden	3	1	0	2	5	5	3

Quarter-finals

Quarter-final 1: Czech Republic vs Portugal - 0-1
Quarter-final 2: Germany vs Greece - 4-2
Quarter-final 3: Spain vs France - 2-0
Quarter-final 4: England vs Italy - 0-0 (2-4 on penalties)

Semi-finals and final

Semi-final 1: Portugal vs Spain - 0-0 (2-4 on penalties)
Semi-final 2: Germany vs Italy - 1-2
Final: Spain vs Italy - 4-0

Euro 2012 leading scorers

3 goals: Dzagoev (Russia), Gomez (Germany), Mandzukic (Croatia), Ronaldo (Portugal), Balotelli (Italy), Torres (Spain).
2 goals: Alonso (Spain), Bendtner (Denmark), Fabregas (Spain), Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Jiracek (Czech Rep.), Krohn-Dehli (Denmark), Pilar (Czech Rep.), Salpingidis (Greece), Shevchenko (Ukraine), Silva (Spain).