Gianluigi Buffon was Italy’s hero as his three penalty saves in the shoot-out saw the Azzurri to victory and a third-place finish in the Confederations Cup, at the expense of Uruguay yesterday.

The two sides drew 2-2 after 120 minutes with Italy creating the majority of the chances.

Davide Astori put the Italians ahead after 25 minutes before Edinson Cavani levelled the scores after the interval.

Alessandro Diamanti restored the Italians’ lead after 73 minutes, before Cavani netted again to make the score 2-2 and take the game into extra-time, where Riccardo Montolivo saw red after picking up two bookings.

Then Buffon came into his own, saving from Diego Forlan, Martin Caceres and Walter Gargano to win the game for Italy.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli hailed his team’s character after the Azzurri shrugged off the disappointment of their penalty shoot-out loss to Spain in the semi-finals to beat Uruguay in Salvador.

“The most important feature of this evening has been the character shown, which was fantastic,” Prandelli said.

“I’d like to congratulate all my players from the bottom of my heart for giving everything they had on the pitch, right up to 30 June.

“I’m convinced we’re on the right track and that we have to keep pressing on.

“I’m very proud.”

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez was also full of praise for the bold effort put in by his players yesterday.

“We wanted third place and we’re sad not to have achieved it, but we’re not frustrated because we gave absolutely everything we had out on the pitch,” Tabarez said.

“This experience will be really valuable for us in the future and in what’s coming up (in the short term), which is also very important.”

Uruguay started the game strongly and Forlan was the first to test either stopper, with his dipping free-kick forcing Buffon to dive low.

A free-flowing move from Italy culminated with a scuffed shot from Antonio Candreva after 15 minutes before the Italians went ahead nine minutes later.

A Diamanti free-kick ricocheted off the post and onto Uruguay stopper Fernando Muslera, with the ball falling to Astori, who from a yard out, tapped home.

Luis Suarez got in behind the Italian backline before hitting a rasping shot which tested Buffon just before the half-hour mark, before Maxi Pereira forced a decent stop from the Juventus man before the break.

The pressure told 13 minutes after the restart when a well-weighted pass from Alvaro Gonzalez found an unmarked Cavani who slotted into the far corner past Buffon’s outstretched left hand.

Diamanti restored Italy’s lead with 17 minutes left with a wonderful 25-yard free-kick which gave Muslera no chance.

It was a feat replicated by Cavani five minutes later as his powerful effort was too much for Buffon, who could not get his feet moving to get across in time to keep the Napoli striker’s effort out.

Italy had to play the final 10 minutes of extra-time with a man short following Montolivo’s second yellow for a late challenge on Suarez, but Uruguay could not get past Buffon.

And Forlan could not do so with his spotkick, while Alberto Aquilani, Cavani, Stephan El Shaarawy, Suarez all scored before Mattia De Sciglio’s miss brought the South Americans back into the shoot-out.

However, Caceres missed and Emanuele Giaccherini scored before Buffon saved Gargano’s effort.

Confederations Cup results

Third place play-off

Uruguay 2
Italy 2

(aet; 90 mins – 2-2; Italy win 3-2 on pens)

Scorers: Uruguay – Cavani 58, 78. Italy – Astori 24, Diamanti 73.

Red card: Montolivo (I) 110.

Penalty sequence: Forlan (U) saved 0-0; Aquilani (I) scores 0-1; Cavani (U) scores 1-1; El Shaarawy (I) scores 1-2; Suarez (U) scores 2-2; De Sciglio (I) saved 2-2; Caceres (U) saved 2-2; Giaccherini (I) scores 2-3; Gargano (U) saved 2-3.

The Final
Brazil vs Spain - 3-0

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