What: Euro 2012 Final
Who: Spain vs Italy
When: Sunday 1st July, 2012, at 19:45 UK time
Where: Olympiyskyi, Kyiv, Ukraine
Facing A Perfect Team
It all comes down to this for Spain: one single match that could make them the very first side to successfully defend the European Championship trophy; and it would be a victory sandwiched in between their very first ever World Cup win. Standing in front of La Roja will be a very fierce Italian side, who have seen their morale massively lifted after knocking out heavy favourites Germany in the semi-final.
The fact that Spain have reached the final shows that Vicente del Bosque’s men are still amongst the elite sides on the planet. But La Furia Roja have more often than not failed to display the champagne football that has been synonymous with their name in the past four years, with their only impressive results being the 4-0 win over Ireland in the group stage and the 2-0 victory against France in the quarter-final.
There is no doubt that Spain have struggled to get going in Poland/Ukraine, waiting until the dying minutes to beat Croatia, while it was only penalties which entitled the side to see off Portugal in the semi-final. And against an Italian side that has impressed during this tournament, Del Bosque hinted that his team will find it difficult.
“Italy have found the perfect midfield with [Andrea] Pirlo and [Daniele] De Rossi and they have a very strong defence”, said the Spain coach. “The team’s axis is Pirlo and Balotelli. In the group stage, they were possibly better in the first half. They were the team that caused us the most problems.”
No Fear
It seems as if a pre-tournament match-fixing scandal could motivate Italy to go all the way at Euro 2012. Out to make up for the disappointments of 2008 and 2010, Cesare Prandelli’s men have overcome the odds and are full of belief ahead of their meeting with the reigning European and world champions. The last time Italy reached the final of this competition was in 2000, when they were eventually beaten by France; the Azzurri faithful will be hoping for better luck this time around.
With a solid backline – Italy boast the best defence of the tournament – and dominant in midfield, the main problem for the four-time World Cup winners has been in attack. While the controversial duo of Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli could potentially forge the best striking partnership at Euro 2012, goals have been particularly hard to come by for Italy, even with Balotelli holding the second highest tally of shots on target after Cristiano Ronaldo.
But after eliminating Germany, national team manager Prandelli said that his men should not fear Spain, despite La Roja’s recent success.
“We must not fear them. We are here on merit and we will give it everything”, declared the former Fiorentina coach. “It won’t be easy because Spain have been playing together for years; they won the last Euro and World Cup, and they are in the final again. This means they are not just technically good, but they also have great moral and personal attributes that make them an example to us all. But we are here too. We have grown as the tournament has gone on."
Recent form
Spain:
Croatia 0-1 Spain (18/06; Euro 2012)
Spain 2-0 France (23/06; Euro 2012)
Portugal 0-0 Spain (2-4 pens) (27/06; Euro 2012)
Italy:
Italy 2-0 Ireland (18/06; Euro 2012)
England 0-0 Italy (2-4 pens) (24/06; Euro 2012)
Germany 1-2 Italy (28/06; Euro 2012)
Players to watch
Spain – Iker Casillas: The custodian will have a hard task on his hands as he attempts to fend off an in-form Balotelli. After being criticised this season at club level, lifting the Henri Delauney trophy once more would reaffirm Casillas as the top shot-stopper in the world.
Spain – David Silva: The Spanish will be counting on Silva, who failed to impress against Portugal. The abilities of the playmaker are beyond doubt, and should he be on tune against Italy, the Azzurri defence will be in for a rough night.
Italy – Andrea Pirlo: The fact that the Juventus man is mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the running for the 2012 Ballon d’Or speaks volumes for his renaissance. He was without a doubt the main man behind the Bianconeri’s memorable season and has been Italy’s driving force at Euro 2012.
Italy – Mario Balotelli: The Manchester City striker will be another key man for the Azzurri and he will relish the physical challenge of taking on the Spanish defence. Leading his nation to Euro 2012 would place Balotelli amongst his country’s greats. He is a man in lethal form. (Read Euro 2012 Final – Stage Set for Mario Balotelli Heroics).
Match Prediction
Spain struggled when the two met in the group stage, but despite a less than straightforward route, La Roja are in the final. Italy meanwhile have gone from good to even better since the Spanish date.
Should Spain find their groove and passing game against Italy, then Euro 2012 will be theirs. However, an Italian display similar to the one against England and Germany tilts the accolade in their favour. The trio of Xabi Alonso, Xavi and Andres Iniesta will have to force Italy back, dominating the engine room, while the Azzurri must count on Andrea Pirlo’s form continuing. Spain to edge it.
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Euro 2012 Betting: Spain v Italy – Bets not to Miss
