A highly organised and motivated Italy side marched onto the quarter finals of Euro 2016 after recording a 2-0 win over reigning champions Spain inside Paris’ Stade de France.
Giorgio Chiellini opened the scoring following a goalmouth scramble, before a triumphant Graziano Pelle volley sealed the win in stoppage time. Antonio Conte’s Azzurri will now face Germany on Saturday afternoon for a spot in the semi finals.
Italy
Gianluigi Buffon – 8.5: A true captains performance from the 38yr old superstar. Came up with a massive save in the dying seconds which proved to seal the match for his side who then grabbed the second goal only moments later.
Andrea Barzagli – 7: Typical Barzagli, patrolling the right hand side of defence like a true professional, simple passing, elegant defending… A rare breed.
Leonardo Bonucci – 8: Stellar performance from Bonucci. Has been one of the star performers of the tournament so far, further solidifying his place among the world’s very best central defenders.
Giorgio Chiellini – 8.5: Everywhere. Defending, galloping forward, scoring goals, it was a huge game for the towering aggressor. Scored the opening goal in the 33rd minute with a close range finish, allowing his side to play their natural game and soak up the Spanish attacks. Massive influence.
Alessandro Florenzi – 6: Didn’t provide a great deal down the right side, though Florenzi didn’t stop running all game. Antonio Conte would’ve hoped for a little more end product from the Romanista.
Marco Parolo – 6.5: Solid in midfield, defending for the most part. Looking to cover the space between midfield and defence where the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta and David Silva are most dangerous. Had a great headed chance in the first half.
Daniele De Rossi – 7: De Rossi was the first subbed off for Italy however it didn’t take anything away from his performance, providing plenty of industry in midfield. In the fifteen or so minutes that followed his substitution, Italy endured their worst patch of the game.
Emanuele Giaccherini – 7.5: Again proving the doubters wrong, Giaccherini always looked likely in attack.
What We Learned – Italy 2 Spain 0
Mattia De Sciglio – 9: Man of the match performance from the AC Milan wing back. Could’ve easily also gone to Giorgio Chiellini or Gianluigi Buffon, however, De Sciglio was absolutely fantastic down the left side of midfield, providing plenty of quality crosses and movement, cutting in on his right and using his equally dangerous left foot to throw off his opponents. His best performance in an Italy shirt.
Eder – 6.5: Credit must be given for Eder’s never say die attitude. The man could run all day and no doubt gives his all to the Azzurri cause, though his performance will be marred by the two missed chances he probably should’ve scored which would’ve put the game to rest a lot sooner.
Graziano Pelle – 7.5: Another who ran hard throughout the whole 90 minutes. A massive threat with the aerial ball. Emphatically finished the deflected ball into the 6 yard box.
Substitutes:
Lorenzo Insigne – 7: Great vision to pick out Matteo Darmian with the long ball, setting up Italy’s second.
Thiago Motta – 5.5: Not a very strong showing after coming on to secure Italy’s lead.
Matteo Darmian – 6.5: Came on late and delivered the assist for Pelle.
Spain
David De Gea – 7.5: One of a few for Spain who can hold their head up high, pulled out a few fantastic saves. Scoreline could have been much worse if not for his heroics.
Juanfran – 4: Didn’t provide enough down the right hand side. Poor.
Sergio Ramos – 6.5: An okay performance from the Real Madrid man. Went forward at every opportunity looking for the equalising goal.
Gerard Pique – 7: Along with Ramos, it seemed Pique was Spain’s only real threat going forward. Battled hard with his forward runs to try keep his side in the game.
Jordi Alba – 4: Along with Juanfran, Alba didn’t provide enough supply for his team. Comprehensively beaten by his opponent.
Sergio Busquets – 4.5: Quiet game from Busquets, constantly exposed by the Italians on the counter.
Andres Iniesta – 7: Another who can hold his head up high. The 32yr old Barcelona man looked like he was doing it all on his own at times.
Cesc Fabregas – 3: Very, very bad performance from someone who could be offering so much more. Looked completely out of sorts against the Italian defence.
David Silva – 5: Like Fabregas, Silva is a player with so much quality but doesn’t seem to be offering enough. Not enough supply for his attackers.
Alvaro Morata – 3.5: It was always going to be tough for Morata going up against a defensive trio of whom he’s played the past two seasons with at Juventus. Seemed to be looking for cheap fouls quite often. Wasn’t helped by the lack of supply from the rest of his team. Frustrating night.
Nolito – 4.5: Substituted just after half time, Nolito didn’t provide enough of a threat.
Substitutes:
Lucas Vasquez – 6.5: A good cameo appearance from the Real Madrid man, injected much needed energy into the side with pace and trickery.
Aritz Aduriz – 6: Like Vasquez, Aduriz was a smart substitution from Del Bosque. Troubled the Italian defence at times.
Pedro N/A
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