Spain pay Euro penalty as shootout fires Italy into Euro final
Players of Italy celebrate following their team’s victory in the penalty shoot out after the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Semi-final match between Italy and Spain at Wembley Stadium on July 06, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
LONDON, July 6, 2021 - Shootout drama fizzed and sparked again at Euro 2020 as Italy reached the final by overcoming great old rivals Spain 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 extra time draw at Wembley.
Dani Olmo missed one Spanish penalty and Gianluigi Donnarumma saved another from Alvaro Morata before Chelsea midfielder Jorginho sealed Azzurri victory with a cheekily delicate last kick. History was always against Spain: no team have ever won two shootouts in a single European Championship.
La Roja had only themselves to blame for even allowing the entertainment to go to extra time, let alone penalties. They dominated all the first hour but spurned their chances and were duly punished by Federico Chiesa in a counter attack on the hour. Substitute Morata pulled them back on terms 20 minutes later as the high-speed duel neared a climax.
Italy deserved enormous credit for the manner in which they dug in after half-time and counter-punched Spain to a standstill. Ironically, after all the attacking dynamism of their earlier performances it was by virtue of the old hit-and-hold tradition that they progressed.
At least they have one more day to rest and recuperate for Sunday's Wembley final than rivals Denmark or England.
This was the teams’ seventh meeting in the Euro finals, with Spain’s only win in 90 minutes coming in the 2012 final which they won 4-0; in revenge Italy had beaten Spain in the second round at Euro 2016. Spain were looking for a third European title in four events while Italy have only won it once, back in 1968.
Spanish coach Luis Enrique replaced injured Pablo Sarabia, one of his most effective forwards, with Olmo while opposite number Roberto Mancini brought in Chelsea’s Emerson to replace long-term injury absentee Leonardo Spinazzola at leftback.
Spain opened with the sort of dynamism which had been Italy’s hallmark in previous matches.
Olmo, playing as a false No9, asked all sorts of questions of the Italian defence and also wasted the finest early opening by shooting straight at Donnarumma. Both Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal flailed shots high over the bar as Spanish inter-passing repeatedly left Italy’s midfielders spinning on their heels.
For all that it was Italy who came closest to a first-half goal, almost on the interval. A long ball out of defence was collected by Lorenzo Insigne who accelerated down the left before slipping in Emerson whose shot eluded Simon's fist and clipped the bar.
Italy were a different team in the second half. They tightened up in midfield and raised the tempo as the action veered up and down the pitch. Ciro Immobile and Chiesa had openings at one end, Sergi Busquets and Oyarzabal twice at the other. Italy then broke at speed for Chiesa to accelerate through the heart of defence to shoot beyond Simon.
Spain responded with a welter of substitutes and were rewarded when one of them, Morata, equalised in the 80th minute after converting a reverse pass from Olmo and eluding Giorgio Chiellini. The goal sent Spain into the extra halfhour for the third time in these finals. But when it came to penalties it was Italy who held their nerve and grasped the opportunity to end a 53-year wait for a second European crown.
Dani Olmo missed one Spanish penalty and Gianluigi Donnarumma saved another from Alvaro Morata before Chelsea midfielder Jorginho sealed Azzurri victory with a cheekily delicate last kick. History was always against Spain: no team have ever won two shootouts in a single European Championship.
La Roja had only themselves to blame for even allowing the entertainment to go to extra time, let alone penalties. They dominated all the first hour but spurned their chances and were duly punished by Federico Chiesa in a counter attack on the hour. Substitute Morata pulled them back on terms 20 minutes later as the high-speed duel neared a climax.
Italy deserved enormous credit for the manner in which they dug in after half-time and counter-punched Spain to a standstill. Ironically, after all the attacking dynamism of their earlier performances it was by virtue of the old hit-and-hold tradition that they progressed.
At least they have one more day to rest and recuperate for Sunday's Wembley final than rivals Denmark or England.
This was the teams’ seventh meeting in the Euro finals, with Spain’s only win in 90 minutes coming in the 2012 final which they won 4-0; in revenge Italy had beaten Spain in the second round at Euro 2016. Spain were looking for a third European title in four events while Italy have only won it once, back in 1968.
Spanish coach Luis Enrique replaced injured Pablo Sarabia, one of his most effective forwards, with Olmo while opposite number Roberto Mancini brought in Chelsea’s Emerson to replace long-term injury absentee Leonardo Spinazzola at leftback.
Spain opened with the sort of dynamism which had been Italy’s hallmark in previous matches.
Olmo, playing as a false No9, asked all sorts of questions of the Italian defence and also wasted the finest early opening by shooting straight at Donnarumma. Both Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal flailed shots high over the bar as Spanish inter-passing repeatedly left Italy’s midfielders spinning on their heels.
For all that it was Italy who came closest to a first-half goal, almost on the interval. A long ball out of defence was collected by Lorenzo Insigne who accelerated down the left before slipping in Emerson whose shot eluded Simon's fist and clipped the bar.
Italy were a different team in the second half. They tightened up in midfield and raised the tempo as the action veered up and down the pitch. Ciro Immobile and Chiesa had openings at one end, Sergi Busquets and Oyarzabal twice at the other. Italy then broke at speed for Chiesa to accelerate through the heart of defence to shoot beyond Simon.
Spain responded with a welter of substitutes and were rewarded when one of them, Morata, equalised in the 80th minute after converting a reverse pass from Olmo and eluding Giorgio Chiellini. The goal sent Spain into the extra halfhour for the third time in these finals. But when it came to penalties it was Italy who held their nerve and grasped the opportunity to end a 53-year wait for a second European crown.
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