Spain Edges Out Italy to Advance to Euro 2024 Last 16
Three-time winners Spain defeated the reigning champions Italy in the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen as Riccardo Calafiori put the ball in his net after the half-time break to win the match.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: SPAIN ARE THROUGH TO THE LAST 16. 🇪🇸#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/sV1m9mkZ5M
— Match Spoots (@matchspoots) June 20, 2024
Two wins in a row for Spain can be enough to be top of the line in Group B, with one match left, which means they know that they’ll take on their final-16 match in Cologne on the 30th of June, with one of Europe’s top third-place players.
Italy is, however, still not finished, but winning to Croatia in Leipzig this week will secure second spot in the group of Luciano Spalletti’s team.
They were playing in the fifth time in a row at the European Championship and Spain should be able to win by a larger margin in their quest to get revenge after losing to penalties during the semi-finals of Wembley three years ago.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several key saving stops as Lamine Yamal was close at the end of the second half Spain and the outstanding Nico Williams smashed a shot through the goal.
“I am delighted and proud not just with the result against a great side but with the way in which we got it,” declared Spain manager Luis de la Fuente.
“It’s very simple, they were faster than us, compact and were right on top of us,” Spalletti acknowledged. “We simply weren’t as bright as them.”
