Spain won the euro for the second time in a row, defeating Italy in the final

At the Kiev Olympic Stadium, the winners of the last two championships of the world met in the decisive match of Euro 2012 (Italians celebrated success in 2006, and the Spaniards in 2010 ). Spain, becoming the best in Euro 2008 , duplicated the achievement, defeating Italy with a score of 4: 0.

Euro 2012: schedule and results of matches

Spain began more actively: already in the tenth minute, Havi, without entering the center in the penalty area, was juicyly struck over the crossbar. The fans of the current European champions were worried about the missed opportunity for a short time, since four minutes after the Pass of Fabregas, the ball of Silva - 1: 0 irresistibly sent his head to the upper corner of the gate.

Italy after the missed goal managed to quickly “move” the game from his gate, but it was not possible to create something dangerous among strangers. Cassano was active, but his “shots” from distant distances did not conceal serious threats for the goalkeeper of Kasillas.

Moreover, the Italians sometimes risked in harmless situations, so it could be assumed that sooner or later the opponent would punish them for this. As a result, it happened, although it is difficult to see a gross defense error at the second goal of Spanish attack: Havi made a “cutting” transmission to Alba, who, jumping one on one with a buffon, perfectly ordered the possibility provided - 2-0.

The second half began with the attacks of Spain, which, having missed a couple of moments, "earned" in the 49th minute of the penalty (the ball "found" Bonucci's hand in the penalty area), but the Portuguese referee Proensa did not dare to appoint 11-meter.

Almost immediately, Italy could reduce the backlog: Pirlo took out to the burning position of Di Natal, but the attacker from a favorable position struck somehow ingenuously.

And in the 60th minute, the chances of the "Skuadra Azurra" to save became minimal: Motta was carried away on a stretcher from the field, and it could not be replaced, since the coach Cesare Prandelli had already made all three replacements by this time. Italy remained ten.

At the rest of the time, Spain played easily and at ease, without refusing to bring the score to the destruction: in the 84th minute Torres was taken to the rendezvous with a buffon and on the scoreboard the numbers 3-0 lit up, and then Torres, shortly before the final whistle, made everything so that his Mata’s teammate did not miss 4-0.

The Spanish national team became the first team in the history of football to win three large tournaments in a row, and the first to defend the title of European champions.

Before the match

In the main time, the “Red Furia” never beat the “Skuadra Adzurra” in official meetings, not counting the very first, held in 1920. In the Euro 2008 in the 1/4 finals, the Italian team won the penalty shootout . In total, in a full -time dispute on the account of the Spaniards 8 victories (7 - in friendly matches), Italians - ten, 12 games ended in a draw.

If the Spaniards won twice to today's final at the Continent championships - in 1964 and 2008, then the Italians only once, in 1968.

For the fourth time in the history in the final of the continent championship there are teams from one group, and in two of the previous three cases the team, which was the second at the group stage, was the last time in 2004, when the Greeks beat the Portuguese .

And in the remaining match, the Germans took an additional time to break the resistance of the Czechs in 1996. In this tournament, Italians were the second in the group, and their match with the Spaniards in the first round ended in a draw - 1: 1.

From the Spaniards they expected a brighter and more confident game at the championship. However, in a serious way, the absence of David Wilia apparently affected the actions of the Red Furia. If in the middle of the field the Spaniards looked stronger than all the teams in the tournament, then there is not enough “tip” ahead, who could realize all the ideas of partners.

Fernando Torres and Alvaro Negredo did not cope with this role and the mentor Vicente del Bosk has to put the nominal midfielders to the position of forward. Most often, Cesk Fabregas acts there, already scoring two goals and claiming the title of best scorer.

Nobody was waiting for the Italians before the start of the tournament in the final, especially after the defeat from Russia with a score of 0: 3 . Before the start of the championship, they had big problems, but, apparently, the story of 2006 began to be repeated when Italian football again covered a scandal with contractual matches, contrary to which the national team won the World Cup.

The main inspirers of the victories of this team were the playmaker Andrea Pirlo, goalkeeper Dzhanluji Buffon, who became the hero of the post -match series of the penalty in the 1/4 finals with the British and perfectly played against the Germans in the 1/2 finals, and Mario Balotelli, who "swung" at the start for a long time, but finally "shot" in the semi -finals with a dumb On the goal of the German national team.

He is the leader in the dispute of the best scorers along with the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Russian Alan Dzagoev and two namesakes - German Gomez and Croat Mandzhukich. Everyone has three goals, but only Balotelli can improve indicators. Two goals are also among the Spaniards Torres, Fabregas and Habi Alonso.

The final of the European Football Championship in Kyiv will come to watch royal persons, presidents and heads of government from around the world. The presidents of Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Italy, Moldova, Poland and Tajikistan, Prime Ministers of Spain and Italy, representatives of the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Russia, the Crown Prince and Princess of Spain gave their consent to see the game from the lodges of honored guests.