Italy vs Spain Live thread

Live link:http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/131352



Stream:http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/54981/1/spain-vs-italy---uefa-euro-2012-final-live-stream-online.html


Teams:
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Italy Team: Buffon,Abate,Barzagli,Bonucci,Chiellini,Pirlo ,De Rossi Montolivo,Marchisio,Cassan,Balotelli


Italy Subs:Sirigu, De Sanctis, Maggio, Ogbonna, Balzaretti, Motta, Giaccherini, Diamanti, Nocerino, Di Natale, Borini, Giovinco



Spanish Team:Casillas,Arbeloa,Pique,Ramos,Alba,Xavi,Busquets Alonso,Silva,Fabregas,Iniesta


Spanish subs: Valdes, Reina, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Cazorla, Jesus Navas, Pedro, Torres, Negredo, Mata, Llorente




Referee:Pedro Proenca





Facts
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Tonight, Spain are competing in their fourth European Championships final. Their first was in 1964, when they beat the USSR 2-1 on home soil. Their second final was in 1984, in which they were beaten by France. They of course won it in 2008, beating Germany 1-0.

Italy are in their third final (fourth if you include replays... and you're a pedant). They beat Yugoslavia 2-0 in a repaly in 1968 after drawing the first game 1-1. They lost 2-1 to France in 2000, when David Trezeguet scored a golden goal winner.

History is on Italy's side, but Spain have the form. They are now unbeaten in 19 competitive fixtures and have now gone 28 games without defeat in this competition since losing 2-0 in Sweden in a Euro 2008 qualifier on 7 October 2006. Their last defeat at a Euro finals was a 1-0 loss to hosts Portugal in the 2004 group stage that saw them eliminated.

It is only Spain's phenomenal form that makes Italy's pale in comparison. The Azzurri have been doing pretty well themselves of late. Their last competitive defeat was in the 2010 World Cup, when Slovakia beat them 3-2. The depths to which that defeat plunged them has clearly been followed by one hell of a response. They have since won ten and drawn five. Not bad.

Italy have also put together a handy little run in the Euros. They have gone 18 games without a defeat over 90 minutes since losing 3-0 to the Netherlands in their opening match at Euro 2008. Everything suggests a close encounter tonight. Nip and tuck stuff.


Italy and Spain have met six times before in major tournaments. The first was in the 1934 World Cup quarter-final, which Italy won 1-0 in a replay following a 1-1 draw in Florence. Giuseppe Meazza scored the goal. Italy also beat Spain in the group stage of the 1988 Euros (1-0 thanks to Gianluca Vialli's goal) and the last eight of the 1994 World Cup (2-1 with a Baggio (Dino and Roberto) double either side of a Jose Luis Caminero goal). The two also drew 0-0 in the group stage of the 1980 Euros and the quarters of the same competition in 2008 (Spain won that 4-2 on penalties). And there's the 1-1 draw just three weeks ago.

Forza Italia