Current holders Spain will take on a
heavily balanced Italian side in the final of EURO 2012 at Olympic stadium in
Kiev tonight. Co-incidently both the side belong to the same group in the
tournament, in their previous group C clash ended in a stalemate of 1-1 apart
from that neither side have lost a single match in the tournament so far but it
will be the Italians who enter the showpiece in better form.
Spain have reached into this stage
looking to become the first back-to-back winners of the European championship
and the first side to win three straight majors (won Euro 2008 and the 2010
World Cup) and is on a major roll, winning 32 of its last 35 competitive games.But
Italy proved it deserves to be here, ending Germany’s 15-game winning streak on
two first-half Mario Balotelli goals in the semifinals. There would be a neat
symmetry to the achievement if Vicente del Bosque's men were to leave Kyiv's
Olympic Stadium having become the first team to retain the Henri Delaunay Cup.
Cesare Prandelli’s side were
excellent in their quarter-final win over England – which was only decided on
penalties because of their poor finishing – and they backed it up with a superb
2-1 victory against an in-form Germany.
And although Spain will enter the
final as favourites, Prandelli is confident his side can cause problems for
their opponents.“We only have one day to prepare for this game but we will try
to find Spain’s weaknesses,” Prandelli said.“They are the world and European
champions and they are an example to everyone. But we have grown and we should
not fear them. We have to have the strength to face them with ideas,
determination and quality.”
Manchester City forward Mario
Balotelli scored a well-taken brace in the win over the Germans, while Andrea
Pirlo’s outstanding form in this tournament continued as the veteran put in
another marvellous performance in the centre of midfield.
Pirlo’s skill on the ball has perhaps
been the highlight of the championships with his passing, movement and eye for
a through-ball all pivotal to Italy’s success in Poland and Ukraine.
Spanish defender Sergio Ramos is
well-aware of Pirlo’s talent and knows that he needs to be stopped if they are
to triumph.“They are very quick and dangerous on the break and Pirlo is
unique,” Ramos said.
“With a single pass he can open you up
and leave a man one on one. Pirlo is their reference point. He dominates the
game and controls the match. He’s the player that makes the difference.”
Spain
enter the final on the back of a penalty shootout success against Portugal,
which came after the two sides played out a stalemate in 120 minutes.Spain and
Italy met each other earlier in the group stages of the tournament, with Cesc
Fabregas’ equaliser earning the former a 1-1 draw in an exciting match in
Gdansk.
Prandelli opted for a 3-5-2 formation
against the Spaniards and it paid dividends as Vicente Del Bosque’s side were
crowded in midfield and struggled to move the ball forward with their usual
crispness.
The match was also notable for Del
Bosque’s refusal to play a recognised striker from the start, with Fabregas
playing in an unusual ‘false nine’ role, while they also started with the same
set-up in a 2-0 quarter-final win against France.
Spanish coach have shown the world a
new & innovative formation of playing with five midfield players &
without a single positive striker, currently he is playing with the formation
of 5-5-0. Sometimes he is introducing
his genuine strikers in second half but most of the time Spain is trying to
obtain the numerical superiority in the opponent penetrative zone. And the
issue has plagued Spain all throughout the tournament is with Cesc Fabregas
& Fernando Torres who would be in
the first eleven. Del Bosque’s failure to settle on a line-up has cost Spain
the chance to build continuity and as a result they have not been able to play
the kind of football that saw them win Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
While Torres and Fabregas have
scored two goals each, the bulk of Spain’s good play in the attacking third has
come from midfielders Andres Iniesta and David Silva and the pair will need to
be at their best again to cause Italy problems.Barcelona midfielder Xavi will
play a similar role to Pirlo, setting up attacks and acting as the pivot in
midfield, and the battle between the pair will be crucial.
The Spanish defence has been resolute
all tournament, conceding just once – which was against Italy – while
Prandelli’s side have shipped just three goals in five matches.
The match is unlikely to be a
shootout and just the one goal might be enough to claim victory.
Spain are attempting to create
history, with no country ever having won the European Championship twice in a
row. For Italy, they are looking to win the title for the first time since
1968, where they have won by toss against the former USSR in the final.
With the amount of quality on the
pitch and so much on the line, Sunday’s final is sure to be a special occasion.
Key battles:
Ramos v Balotelli
With Carles Puyol ruled out by injury,
Ramos has cemented his place as Gerard Pique's partner at the heart of Spain's
defence. His replica of Andre Pirlo's penalty in the semi-final shootout win
over Portugal demonstrated his confidence. Balotelli appears to be maturing
before our very eyes at Euro 2012. His form and attitude were questioned in
Italy's first two games but he has been almost unplayable since scoring as a
substitute against Republic of Ireland.
Xavi
v Pirlo
A mouthwatering showdown between two of
the best passers ever to grace the game. Xavi's status as an all-time great has
already been assured but he has yet to hit the heights in Poland and Ukraine
and will be desperate to do so on Sunday. Pirlo has been peerless for Italy and
almost has the Player of the Tournament award wrapped up ahead of the final.
Iniesta v Balzaretti
If Spain decide not to play a striker,
their midfield will have to fill the void and no-one is more capable of doing
so than Iniesta, whose goal settled the 2010 World Cup. The 28-year-old also
likes to drift out wide, where he will doubtless come up against Balzaretti.
The Juventus defender has excelled going forward at both left-back and
right-back at Euro 2012.
Head-to-head record
Spain's record in 30 games against Italy
is W8 D12 L10, but seven of those victories have come in friendly games.
EURO pedigree
Spain
Winners: 1964, 1968
Runners-up: 1984
Italy
Winners: 1968
Runners-up: 2000
Semi-finalists: 1988