SPAIN BEATS ITALY : EURO 2012 CHAMPIONS : SPAIN 4 – 0 ITALY

SPAIN ARE THE EURO 2012 CHAMPIONS

• Spain retain European Championship title
• Result: Spain 4-0 Italy
• Silva, Jordi Alba, Torres and Mata for Spain

Spain sealed their place in history as the first side to win three successive major international tournaments with a stunning victory over Italy in Kiev.

The Spanish were at their scintillating best to make a mockery of suggestions they are not entertaining to watch.

A David Silva header, and neat finishes from Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata gave La Rojas the win.

But the whole team played their part to seal the largest winning margin in a European Championship final.

The scoreline was perhaps cruel on Italy, who were forced to play the last 30 minutes with 10 men following an injury to Thiago Motta shortly after they had made their third and final substitution.

However, even when the teams were equal in number, reigning World and European champions Spain dominated and never looked like relinquishing their grip on the Henri Delaunay trophy they won in Vienna four years ago.

Their play sparkled with intelligence and imagination as they wove intricate triangles in and around the Italian box. Their goals owed as much to wonderfully constructed build-ups – in which midfielder’s Cesc Fabregas and Xavi played prominent parts – as they did to clinical finishing.

Italy created chances themselves, but never looked capable of matching their opponents, who can now justifiably be classed as one of the greatest sides in football history.

Sunday night saw a number of records set as a host of Spanish players became the first to win two European Championships, Fernando Torres’ goal made him the first man to score in two Euros finals and coach Vincente Del Bosque equalled West Germany manager Helmut Schon’s achievement of wining both the World Cup and the European Championship.

bbc.co.uk

MORE TO FOLLOW …