Tiki-taka takes trophy

Spain: Casillas, Piqué, Ramos, Arbeloa, Alba, Iniesta, Xavi, Fàbregas, Alonso, Busquets, Silva SUBS: Valdés, Reina, Albiol, Martínez, Juanfran, Cazorla, Navas, Rodríguez, Torres, Negredo, Mata, Llorente.

Xavi shot over from just outside the area on 10' in a first quarter-hour of end-to-end football, the scoreline broken by Spain on 14' when Fàbregas ran down to the line, squared to the centre and David Silva headed past Gianluigi Buffon. Italy reacted with 3 corners inside 2 minutes and tried to put the game together.

28' Cassano shot at Casillas; 29' free kick; 32' Cassano's shot was saved by Casillas. Italy's transition was slow, giving Spain time to put men behind the ball; Spain's transition and passing game is remarkable and several times they put seven players in the area of the ball. 41' 2-0, Jordi Alba finishing a lightning attack which took ten seconds from Casillas' long pass upfield to Jordi Alba putting away an excellent through pass from Xavi Hernández.

43' Cassano's shot was saved by Casillas.

Second half, two more goals for Spain. Italy continued slow in the transition from defence to attack, Spain passed the ball where it was needed and all the time it seemed to be glued to the players' feet. Di Natale came on as a substitute and on 46' was already creating danger; Fàbregas replied for Spain shooting just wide on 47'.

51' Di Natale shot at Casillas from 3 metres; 58' Balotelli rifled just over and Thiago Motta was carried off with a thigh injury just after the hour; being the third substitute, Italy was reduced to ten men.

Spain replied with two corners, 76' and 80', then 2 goals, the first by Fernando Torres on 84' tapping Xavi Hernández' through ball past Buffon. Mata fixed the final score on 88' after an assist by Torres.

Semi-finals

Wednesday June 27 PORTUGAL 0  SPAIN 0 Spain wins 4-2 penalties

Thursday June 28 GERMANY 1 ITALY 2

Quarter-final 1: Czech Republic 0 Portugal 1

                                                            Ronaldo, 79'

Quarter-final 2: Germany 4 Greece 2

                            Lahm, 39;     Samaras, 55'

                            Khedira 61;   Salpingidis, 89' (pen.)

                            Klose 68;

                            Reus 74

Quarter-final 3: France 0 Spain 2

                                             Xabi Alonso, 19; 90+1 (pen.)

Quarter-final 4: England 0 Italy 0

Italy wins 4-2 on penalties

Quarter-finals

1. Czech Republic 0 Portugal 1 Thursday June 21 in Warsaw

2. Germany 4 Greece 2 Friday June 22 in Gdansk

3. Spain 2 France 0 Saturday June 23 in Donetsk

4. England 0 Italy 0 Italy wins 4-2 on penalties Sunday June 24 in Kyiv

The Group Phase

Group A (FIFA ranking pre-tournament) After 3 games

                                   W        D         L          GF       GA      P

Czech Republic (26)  2          0          1          4          5          6

Greece (14)                1          1          1          3          3          4

Russia (11)                  1          1          1          5          3          4

Poland (65)                 0          2          1          2          3          2

Games

Russia 4             Czech Republic 1

Dzagoev (2)       Pilar

Shirokov

Pavlyuchenko

Poland 1              Greece 1

Lewandowski      Salpingidis

Czech Republic 2 Greece 1

Jiracek                  Gekas

Pilar

Poland 1                             Russia 1

Błaszczykowski                  Dzagoev

Czech Republic 1 Poland 0

Jiracek

Greece 1 Russia 0

Karagounis

Group B (FIFA ranking pre-tournament)

                                   W        D         L          GF       GA      P

Germany (2)              3          0          0          5          2          9

Portugal (5)                2          0          1          5          4          6

Denmark (10)              1          0          2          4          5          3

Netherlands (3)            0          0          3          2          5          0

Games

Germany 1 Portugal 0

Gomez

Denmark 1            Netherlands 0

Krohn-Dehli

Denmark 2    Portugal 3

Bendtner (2)  Pepe, Postiga, Varela

Germany 2 Netherlands 1

Gomez (2)  Van Persie

Denmark 1    Germany 2

Krohn-Dehli  Podolski, Bender

Netherlands 1 Portugal 2

Van der Vaart Ronaldo (2)

Group C (FIFA ranking pre-tournament)

                                   W        D         L          GF       GA      P

Spain (1)                     2          1          0          6          1          7

Italy (12)                    1          2          0          4          2          5

Croatia (8)                   1          1          1          4          3          4

Rep. Ireland (18)         0          0          3          1          9          0

Games

Italy 1               Spain 1

Di Natale     Fabregas

Croatia 3              Republic of Ireland 1

Mandzukic (2)       St. Ledger

Jelavic

Croatia 1      Italy 1

Mandzukic  Pirlo

Rep. Ireland 0 Spain 4

                        Torres (2); David Silva; Fabregas

Croatia 0 Spain 1

                Navas

Italy 2 Rep. Ireland 0

Cassano

Balotelli

 Group D (FIFA ranking pre-tournament)

                                   W        D         L          GF       GA      P

England (7)                 2          1          0          5          3          7

France (16)                1          1          1          3          3          4

Ukraine (50)                1          0          2          2          4          3

Sweden (17)                1          0          2          5          5          3

Games

Ukraine 2                    Sweden 1

Shevchenko (2)            Ibrahimovic

England 1        France 1

Lescott         Nasri

´

Ukraine 0   France 2

                   Ménez; Cabaye

England 3   Sweden 2

Carroll,       o.g. Johnson

Walcott      Melberg

Welbeck

England 1 Ukraine 0

Rooney

Sweden 2 France 0

Ibrahimovic

Larsson

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

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