Sunday, June 22, 2008

Italy vs Spain Preview and Live Score

If you are interested to get the live score and updates of Germany vs Spain Final match of Euro 2008, then visit the following link:

Germany vs Spain: Live Score and Updates

If you are interested to get the online live score and updates of Germany vs Turkey first semi final match then visit the following link:

Euro 2008: Germany-Turkey match Live Updates

If you are interested to get the online live score and updates of Italy vs Spain fourth quarter final match then visit the following link:

Euro 2008: Italy Spain Match Live Updates

Italy and Spain are going to face each other in the last quarter final of Euro 2008 tournament tomorrow (22 June 2008) at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria. There is no doubt football fans are eagerly waiting for this high profile seemingly classic match in the tournament. Both the sides have the prowess to win the match and being two powers in the football world, both the teams are expected to give their best of form to clinch the victory to reach the semi final of the tournament.

Match: Italy vs Spain, Fourth Quarter Final, Euro 2008

Date: 22 June 2008, Sunday

Venue: Ernst Happel, Vienna in Austria

Italy vs Spain: Road to Quarter Final

The mission of winning a place in the quarter final was not same for Spain and Italy. While Italy had to wait for the last match to ensure a place in the last eight, Spain had the liberty to rest some of its regular members in their last group match against Greece as Spain had confirmed their quarter final spot picking up their second victory in the second group match against Sweden.

Spain started the tournament in style defeating Russia 4-1 in the first match thanks to a superb hat trick from striker David Villa, the current leading goal scorer with four goals in the tournament. However, the 2-1 victory over Sweden in the second match did not come that easily, but with that victory they let Coach Luis Aragones to rest some of the regular players against Greece in the third match, but the decision seemed to be wrong when Spain was trialing by on goal. However, Spain ended up winning the match 2-1 keeping hundred percent winning streak in the group stage. Spain came into the quarter final as the winner of Group D.

If Spain had one of the brightest start in the tournament, then Italy had one of the worst, being thrashed by an excellent Netherlands side in their opening match in the tournament. Italy lost the first match 0-3 to Netherlands. They found their back on the wall after sharing points with Romania in the second match thanks to a 1-1 draw. That draw put Italy’s hope of winning a spot in the quarter final in a complex set of calculations meaning Italy had to win over France and hope the result of the Romania’s clash with Netherlands to come in their way. Fortunately, Italy saw off France 2-0, and Romania lost to Netherlands in the other match making the path clear for Italy to reach the quarter final of the tournament. Italy got into quarter final as the Group C runner up.

Italy vs Spain: Head to Head and Recent Form

Italy and Spain took on each other on 28 occasions so far in which Italy won nine and Spain emerged winner in eight matches with 11 matches being ended in draw. The last time two teams faced each other was in March this year when Spain won thanks to a David Villa goal. Italy has been unbeaten against Spain for 88 years now since they were beaten by Spain 2-0 in 1920 Olympic Games. However, it is also true that Italy could not win over Spain since a Roberto Baggio magic clinched a victory over Spain in 1994 world cup.

If you look at their recent form you will also find a big contrast between Spain and Italy and this time also Spain emerges winner. Spain will go into the match on a 19-match unbeaten streak that makes Spain more formidable. Moreover, Spain also won all of their last nine matches in all tournaments.

Italy, on the other hand, looks ordinary in terms of recent form. The world cup winners won four out of their last seven matches against two defeats and a draw. So, it is pretty much clear that in terms of recent form of the both teams, Spain is far ahead of Italy. However, the point is that when two teams like Spain and Italy face each other previous records and statistics have nothing to do with it.

Fabio Cannavaro Finds the Way to Break Spanish Defense

Italy’s world cup winning Captain Fabio Cannavaro was out of Euro 2008 with torn ligaments, even before the tournament got underway, but he decided to remain with the team. Ahead of the Italy’s quarter final encounter with in-form Spain, Cannavaro has some tips for his team mates to break down Spanish defense, even though Fabio Cannavaro is a defender. To him, Spain sometimes gives more importance to attack, leaving space in the defense. He also adds that the reason behind their world cup triumph is that Italy was united as a team without depending on any single player. So, the captain is indicating his team mates to follow the same thing what they did in the 2006 world cup.

Timesonline reported:

Cannavaro still views Spain's forward prowess as a possible soft spot. “All teams have weaknesses,” he said. “We will have to exploit theirs by taking advantage of the space they sometimes leave when going forward. They are so enthusiastic about attacking that they can leave one-on-one situations in defence. That's something we'll look for.

“We won the World Cup because we were united as a team, not because we had a phenomenon like Diego Maradona. We know that if we are concentrated and together we can beat anyone. Perhaps this is the best time to face Spain because playing against the best is more challenging and you know you have to give 100 per cent.”

Fernando Torres vs Luca Toni

There is no doubt that the two Ts (Torres and Toni) could be lethal for their opposition in the match. However, it is also true that neither Torres nor Toni has been at their best in the tournament so far. Toni missed a lot of chances in the previous three matches, but his presence in the Italian attack is very important because of the magic that could see off Spain from the tournament.

Fernando Torres spent a more-than-excellent debut season with English club Liverpool becoming the highest scorer for his club. Ahead of Euro 2008, he was considered as one of the mains strength of Spain, but once the tournament started, his striking partner David Villa, tournament’s highest scorer so far, started to take away more media attention with his superb goal scoring form that includes the opening match hat trick against Russia. Now, Torres might be gearing up to show his best at this stage of the tournament which is now something every fan of Spain is eagerly anticipating for.

Injury and Suspension

Spain seems to get the full strength team against Italy, as defender Carles Puyol is expected to be fit before the match kicks off. However, Italy will miss two important midfielders: Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo- due to suspension. Defender Andrea Barzagli has been out of the rest of the tournament after suffered an injury in training. It would definitely be problematic for Roberto Donadoni’s men to cope up with the absence of Gattuso and Pirlo in the match.

Italy vs Spain: Online Live Score and Updates

If you can not watch the match on television, you can get the online live score and updates of the match from different online live score websites. Here, I am giving some of the links of some online live score websites:

Live Score
Goalzz
Euro 2008
Goal.com
football-data
Sky Sports
Live Score.cz

Spain may seem to be favorite considering the recent form, but if you go back to history, you would find a striking resemblance between Italy’s major successes in football and their performance in Euro 2008. Italy had bad start in almost all the tournaments they won the title of. So, I think, Italy also has a good chance in the match. Now, if you think that Spain has no chance in the match only because they are Europe’s biggest underachievers, then you could make a serious mistake. The current Spanish side has each and every quality needed to win the title of this competition So, I would like to say that both the teams have equal chances in the match and hope to see an exciting match at the Ernst Happel, Vienna in Italy.

Who do you think is going to win the match?

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