EURO Cup 2016 - Spain Vs Italy - What to expect

Late goals. If what we’ve seen so far at Euro 2016 continues, then goals in the last five or so minutes might very well be the thing that defines this tournament. It appeared for long stretches last night as though Group D would go the way of most pundits’ predictions. Spain would top the group, Croatia would claim second spot and Turkey would fight the Czech for bronze. But it wasn’t to be.

The Spain of Game 2 - with that thrashing of the out-of-sorts Turks - appeared to resume business in the opening stages at the Nouveau Stade de Bourdeaux. Within seven minutes Juventus strike ace Alvaro Morata popped up with his second goal in as many games. Another win for the current European champions looked imminent. But Ante Cacic’s men were to spoil the party and hand Spain a first loss at a European Championships in twelve years.

Ivan Perisic set up Nikola Kalinic in the 45th minute to level things up, before Kalinic returned the favour for Perisic to score some 42 minutes later. The Inter Milan man’s belter giving Croatia a much deserved win and ending David De Gea’s seemingly endless streak of Euros shut-outs. The nervy-looking goalkeeper hadn’t conceded for 733 minutes before Kalinic’s goal on the stroke of half time.

It could have been so different, though. Had Real Madrid’s rock-like centre back Sergio Ramos managed to convert his penalty, the tiki-taka exponents could have finished top and faced a third place team in the next round. But as it was, Danijel Subasic saved the spot kick, Spain fluffed more chances and it was the Croats who booked safe passage to the Round of 16 against a lesser club.

The champs now face Italy in Paris, a tricky tie they could have well done without. Vicente del Bosque’s men have more than enough to beat an ageing Azzurri of course, but Antonio Conte’s side are well-drilled, wily and capable of standing firm against Iniesta and Co and causing a minor upset. 

Spain are going to need a few more of their quieter players to stand up and be counted if they want to retain their crown. Morata’s popped up with a couple of strikes, but has failed to really impress. His veteran teammate Aritz Arduiz hasn’t taken his chances off the bench, either. The 35 year-old Athletic Bilbao striker is yet to score at Euro 2016. They’ll also need Cesc Fabregas to up his game and hope than Manchester United ‘keeper David de Gea’s confidence hasn’t been knocked by the two goals conceded in Bordeaux.

You can still expect to see the Spanish in the Quarter Finals. But they’ve left themselves a harder task than they needed to get there.