Minute by Minute: Germany - Spain
June 30, 2008
VIENNA, Jun 29 (SW) - Euro 2008 culminates with today’s final between Germany and Spain. SoccerWay keeps you up to date with the latest.
Final score: 0-1
More match information: Here. Match Video Highlight
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FULL-TIME: It’s all over! Spain win their first major tournament in 44 years and were the better side in doing it. Valiant effort from Germany, but Torres was the difference and Spain are the kings of Europe in 2008!
Minute 90+2: Spain still going for goal. The ball is played in for Xabi Alonso, but Lehmann thwarts him at the last second.
Minute 90+1: Cross comes in from the right, but it’s too long for Gomez. Throw to Spain.
Minute 90: Germany finally manage to get in the area, but Gomez goes into the back of Capdevila. Three minutes added on by Rosetti.
Minute 88: Kuranyi again slides in on Senna, this time earning the striker a booking.
Minute 87: Germany caught offside, but they are playing more side to side, rather than ahead.
Minute 86: Xavi takes it, but it’s well over the top. Germany need to launch an attack quickly.
Minute 85: Kuranyi concedes a free kick in the center of the pitch 25 yards out against Senna.
Minute 84: Spain are on the attack. Needing an equalizer, Germany are spending a lot of time in their own half.
Minute 81: Senna nearly puts the game away! Cazorla’s cross is played back to center by a Güiza header, but the holding midfielder couldn’t quite reach to it.
Minute 80: Capdevila tries a tough shot from a tight angle, but Lehmann has it.
Minute 79: Also a third change for Germany as Mario Gómez comes for Klose. Two identical switches for Germany and Spain.
Minute 78: It’s the third and final switch for Spain, the goalscorer Torres replaced by Dani Güiza.
Minute 77: Torres tries to cross it to the center, but it’s blocked out for a corner, which amounts to a Cazorla cross going untouched across goal.
Minute 76: Torres puts a good move to put Mertesacker on his backside, but the touch is heavy and Lehmann takes it.
Minute 74: Torres is booked by Rosetti for an aerial challenge on Mertesacker.
Minute 74: Germany trying to push forward, but Ballack is offside and Spain can clear their lines.
Minute 71: Frings takes it, but a powerful punch for Casillas clears the threat.
Minute 70: Free kick won by Jansen as Ramos impeded his run.
Minute 69: Iniesta again gets a shot off in the area, but it’s right at Lehmann.
Minute 68: The corner kick is played short to Iniesta, but his laser shot is cleared off the line by Frings.
Minute 67: Poor German defending almost lets Ramos in! Free kick comes in to the far post and Ramos’ header is a free one getting in behind Jansen, but it’s right at Lehmann.
Minute 66: Silva now comes off with Santi Cazorla replacing him. Another defensive-minded switch by Aragonés.
Minute 64: Some players are steaming as David Silva and Podolski looked to try to be headbutting each other. In any event, the referee didn’t see it, and Schweinsteiger’s free kick again sails over the top.
Minute 63: First switch for Spain as Fabregas comes off to be replaced by Xabi Alonso.
Minute 62: Schweinsteiger puts in a good ball that only narrowly misses finding Klose on the doorstep. Better spell from Germany and their best period of sustained pressure in the match.
Minute 61: Great cross from the left by Ballack almost finds the head of a charging Kuranyi, but Casillas just gets to it.
Minute 60: More good play for Germany as Schweinsteiger flicks forward in the center for Kuranyi, but the flag went up on the Schalke forward.
Minute 60: Jansen recovers from losing the ball and crosses in for Schweinsteiger. The midfielder plays it back for Ballack, but his half-volley goes just wide. That’s the closest Germany have been for awhile.
Minute 59: Great service in from Ramos on the right side of the area, but it goes out for a goal kick with Lehmann diving at it.
Minute 58: Kevin Kuranyi replaces Hitzlsperger, giving Germany two strikers up front. This will also likely bring Frings forward a bit more into a tradition 4-4-2.
Minute 55: Xavi’s ball finds Torres who tries to slide in and poke past Lehmann, but the keeper gets there first and is able to avert the threat.
Minute 54: Silva sends in a shot to the far post from the corner, but Ramos fails to re-direct it, and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
Minute 54: Xavi tees one up from outside the area, but Lehmann just touches it out for the corner kick.
Minute 53: Jansen tries to play in Podolski, but he is swarmed by the red shirts of Spain, and there is no danger.
Minute 47: Ball coming over the top finds Klose, but the striker is offside.
Minute 46: One change for Germany as left-back Marcell Jansen has replaced Philipp Lahm, who had a disappointing first half.
HALF-TIME: It’s the midway point of the Euro 2008 final and Spain are in control. They have the goal from Torres, and have looked the more likely to score for most of the opening period. Germany will need to push forward in greater frequency in the second half.
Minute 45: Counter by the Spanish ends with a cross from Iniesta being blocked out for a corner by Mertesacker.
Minute 43: Double booking for Ballack and Casillas. The two captains were jawing back and forth as Ballack committed a foul as Spain broke.
Minute 41: Hitzlsperger’s corner is punched out by Casillas, but Germany get another one.
Minute 40: Ballack is finally back on. Hitzlsperger takes a free kick from the right side, but it’s headed away by Senna. Goes out for a corner, though.
Minute 39: Iniesta slides a pass through into the area for Silva, but he can’t handle it.
Minute 37: Schweinsteiger takes it and uncharacteristically skies it over the top.
Minute 37: Free kick for Germany about 25 yards out in the left channel. No Ballack for it. He’s getting stitched up after a clash in the air with Marcos Senna.
Minute 35: Silva squanders a chance. Iniesta crosses into plenty of open space, but the Valencia man’s volley is ballooned. He could have done much more with it.
Minute 33: GOAL SPAIN (0-1) FERNANDO TORRES looked like he had been bested by the German defense, but he manages to poke it past Lehmann! Xavi’s ball was out in front of him, but the striker brushed Lahm aside and poked past a charging Lehmann.
Minute 31: Fabregas takes a low effort form 25 yards out, but Lehmann is able to trap it after it came through several sets of legs.
Minute 29: Appeals for handball against Marchena, but Rosetti ignores their pleas.
Minute 26: Capdevila, who is playing well so far, crosses low to the near post, but Lehmann confidently snags it.
Minute 25: It comes back into the area for Ballack on the half-volley, but it hits a leaping Ramos in the ribcage.
Minute 25: Podolski tries to cross in from the left for Schweinsteiger, but it deflects for a corner kick. Schweinsteiger’s inswinger is headed down by Puyol.
Minute 23: Torres hits the post! Cross comes in from the right from Ramos, and the striker rises over Mertesacker, but heads onto the upright. Capdevila follows with a blast, but it swerves wide of the target.
Minute 20: The set piece is crossed in, but headed over the top.
Minute 19: Torres’ move for the ball is impeded on the right touchline by Metzelder. Free kick to Spain.
Minute 16: Torres crosses into open space, but to no one in particular and Spain concede possession to the Germans.
Minute 14: Iniesta crosses back to the center, but it goes off an unsuspecting Metzelder, forcing Lehmann into a diving save.
Minute 12: Schweinsteiger’s ball in for Klose is touched out for a corner kick that is taken by Schweini, but punched away by Casillas.
Minute 9: Klose lays it off for Hitzlsperger to crack at from the top of the area, but the midfielder’s shot lacks power and Casillas comfortably gathers.
Minute 8: A nice touch on the left by Ballack slips his marker, but the ensuing cross goes across the face of goal with no one on the end to put it home.
Minute 7: Silva’s throughball finds Capdevila heading for the left corner, but the full-back is a good four yards offside.
Minute 5: Germany build nicely up the left side, but the cross of Lahm is wayward and lands on top of the goal. Goal kick for Casillas.
Minute 4: Xavi plays it over the top for Torres, but the Liverpool striker drifts narrowly offside.
Minute 4: Horrible giveaway by Sergio Ramos whose errant pass finds Miroslav Klose, but his touch lets him down and the chance goes begging.
Minute 3: Spain have held it since the beginning but have failed to advance the ball much as of yet.
Kickoff: They’ve shaken hands, the coin’s been flipped and the whistle sounds. Game on in Vienna!
PRE-GAME: It’s anthem time. Spain’s "Marcha Real" will play first, followed by Germany’s "Deutschlandlied".
PRE-GAME: For those of you in support of referees during football matches, time to dig out your Roberto Rosetti kit for today’s final. The Italian will be assisted by Alessandro Griselli and Paolo Calcagno. The man designated with the task of putting up with the constant bickering of Aragonés and Löw is Sweden’s Peter Fröjdfeldt, today’s fourth official.
PRE-GAME: The closing ceremony is taking place right now. Lots of balloons. It’s colorful and entertaining, but it’s football all the people want to see. About 12 minutes from kickoff.
SPAIN TEAM NEWS: A big blow for Luis Aragonés and Spain, as striker and tournament top scorer David Villa is out with a groin injury. Therefore, Spain will revert to their former one-striker system. Cesc Fabregas goes from the start in an advanced midfield role.
GERMANY TEAM NEWS: Germany captain Michael Ballack was a serious doubt leading up to the match with a calf strain, but he has been passed fit and starts for Joachim Löw, who goes with just one change from the side that beat Russia 3-0 on Thursday as Torsten Frings re-enters the starting XI for Simon Rolfes.
History: Despite the long history between these two nations, this will be the first time they have ever contested the final of a major tournament against one another. Their most recent meeting was in February 2003, a 3-1 friendly win for Spain in Mallorca.
History: Spain were beaten by West Germany in the 1982 World Cup, the Germans ousting the hosts at the second group phase before going on to lose the final to Italy. They also previous met in 1966 in England, and 1994 in the USA.
History: This is the 20th all-time meeting between Spain and Germany/West Germany. Germany have won eight times, Spain five times, and six times they have played to a draw. Competitively, they have faced off seven times before: three times in a World Cup finals, twice in European qualifying, and twice in a European finals.
TEAMS
Germany (4-2-3-1): Jens Lehmann; Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Christoph Metzelder, Philipp Lahm; Torsten Frings, Thomas Hitzlsperger; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski; Miroslav Klose.
Spain (4-1-4-1): Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila; Marcos Senna; Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva; Fernando Torres.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Minute by Minute: Russia - Spain
June 27, 2008
VIENNA, Jun 26 (SW) - Spain and Russia battle it out for a spot in the Euro 2008 final on Sunday against Germany. SoccerWay keeps you up to date with the latest.
Final score: 0-3
More match information: Here.
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FULL TIME - Spain are through to the Euro 2008 final! It was deserved as they were really the only side to attack tonight. In three days from now, their next appointment is with Germany in this very stadium to decide who is to lift this year’s European trophy!
Minute 88: Russia get a free kick and it’s swung in towards the goal. Zyryanov’s header is denied by Casillas.
Minute 85: The three-goal lead is nothing short of deserved as Spain have been the side taking the initiative tonight while the Russians seemed much less inspired than they did in the quarter final.
Minute 82: GOAL SPAIN (0-3) - DAVID SILVA - Spain score another and now it just can’t go wrong anymore!! Fabregas comes down the left wing and crosses to Silva who was left all alone by the Russian defense. The winger makes no mistake and slams it past Akinfeev for Spain’s third!
Minute 81: Less than ten minutes are left in regular time and Russia really need to react now! But in the last few minutes, it has been Spain who just keep on attacking.
Minute 74: The Russians get dangerously close to the Spanish goal but a short pass from the left is controlled by Casillas.
Minute 73: GOAL SPAIN (0-2) - DANIEL GUÏZA - Cesc Fabregas sends a beautiful looping pass over the Russian defense and subsitute Guïza lobs it over Akinfeev to double Spain’s lead!!
Minute 71: The following corner kick eventually enables Xabi Alonso to try a shot but again, Akinfeev gets in the way.
Minute 70: Good distance shot from Fabregas but Akinfeev makes the save.
Minute 69: Goalscorer Xavi Hernández comes off for Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres makes way for Daniel Guïza. Aragonés now has no substitutions left.
Minute 68: Spain want a spotkick as Fernando Torres goes down in the penalty area but referee De Bleeckere disagrees with the claims.
Minute 64: Russia get a free kick in a good spot as Marchena fouls Bilyaletdinov, but it hits a Spaniard.
Minute 63: Another big chance for Spain! Ramos sends in a cross from the right wing but Torres can’t get it on goal.
Minute 62: A difficult shot from Fernando Torres and not too surprisingly, it goes wide. Good attempt though.
Minute 61: Iniesta passes to Fabregas near the end line and Cesc tries to lob it over the goalkeeper to reach Fernando Torres but it’s cleared.
Minute 60: Fabregas is brought down by substitute Bilyaletdinov who is booked as result.
Minute 57: And another quick change for Russia with Sychev coming on for Saenko.
Minute 56: Russia manager Guus Hiddink makes a change and brings on Bilyaletdinov for Semshov. An attacking move this is.
Minute 56: Spain keep attacking now as Luis Aragonés’s men clearly want a quick second goal.
Minute 52: Almost another as Fabregas serves Torres and ‘El Niño’ strikes just over the Russian crossbar.
Minute 50: GOAL SPAIN (0-1) - XAVI - Andrés Iniesta enters the penalty area on the left and his pass reaches Xavi who does well to put the ball between Akinfeev’s legs for 0-1!
Minute 49: Ramos crosses in from the right looking for Torres at the back post, but it’s headed clear.
Minute 46: Back underway in Vienna.
HALF-TIME: A tight encounter as many of these matches deep in tournaments can be. A handful of half-chances, mostly falling the way of Spain, but the Russians aren’t being ripped up at the back like they were the first time around. With Villa out injured, how well will Torres play as the lone striker? All questions to be answered in the second half. Stay tuned.
Minute 45: Free kick lofted in by Xavi is taken well by Akinfeev.
Minute 39: Torres brings the ball down in the area and strikes it with the left boot, but it’s weak and Akinfeev takes it.
Minute 37: Ramos went for the target with a shot from the right, but it misses the near post.
Minute 34: Interesting move as Villa comes off with Cesc Fabregas replacing him.
Minute 31: Great effort by Pavlyuchenko from 20 yards out that doesn’t miss by much. Casillas did get a piece, but a goal kick is awarded.
Minute 29: Free kick for Spain in the center some 30 yards away is struck by Villa, but it bounces into Akinfeev’s arms.
Minute 27: Xavi lofts it into the area for Andrés Iniesta, but he can never get the ball under control.
Minute 24: Ramos has a boot from the right flank, but it floats right into the arms of Akinfeev. Tough takes for the keepers at all times with rain teeming down in Vienna.
Minute 18: First break from Yuri Zhirkov on the left, but his cross is over the goal.
Minute 16: Russia get a free kick in the center about 30 yards away as Carles Puyol hauls down Andrei Arshavin. Roman Pavlyuchenko has a fine strike at it, but he can’t keep it down and it’s over the top.
Minute 13: Corner kick for the first time in the game for Russia is taken short and the lofted ball to the far post is chested by Ramos to Casillas.
Minute 11: Villa has a crack at goal from 25 yards out, forcing a near-post save from Akinfeev.
Minute 10: First bit of dangerous play from Russia as Ivan Saenko sends in a right-wing cross, but it’s low and into the arms of Iker Casillas.
Minute 6: Torres gets a shot on target after Villa lays it back for him, but his turning effort lacked power and was right into the body of Igor Akinfeev. Spain starting the better of the two sides.
Minute 5: Sergio Ramos tries to volley in the right-footed corner, but it’s cleared. Later on, the ball comes back from the right, and again Ramos can’t quite get to it. Another corner by Spain is cleared away.
Minute 4: Fernando Torres accelerates down the right, but his cross is blocked out for a corner by Berezutski.
Kickoff: De Bleeckere gets the semi-final clash underway!
Pre-Game: It’s time for the anthems now. Spain, wearing yellow, will have theirs played first. Then, red-clad Russia will have their turn.
Pre-Game: Belgium’s Frank de Bleeckere will be the referee today, assisted by Peter Hermans and Alex Verstraeten. Greek referee Kyros Vassaras is the fourth official.
Pre-Game: Russia have been electric as of late, with stunning wins over both Sweden and an extra-time thriller against the Netherlands. Manager Guus Hiddink is forced to make one change to the side that beat the Dutch, with Vassili Berezutski stepping into the center of defense in place of the suspended Denis Kolodin.
Pre-Game: As expected, Spain manager Luis Aragonés does not make any changes to the side that beat Italy on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals. Spanish observers keep wondering about the status of Fernando Torres, but he’s once again in the starting XI next to David Villa.
Pre-Game: Oh yeah, we didn’t forget. Spain has only won one major international tournament, the 1964 European Nations’ Cup. It was the Soviet Union that they beat 2-1 in the final in Madrid, Marcelino scoring the winning goal six minutes from time.
Pre-Game: These two nations have met four times since Russia began competing as the nation they are now, Spain winning three of those. The only other result was a 0-0 draw in a 2006 friendly. Spain beat Russia 1-0 at Euro 2004, and of course 4-1 in the opening group match of this tournament. They also met once when the CIS competed, that a 1-1 draw in Las Palmas.
Pre-Game: During the USSR era, the nations met five times. The Soviets twice beat Spain in European Championship qualifying, one of those a walkover in 1960 when Spain refused to travel to Moscow. Spain won in a friendly in 1986 and drew 0-0 in 1971.
Popularity: 1% [?]
2008-06-26 - Russia v Spain
June 24, 2008
Euro 2008
2008-06-26 - Russia v Spain
Sports Betting Preview by Gooner
Russia vs Spain
UEFA Euro 2008 - Semi-Final
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Thursday 26th June 2008 - KO 19:45
RUSSIA
Russia have come on in leaps and bounds during the course of this tournament as Guss Hiddinks young side have showed that they are learning their football lessons fast.
Russia have the youngest squad in Austria/Switzerland and Hiddink’s intensive fitness work in the build-up to tournaments is also paying dividends with his team noticeably fresher than their rivals in the last two games – perhaps helped by the fact the Russian season only starts in March.
Make no mistake - Russia deserved their victory over the Netherlands (who had themselves looked so good in previous matches) and a similar performance in the semi-final could be a winning one.
Russia are young, fresh, and have tremendous belief in their adopted coach, so I expect another attacking approach in Vienna.
SPAIN
Spain buried a jinx on Sunday night, after edging past Italy on penalties to remove an 88-year barrier that had been haunting them regularly.
But this was not a fluid performance from Spain, who seemed almost paralysed by their Azzurri opponents and the Spanish side will have to put on a much better show against Russia in order to make the final.
Spain may have finally defeated an old foe, but the Azzurri were tired old men, and now Spain have to refocus on an energetic Russian side and not expect things to be as easy as their 4-1 group win.
HEAD TO HEAD
Spain and Russia clashed in the opening game of Group D, and the Spanish attack had a field day scoring four times in a very comfortable 4-1 victory.
That was the biggest margin of victory and the highest scoring game in any of the nine clashes between the two nations.
Overall Spain hold a 5-3-1 record over Russia, with the only Russia victory a 2-1 success in Moscow way back in 1971.
TEAM NEWS
Russia will be without two players for the semi-final as defender Denis Kolodin and attacking midfielder Dmitri Torbinski were cautioned for a second time in Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Netherlands.
Spain had no players recieve another yellow card in the shoot-out win against Italy meaning coach Luis Aragonés will have a full complement of players to choose from.
THE VERDICT
This one is a very tricky game to call - and undoubtedly the stature and importance of the match will affect the way the game is played.
I previously recommended taking Russia on handicap against the Netherlands because we were getting such a great price, and because even though they were play an "in-form" opponent - if Russia attacked then they could cause problems.
It’s ALMOST exactly the same situation here, but the punters are a little wiser this time so the prices on the Russians are not quite so strong.
Also there is a question around whether Russian coach Guus Hiddink will continue to "throw caution to the winds" and play the attacking style - knowing that he is so close to the final?
For that matter, Spain might have beaten Italy, but they’re hardly over their tag as the "choakers" of European football. I was not impressed with Spain against Italy - but they should get more space in this match.
I’m going to rate this game much the same as the Russian quarter-final with Spain having a better group of individuals … but which team has the mental toughness to perform on this stage?
The Pick :
PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :
FIXED ODDS BETTING :
No bet on the 90 minute result. Unfortunately this time I agree with the bookmakers - and there is little value to be found.
I’ll take a look at the special bets in the next 12 hours - and see if I can find a play.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Minute by Minute: Spain - Italy
June 23, 2008
VIENNA (SW) - The fourth of the quarter finals promises to be one of the most exciting ones with Spain facing reigning world champions Italy. SoccerWay keeps you up to date.
Final score: 0-0 AET
Spain win 4-2 on penalties
More match information: Here.
Feel free to register or log in and start using the ‘discuss’ option below to give your opinion on this match!
Cesc Fabregas - ESP: GOAL (4-2)! He sends Buffon the wrong way and Spain are through to the semi-finals!
Antonio Di Natale - ITA: SAVE! Almost identical to the shot by Güiza, and Casillas is there to stop it. Goal for Spain wins it.
Daniel Güiza - ESP: SAVE! The youngster hits it low to his right, but Buffon is there.
Mauro Camoranesi - ITA: GOAL (3-2)
Marcos Senna - ESP: GOAL (3-1)
Daniele De Rossi - ITA: SAVE! He goes right and Casillas is down low to knock it away. Nice job by the keeper.
Santi Cazorla - ESP: GOAL (2-1)
Fabio Grosso - ITAL: GOAL (1-1)
David Villa - ESP: GOAL (1-0)
Spain to go first.
ET FULL-TIME: Nothing in extra time. Let’s go to the spot to decide it. Buffon saved a penalty against Romania, and it proved to be the moment that helped them into the quarter-finals. Should get underway in a few minutes. Keep it right here for more updates.
Minute 120: Best chance of the period. Cazorla takes a shot at the far post from the left side of hte area. He never saw Villa at the backpost. And there goes the whistle.
Minute 118: Long-range effort again, this time for Spain and Güiza and it too is nowhere near the target.
Minute 118: Speculative effort from 35 yards by Di Natale never gets off the ground. Goal kick for Spain.
Minute 117: Silva slides it forward into space, but no one was near it and Buffon gathers.
Minute 115: Güiza tries to squeeze his way through the area, but once again the Italian defense is there to thwart his run.
Minute 114: Di Natale decides to go down after a seemingly harmless clash, and play is stopped. It’s happened numerous times tonight, and the governing bodies should come up with a uniform policy to handle how to decide when to stop play. It’s badly affected the flow of the match.
Minute 113: Cazorla goes into the book for dissent after thinking he had won a corner.
Minute 111: Villa is played throw into the area by Silva, but he touches just too far in front of him, and Buffon is able to play it for a corner. The set piece comes onto the head of Ramos, but it’s wide.
Minute 108: Aquilani is taken off in Italy’s final switch with veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero making an appearance. This could be a switch looking toward the penalty shootout that is looming.
Minute 108: The left-footed effort of Grosso goes begging, and the flag was up in any event for offside.
Minute 107: Here comes a potentially good chance for Italy. Ramos with a dangerous tackle on Camoranesi on the edge of the left side of the area.
Minute 106: Fandel blows the whistle to start it back up.
HALF-TIME: They’ll switch ends and do it again. If it’s still nodded after 15 more minutes, it’s to penalties we’ll go.
Minute 105: Free kick for Fabregas on the right touchline is cleared. Whistle blows for half-time.
Minute 104: Güiza fires with Chiellini right in front of him, but all he can do is drag it wide. Chiellini did well to give him a small target to shoot out.
Minute 102: Senna is down after he caught Camoranesi coming through on a challenge. He’s receiving treatment. Remember, Spain have made all three changes and would have to play with 10 men should someone go off injured. But Senna is now walking off and he should be back on fine in a bit.
Minute 99: The Italian defense cuts out a run by Fabregas nicely. As soon as a red shirt gets into the area, he’s surrounded by three or four white shirts.
Minute 96: The corner is put back in, and Spain clear it back out for another corner. The effort from the left side by De Rossi is headed over the top by Toni.
Minute 95: Grosso’s low cross in for Toni is pushed away nicely by Marchena. Shortly after, Di Natale heads a cross from the left that forces Casillas into a fingertip save. Corner to the Azzurri.
Minute 93: Wow. So close for Spain. Güiza nods it down Fabregas, whose shot is blocked, but it comes back to Silva who rifles one wide of the near post.
Minute 92: Early free kick for Spain from 25 yards away, right of center. Silva takes it with his left boot and it goes out with a lot of bodies going down in the center.
ET Kickoff: Underway for more action!
FULL-TIME: And for the third time in as many nights at Euro 2008, the quarter-finals are headed to extra time. 30 minutes more, and perhaps penalties after that. Stay tuned.
Minute 90+3: Cross in for Villa has to be cleared for a corner. Last gasp here for Spain and it’s cleared away.
Minute 90: Three minutes to be added on.
Minute 87: Villa’s cross finds the substitute Güiza in the area, but he inexplicably handles it.
Minute 85: Torres is replaced by Daniel Güiza. Last switch for Spain.
Minute 83: Di Natale’s flick into the box finds Toni, who attempts an outrageous overhead shot. He didn’t see Grosso coming in right behind him.
Minute 82: Cross by Zambrotta looks for Toni, but he can’t get up to get his head to it.
Minute 81: Buffon is fortunate, indeed. Shot by Senna is fumbled by the keeper and it rolls back onto the post. If the woodwork isn’t there, Buffon might be credited with a horrible mistake.
Minute 80: Senna hits a free kick on target and Buffon chooses to just knock it away.
Minute 78: Overhead flick by Sergio Ramos falls into the hands of Buffon right on the goal line. Easy take for the Italian keeper.
Minute 74: Second switch for Italy with Cassano being replaced by Antonio Di Natale.
Minute 72: Villa goes down in the area, and this time he’s booked for a dive.
Minute 70: Zambrotta puts in a cross for the head of Toni, who snuck in between two defenders, but it was a tough chance that goes begging.
Minute 70: On the corner, Fabregas’ outswinger goes for naught.
Minute 69: Spain have a free kick now from about 30 yards away in the dead center of the pitch, and Villa’s effort goes off the wall and over the goal for a corner.
Minute 67: Free kick from Camoranesi on the right goes clear over everyone and out for a goal kick.
Minute 65: Effort from distance by Alberto Aquilani skids wide of the goal.
Minute 61: Scramble in the six-yard box almost leads to the goal for Italy. Toni jumped to head a loose ball, but it fell to Camoranesi, whose shot is saved by the feet of a desperate Casillas.
Minute 60: At the same time, Xavi is withdrawn for Cesc Fabregas.
Minute 59: And now Spain make a switch with Iniesta’s night ending. Santi Cazorla is the man who takes his place.
Minute 59: Corner kick by Xavi is punched away by Buffon as far as Silva, whose drive is off the mark.
Minute 58: First substitution of the match is for Italy as Mauro Camoranesi replaces Perrotta.
Minute 55: Torres shrugs off the challenge of Panucci to win the ball near the byline, but his cross is blocked out. He could have taken a crack at goal. Corner to Spain, but nothing comes of it.
Minute 49: An attempted clearance by Christian Panucci is knocked down by Silva, but as he tried to play it onto his better foot, Giorgio Chiellini is there to stop the chance.
Minute 48: Iniesta has space to run into the area, but a poor touch plays the ball onto his hand and play is whistled dead.
Minute 46: Back underway with no changes made for either team.
HALF-TIME: Some half chances for both sides, but nothing in terms of goals, not all too surprising given the style of play for both of these sides. As previously mentioned, one goal could decide this one.
Minute 44: A one-two between Villa and Iniesta leads to a shot for the latter, but all he can do is put it wide.
Minute 42: Silva goes down outside the area, but Fandel says he dove. However, he fails to book him for diving. Fans on both sides not pleased with his decisions thus far.
Minute 40: A free kick and corner kick for Italy don’t create anything.
Minute 38: Much better buildup from Spain. Torres breaks through on the left and has a shot blocked in the area. It then comes back to Silva whose shot is just past the far post.
Minute 36: Best chance so far for Italy. Cassano crosses in from the left onto the head of Toni, but the striker’s goalbound header hits off the shoulder of Carlos Marchena, who frankly didn’t know much about it.
Minute 35: Iniesta with a thunderous drive from distance, but it rises high all the time.
Minute 33: Xavi fires a shot that is deflected out for a corner. It comes to nothing as a foul is whistled.
Minute 32: Silva takes a crack at goal from outside the area, but his shot is saved low by Buffon.
Minute 31: Ambrosini goes down in the book for a studs-up challenge on Senna.
Minute 30: We’ve reached the half-hour with only a couple of half chances to mark the game. It’s the style of game that one goal could decide.
Minute 24: De Rossi fells Villa 25 yards out to set up a Spanish free kick and Villa’s low drive is well saved by Buffon to his left.
Minute 22: Gianluca Zambrotta’s cross from the right falls in the area with no one there to get on the end. Ambrosini then plays it in from the left looking for Luca Toni, but it’s out of his reach.
Minute 19: First chance of the game comes to Italy as Ambrosini puts it into the box from the left, but Simone Perrotta’s header is straight down and into the hands of Casillas.
Minute 16: Torres goes down in the area under the challenge of Ambrosini, but it was clean.
Minute 11: And Fandel wastes no more time using his book for Andrés Iniesta’s challenge on Grosso.
Minute 10: Torres comes in from behind on Cassano and the Spanish striker gets a stern talking-to from Fandel, but no booking. He’s likely on a short least now.
Minute 9: Attempted cross by David Silva is deflected into the air for Gianluigi Buffon to take. Fernando Torres was lurking in the six-yard box.
Minute 7: Free kick for Italy from 32 yards on the left swung in by Daniele De Rossi, but it’s strong and into the arms of Iker Casillas.
Minute 5: Italy on the break with Fabio Grosso on the left, but striker David Villa tackles it away and out for throw-in to Spain. Nice play by the forward.
Minute 3: Antonio Cassano is hauled down on a challenge by Marcos Senna as the teams battle in midfield.
Kickoff: We’re underway in Vienna!
Pre-Match: Germany’s Herbert Fandel is the referee tonight, assisted by Carsten Kadach and Volker Wezel. The fourth official is Belgium’s Frank de Bleeckere.
Pre-Match: Anthems going now. Italy’s “Inno di Mameli” first, followed by “Marcha Real” for Spain.
Pre-Match: Spain are the last hope for group winners in this tournament with Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands all bowing out. Luis Aragonés will use the same squad that beat Sweden in the second group game, undoing the 10 changes he made against Greece.
Pre-Match: Massimo Ambrosini and Alberto Aquilani replace Gattuso and Pirlo respectively, otherwise Roberto Donadoni makes no changes to the side that beat France.
Pre-match: Spain will want to change history today, having failed to beat the Italians in a competitive match in more than eighty years. But Italy in turn, will be decided to make up for a rather shaky group phase. They’ll have to do so without the suspended Gattuso and Pirlo.
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