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A superbly organised Italy deserved dethroned Spain with goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle in a compelling, dramatic match

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Mon 27 Jun 2016 14.06 EDTFirst published on Mon 27 Jun 2016 10.30 EDT
Graziano Pelle celebrates after scoring the second to seal the win for Italy.
Graziano Pelle celebrates after scoring the second to seal the win for Italy. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Graziano Pelle celebrates after scoring the second to seal the win for Italy. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

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The other good news for Italy is that, of all the players on a yellow card, only Thiago Motta was booked and will miss the Germany game. And of course, they get delicious rewenge for the 4-0 thrashing in the final four years ago. Whatever happens in the rest of the tournament, they’ll be talking about this match for decades.

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“Spain’s away kits look like they were pegged by a Starburst cannon,” says Zaharo Tsekouras. “Amazing in theory but in reality deceptive in that there is a preponderance of the much-loathed Lemon-flavour Starburst.”

Apparently that is their eighth consecutive defeat at a major tournament when wearing white. Bizarre.

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“Catenaccio 2-0 Talent,” says Pete Mumola. “In case the smug editors of El Mundo (courtesy of Sid Lowe’s fine piece on this rivalry) missed the scoreline for tomorrow’s paper.”

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What a brilliant, compelling game that was. The short story is that Italy did a number on Spain, though there were so many fascinating elements to it. Italy are all celebrating in front of their fans; Buffon has a huge smile plastered on his face.

The Italians celebrate at the end of the match. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
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Full time: Italy 2-0 Spain

After eight years as European champions, Spain are out! They played better in the second half, but it was a rousing and fully deserved victory for Italy.

Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets leave the field and Spain’s reign is over. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images
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90+3 min Conte’s celebration will be coming to a Vine near you any minute now. He charged around the technical area, his black suit flapping in the breeze, and then tried to clamber on top of the dug out to clench his fist to the Italian fans. It must be pretty good to be a Chelsea fan right now, and unbelievably good to be an Italy fan.

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Graziano Pelle completes a wonderful victory for Italy. With all the players attracted to the left side, Insigne drilled a majestic crossfield pass to Darmian on the right. He moved into the area and stabbed a low cross that was deflected up to Pelle, and he volleyed it in from a few yards.

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90 min Oh what a save from Buffon! The free-kick resulting from Motta’s left hook was drilled long and headed towards the six-yard box. Pique got there first and stretched to cushion a volley towards goal that was brilliantly tipped away by the plunging Buffon. Magnificent stuff!

Gerard Pique reacts after Gianluigi Buffon’s fine save. Photograph: Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images
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89 min In a surprising development, Thiago Motta is booked. It was for a foul on Pedro. He’ll miss the quarter-final if Italy get there. Spain are really unhappy about something – and quite right actually, because Motta gave Pedro a left-hander! Busquets was also booked for complaining.

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88 min “Nice to see Pedro get the chance to end his strop from the bench,” says Ian Copestake. “Inspirational team player.”

87 min Andres Iniesta’s first mistake since 2004 almost leads to a goal. He miscontrolled the ball to Silva, who played a delicious low cross that nicked off the foot of Barzagli and just escaped the stretching Pedro a few yards from goal.

84 min Italy’s last substitution: the superb Florenzi, who looks a serious player, is replaced by Matteo Darmian, who I regard as the greatest full-back in history.

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83 min “I haven’t seen it asked yet,” says Pete Mumola, “but who would win a cage match between these two high octane black clad coaches?” I’m sorry, Pete, but we don’t encourage cage fighting at the Guardian.

81 min Spain’s final substitution: the substitute Aduriz off, Pedro on. Aduriz is limping, so I don’t think it’s a sub-being-subbed embarrassment. And now a substitution for Italy, with Lorenzo Insigne replacing the terrific Eder.

80 min Spain do have a Plan B, in the tall Aduriz, though if they get out of this I suspect it will be because of tiki or taka. Italy are under incessant pressure now.

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79 min Italy have had 25 per cent possession in the last 15 minutes. They can’t get out, or maybe they are too tired to get out.

78 min “Yellow cards aren’t wiped until after the quarterfinal games,” says J.R. Ach, thanks, my mistake. That means England Iceland or France could end up playing Italy Reserves in the semi-final: more than half their 23-man squad are currently on a yellow card.

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76 min A technically beautiful volley from Iniesta, 20 yards out, is too straight and punched away by Buffon, who smiles in appreciation of Iniesta’s quality. He does seem like a damn fine human being, Buffon, and thirty seconds later he springs to his right to beat away a stinging 20-yard snap-shot from Pique. It was a spectacular but essentially straightforward save for somebody as good as him.

Referee Cuneyt Cakir talks to Antonio Conte after Conte thumped the ball away. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP
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75 min Conte, annoyed at Giaccherini miscontrolling the ball for a throw-in, uses his black suede shoes to hoof the ball down the touchline in disgust. He is magnificent. What fun we’re going to have next season with all the galactico managers.

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74 min Lucas hits the post after a lovely through ball from Fabregas (I think), though it didn’t matter as he had been rightly offside.

Gianluigi Buffon is finally beaten but Lucas Vazquez’s shot hits the post and he is offside anyway. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters
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73 min So far, Italy have no suspensions for a potential quarter-final, though eight of their XI are on a yellow – six from before the game, two during it. The cards are wiped at the end of this round though.

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71 min Juanfran’s flighted cross towards the head of Aduriz is punched away by Buffon, but Spain get a corner a few seconds later. Fabregas’s outswinger is met by Ramos, whose header drifts a few yards wide. He might have done better there, such is his finishing ability.

Sergio Ramos reacts after missing a good opportunity. Photograph: Georgi Licovski/EPA
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69 min The ball is coming back at Italy all the time at the moment. Fabregas’s brilliant low pass from the left is dummied by Iniesta and swept not far wide by Aduriz, 16 yards from goal. Moments later, Morata is replaced by Lucas Vazquez.

66 min “Italy are slowing down, late to the ball,” says Rick McGahey. “Wonder if they have energy to see this out.” If they don’t, they’ll regret those missed chances, especially Eder’s.

65 min Some old-fashioned tiki-taka from Italy – surely it’s time for the BBC to do I Love 2012 – but then Iniesta’s pass goes astray. This is splendidly tense, though I’ve a feeling we might get a red card soon.

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61 min How did Italy not score there? Eder, who is having a magnificent game, rode a tackle on the edge of the box and found Di Sciglio to his left. His low first-time cross slithered through De Gea at the near post, but he got away it because it went to a Spanish defender rather than an Italian attacker.

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