Riccardo Calafiori’s own goal handed Spain a 1-0 victory in a scoreline that flattered beaten defending champions Italy as Luis de la Fuente's dominant side booked their place in the last 16 at Euro 2024 on Thursday night.
Calafiori’s misfortune 10 minutes after half time ultimately settled this Group B encounter in Gelsenkirchen, although had it not been for the heroics of keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made a series of vital saves, and the crossbar, which denied the lively Nico Williams a goal, the Spaniards would have prevailed by some distance.
Spain could have been ahead within two minutes had Donnarumma not tipped Pedri’s header from Williams’ cross over his bar, and the traffic was very much one way in the early stages.
Williams then missed a glorious 10th-minute opportunity to open the scoring when he headed wide from Alvaro Morata’s cross with the goal at his mercy.
Williams was causing all kinds of problems for Giovanni Di Lorenzo, while Lamine Yamal was equally potent on the other flank, but it was Ruiz who tested Donnarumma four minutes before the break with a searing attempt from distance.
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti changed things up at the break, sending on Bryan Cristante and Andrea Cambiaso for Jorginho and Davide Frattesi in a bid to gain control, but Cristante was booked for an ugly challenge on Rodri within seconds.
Pedri should have put Spain ahead within seven minutes of the restart when he ran on to Marc Cucurella’s cross but shot wastefully wide.
Donnarumma was finally beaten on 55 minutes when Morata flicked on Williams’ cross and the keeper palmed it on to the helpless Calafiori, who could only bundle into his own net.
Morata saw a long-range effort palmed over and Yamal curled another just wide as Spain went for the kill, prompting a tepid fightback from the Italians which saw Cambiaso fire a dangerous ball across Unai Simon’s box with substitute Mateo Retegui lurking. It was too little, too late.
