UEFA COMMENTARY

The final whistle is blown.
Spain complete a wonderful win. Italy could not cope with Spain’s incisive attacking play and sumptuous passing, and were unable to stop La Roja becoming the first team to win a EURO final by a four-goal margin.
90+3

Pirlo (Italy) takes the free-kick.
90+3

Arbeloa (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Pirlo (Italy).
90+3

Buffon (Italy) makes a save.
Gianluigi Buffon has an easy save in the end as Sergio Ramos tries an extravagant flicked effort at the near post from Fernando Torres’ pass from the left flank.
90+3

Sergio Ramos (Spain) has an effort on goal.
90+3

Juan Mata (Spain) takes the free-kick.
90+2

Pirlo (Italy) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Arbeloa (Spain).
90+1

Balzaretti (Italy) takes the free-kick.
90+1

Torres (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Balzaretti (Italy).
88

Juan Mata (Spain) scores!
87

Pedro Rodríguez (Spain) takes the free-kick.
87

Balotelli (Italy) is adjudged to be in an offside position.
87

Abate (Italy) takes the free-kick.
87

Juan Mata (in) – Iniesta (out) (Spain)
86

Torres (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Abate (Italy).
84

Torres (Spain) scores!
Fernando Torres times his run magnificently, latching onto the through ball and slotting the ball past Gianluigi Buffon inside the right post. The striker has now scored in two EURO finals – the first player to do so.
83

Bonucci (Italy) takes the free-kick.
83

Arbeloa (Spain) is adjudged to be in an offside position.
81

Pedro Rodríguez (Spain) misses the target.
The short corner eventually finds its way to Pedro Rodríguez on the edge of the area, but he drags a shot wide of the left post.
81

Xavi Hernández (Spain) delivers the corner.
80

Buffon (Italy) takes the free-kick.
79

Pedro Rodríguez (Spain) is adjudged to be in an offside position.
78

Marchisio (Italy) takes the free-kick.
78

Iniesta (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Pirlo (Italy).
78

De Rossi (Italy) takes the free-kick.
78

Arbeloa (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on De Rossi (Italy).
77

Xavi Hernández (Spain) delivers the corner.
75

Torres (in) – Fàbregas (out) (Spain)
73

Marchisio (Italy) takes the free-kick.
72

Xabi Alonso (Spain) gives away a free-kick for a challenge on Balotelli (Italy).
72

Xabi Alonso (Spain) takes the free-kick.
72

Di Natale (Italy) is flagged for offside.
67

Balzaretti (Italy) takes the free-kick.
67

Pedro Rodríguez (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Balotelli (Italy).
65

Piqué (Spain) takes the free-kick.
65

Balotelli (Italy) fouls.
64

Casillas (Spain) takes the free-kick.
64

Bonucci (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Busquets (Spain).
63

Arbeloa (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Balotelli (Italy).
60

Bonucci (Italy) takes the free-kick.
60

Xabi Alonso (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Pirlo (Italy).
59

Pedro Rodríguez (in) – Silva (out) (Spain)
58

Balotelli (Italy) misses the target.
58

Pirlo (Italy) takes the free-kick.
57

Sergio Ramos (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Di Natale (Italy).
57

Thiago Motta (in) – Montolivo (out) (Italy)
55

Sergio Ramos (Spain) takes the free-kick.
55

Di Natale (Italy) is flagged for offside.
53

Busquets (Spain) takes the free-kick.
53

Pirlo (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Xavi Hernández (Spain).
53

Pirlo (Italy) takes the free-kick.
52

Fàbregas (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Pirlo (Italy).
51

Di Natale (Italy) has an effort on goal.
51

Casillas (Spain) makes a save.
Iker Casillas makes an excellent reaction parry from Antonio Di Natale, who tries to chip back over the prone keeper, but Casillas stands up and grabs the ball.
50

Xavi Hernández (Spain) takes the free-kick.
49

Balotelli (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Arbeloa (Spain).
49

Bonucci (Italy) blocks a shot.
49

Xavi Hernández (Spain) takes the free-kick.
49

Sergio Ramos (Spain) has an effort on goal.
48

Balzaretti (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Arbeloa (Spain).
47

Fàbregas (Spain) misses the target.
The FC Barcelona man looks to try and catch out Gianluigi Buffon with a fizzing low snapshot. The ball rolls just wide.
46

Di Natale (Italy) misses the target.
The substitute Antonio Di Natale meets Ignazio Abate’s cross from the right and goes very close, heading narrowly over.
46

Di Natale (in) – Cassano (out) (Italy)
The second half begins.
Italy get the game under way again, and are in desperate need of an early goal if they are to claw their way back into this one.
The referee blows for half-time.
<strong>Andrew Haslam, Olympic Stadium:</strong> Italy had a fine spell for a large chunk of the first half, but clinical goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba leave them with it all to do. Only West Germany in 1976 have ever recovered from 2-0 down in a EURO final, and they lost on penalties.
45+1

Buffon (Italy) makes a save.
A routine save for Gianluigi Buffon in the end, as David Silva’s strong, but central effort hits the keeper’s midriff.
45+1

Silva (Spain) has an effort on goal.
45+1

Xavi Hernández (Spain) takes the free-kick.
45

Barzagli (Italy) is cautioned by the referee.
44

Barzagli (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Iniesta (Spain).
44

Casillas (Spain) makes a save.
The Spain keeper can do nothing with the rasping effort but beat it away. A fine touch and turn by Riccardo Montolivo on the edge of the box before the strike.
44

Montolivo (Italy) has an effort on goal.
41

Jordi Alba (Spain) scores!
Spain have a 2-0 lead, and Jordi Alba has his first senior international goal. The full-back receives a perfect through pass from Xavi Hernández and slots the ball past the onrushing keeper.
39

Xavi Hernández (Spain) takes the free-kick.
39

Balzaretti (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Silva (Spain).
38

Balotelli (Italy) misses the target.
Mario Balotelli wriggles free of Sergio Busquets, but is closed down as he nears the area and lets fly with a wild effort that sails over the bar.
35

Barzagli (Italy) takes the free-kick.
35

Silva (Spain) is flagged for offside.
33

De Rossi (Italy) takes the free-kick.
33

Silva (Spain) is penalised for a foul on De Rossi (Italy).
33

Casillas (Spain) makes a save.
Ignazio Abate has a fierce effort from range, drilling the ball low to the right post, but the Real Madrid CF custodian gets down well to beat the ball away.
33

Cassano (Italy) has an effort on goal.
30

Pirlo (Italy) delivers the free-kick wide.
29

Silva (Spain) is penalised for a foul on De Rossi (Italy).
29

Cassano (Italy) has an effort on goal.
29

Casillas (Spain) makes a save.
The keeper does well to get behind an Antonio Cassano effort that went through two pairs of defensive legs before ending up at the base of the left post.
26

Xabi Alonso (Spain) takes the free-kick.
26

Balotelli (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Sergio Ramos (Spain).
26

De Rossi (Italy) takes the free-kick.
25

Piqué (Spain) is shown a yellow card.
25

Piqué (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Cassano (Italy).
21

Balzaretti (in) – Chiellini (out) (Italy)
18

Pirlo (Italy) takes the corner.
18

Sergio Ramos (Spain) blocks a shot.
18

Barzagli (Italy) has an effort on goal.
18

Pirlo (Italy) takes the corner.
16

Pirlo (Italy) takes the corner.
Iker Casillas gets a glove to the inswinger, just knocking it out of the path of the leaping Daniele De Rossi.
16

Busquets (Spain) blocks a shot.
16

Pirlo (Italy) delivers the free-kick on target.
15

Arbeloa (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Balotelli (Italy).
14

Silva (Spain) scores!
David Silva applies the close-range headed finish to Cesc Fàbregas’ clipped pull-back after the FC Barcelona man reached the byline with an excellent surging run.
10

Xavi Hernández (Spain) misses the target.
Andrea Pirlo and Giorgio Chiellini get in the way of two efforts, but Xavi Hernández hits a third narrowly over the bar from the edge of the box. Spain are shooting on sight here.
10

Chiellini (Italy) blocks a shot.
10

Iniesta (Spain) has an effort on goal.
10

Pirlo (Italy) blocks a shot.
10

Xavi Hernández (Spain) has an effort on goal.
7

Sergio Ramos (Spain) misses the target.
A powerful header matches the mighty leap, but the direction is lacking and the ball sails over.
7

Xavi Hernández (Spain) takes the corner.
6

Sergio Ramos (Spain) delivers the free-kick wide.
The Real Madrid CF defender attempts a rocket from long-range, but the ball is ever-rising and safely over the bar from Gianluigi Buffon’s point of view.
5

De Rossi (Italy) is penalised for a foul on Xavi Hernández (Spain).
3

Abate (Italy) takes the free-kick.
2

Xabi Alonso (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Abate (Italy).
2

Pirlo (Italy) misses the target.
The Azzurri playmaker has a go from range, but the final’s opening shot flies high and wide.
1

Pirlo (Italy) takes the free-kick.
1

Sergio Ramos (Spain) is penalised for a foul on Balotelli (Italy).
The match is under way.
Spain kick off this exciting showpiece as the Italians try to dethrone their opponents, and La Roja hunt a third consecutive major final win.