Last Updated: 11th June 2012
FOR once the boys in blue were a welcome sight for Italian football.
A shock result against the best team in the world and the biggest surprise of all is it was completely above board.
If you hadn’t been here to watch Italy tame the reigning world and Europeanchampions you could easily have thought this game was fixed.
The latest corruption scandal has seen one squad member arrested and competing defender Leonardo Bonucci implicated in the police investigation — Bunga Bunga parties mean a whole different thing in Italian football, it seems.
But today the battling Azurri are celebrating a spirited and honest performance which will have done their battered reputation a power of good.
Cesare Prandelli’s team was only in front for four minutes before former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas rescued a point for the defending Euro champs with a clinical finish.
But the Italians led from the front and forced Spain to come out fighting in the second half to avoid an embarrassing first match defeat.
From dogged makeshift defender Daniel De Rossi at the back to supersub Antonio Di Natale, who scored with a sublime finish, Italy shook off their underdog tag to match Spain at every level.
The performance suggests suspicions and scandal back home can be put aside, for a while at least, to concentrate on winning a tournament.
For the Spanish it was a wake-up call, a realisation they cannot stroll into every match as the kings of world soccer and glide to an easy victory.
Apart from the bubbly Andreas Iniesta they were flat, even if the passing was good and the technique impressive.
Yet the Italians, thumped 3-0 by Russia in a warm-up game just over a week ago, found it was not too difficult to contain their illustrious opposition, especially in the first half.
De Rossi, a converted midfielder playing with a bandaged hand, was awesome with the timing of his tackling and his strength.
The tricky Andrea Pirlo, an experienced performer, did his best to keep the momentum going and had there been more up front from Italy it could easily have been a stunning win.
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was the weak link in the chain. The dart-throwing, grass-hating, partying pyromaniac, who took out half the Arsenal team single-handed last season, was a shadow of his usual self.
Subdued and subordinate. Balotelli’s only contributions were to get booked for a succession of niggly tackles and then hooked by frustrated Prandelli after an uncharacteristically lame performance.
Having carved out a superb chance to score by robbing Spain defender Sergio Ramos, the striker shuffled towards goal at a snail’s pace.
He was so slow that Ramos was able to make up lost ground and retake the ball with embarrassing ease.
That was enough for the boss. Prandelli had brooding Balo on the bench within seconds.
Sub Di Natale came on and fired up the match from a passing exhibition to a proper contest.
Italy came forward from their own half and Pirlo found his newly-arrived team-mate with a precise pass.
Di Natale sprinted between two defenders and then curled a majestic right foot shot around keeper Iker Cassilas.
Spain were stung into action. Iniesta and David Silva linked up to allow Fabregas to salvage a point by slotting home a 64th-minute equaliser.
DREAM TEAM
SUN STAR MAN — DE ROSSI (ITALY)
SPAIN: Casillas 6, Arbeloa 6, Pique 6, Ramos 6, Alba 6, Xavi 6, Busquets 6, Alonso 6, Silva 7, Fabregas 7, Iniesta 7. SUBS: Navas (Silva 66) 5, Torres (Fabregas 75) 5. Booked: Alba, Arbeloa, Torres.
ITALY: Buffon 6, Chiellini 6, De Rossi 8, Bonucci 6, Giaccherni 6, Marchisio 6, Pirlo 7, Motta 6, Maggio 6, Cassano 6, Balotelli 5. SUBS: Di Natale (Balotelli 56) 7, Giovinco (Cassano 66) 6, Nocerino (Motta 89) 6. Booked: Balotelli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Maggio
.
.
