Euro 2008 - Spain over Italy in Penalties
Published 6/22/2008 3:30:36 PM by Shane Barrow from soccermogul
Spain has advanced past Italy to reach the semifinals of Euro 2008 after a scoreless 120 minutes and penalty shootout victory over the defending world champions at the Ernst-Happel Stadium. Iker Casillas saved penalties from Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale before Cesc Fabregas slid the winning penalty past Gianluigi Buffon.
Cassillas, who had kept his side on level terms with a fine save with his feet from Mauro Camoranesi, helped Spain end a string of three straight penalty shootout defeats on June 22 in major tournaments, in the 1986 World Cup, Euro 96 and the 2002 World Cup. Luis Aragones' men are the only team in the last four to have won all of their games in the tournament and now take on surprise package Russia on Thursday in Vienna.
Italy won the 2006 World Cup on penalties against France but Buffon, the hero that day, was overshadowed by the impressive Casillas this time. The Italy keeper had kept his side in the competition in the group stages when he saved Adrian Mutu's penalty against Romania and threatened to do so again when he denied Daniel Guiza with Spain's fourth penalty.
But Casillas, who had already flung himself to his right to palm away De Rossi's effort, then kept out Di Natale's weak effort to hand the advantage back to Spain. And Arsenal youngster Fabregas kept his cool to send Buffon the wrong way and give his side a 4-2 penalty win.
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