Latest Football Results: After Roberto Mancini's squad was reduced to ten men, Spain defeated Italy 2-1 in the Nations League semifinals on Wednesday, ending Italy's historic undefeated streak of 37 games. Spain's Ferran Torres scored two goals in the first half, the second coming three minutes before halftime after Leonardo Bonucci was sent off for a second yellow card.
-We-ve been playing good for a while now. We are a young team playing well and I think this victory is another step," said Torres, who came off four minutes into the second half after picking up a knock but said he would be fit to play Sunday-s final against either world champion France or top-ranked Belgium. -Victory over Italy in Italy. Now we-ll start thinking about the final."
Late in the game, Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled one back for Italy as the Azzurri threatened an unlikely comeback. In the end, Mancini's team suffered its first defeat in almost three years, having been defeated by Portugal in September 2018. Its undefeated streak in international soccer was a world record.
-It (defeat) would have come eventually. And better tonight than the final of the Euros or a World Cup final,- Mancini said. -But this game will give us more strength despite the defeat and help us realize that we are really a great squad.-
Italy was seeking additional silverware in Milan, while Spain was out for vengeance after losing on penalties to the Azzurri in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals. Gavi P-ez, a Barcelona youngster, made his Spain debut at the age of 17, becoming the country's youngest player. Gavi, who just made his first-team debut for Barcelona a month ago, surpassed Angel Zubieta's 1936 national record.
The encounter at the San Siro was played at a fast speed from the outset, with opportunities coming from both ends in front of a sold-out crowd of 37,000.
Federico Chiesa was the first to put the goalkeeper to the test, with Unai Sim-n of Spain save his long-range effort in the fifth minute, followed by Alessandro Bastoni of Italy.
Following an assault down the left flank, Bastoni made a crucial stop at the opposite end in the 13th minute to deny Mikel Oyarzabal.
Spain had been probing the left side, and it produced the opening goal in the 17th minute when Torres volleyed Oyarzabal's cross from the left into the bottom right corner.
Gianluigi Donnarumma mishandled Marcos Alonso's shot, and the ball flew out of his hands and off the left post before Bonucci cleared the rebound off the line to give Spain a 2-0 lead, as per live football match scores.
It was a rare blunder from the Italy goalie, who was named Euro 2020's Player of the Tournament. However, the bulk of the Italy supporters at San Siro, which is also the home of AC Milan - the club Donnarumma left on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer - booed him at every touch.
-We were disappointed because Italy was playing, it wasn-t a club match,- Mancini said. -It could have been put to one side for once and jeer if Milan plays PSG. Italy is Italy and it comes above everything.-