Italy 1-2 Spain: 5 hits and flops as Ferran Torres double knocks out European champions | UEFA Nations League semi-finals
Spain beat 10-man Italy 2-1 to reach the finals of the UEFA Nations League.
A first-half double from Ferran Torres was enough for La Roja to win as Lorenzo Pellegrini's pulled a late consolation back for the European champions.
Torres broke the deadlock in the 17th-minute with a fine strike off Mikel Oyarzabal's cross following which the game opened up. The Azzurri, looking for their second title of the year, wasted a few chances going forward before skipper Leonardo Bonucci was sent off for two quickfire bookings.
Soon after, Torres put another dagger through Italy's hearts. The Manchester City man rose highest to meet another Oyarzabal cross and nodded the ball in. The home side, 2-0 down and a man down at the break, were in deep trouble.
Italy looked to claw their way back into the match but Spain's resilient defense kept them at bay. Pellegrini eventually gave them a glimmer of hope with an 83rd-minute goal but La Roja held out to have the last laugh.
Spain defeat Italy to reach the UEFA Nations League final! 🇪🇸 https://t.co/POsNR6msmF
There will be no back-to-back silverware success for Roberto Mancini's troops then, while Spain can dream of their first trophy since Euro 2012. They will face either Belgium or France in the finals on Sunday (October 10).
Here are the hits and flops from the match:
Hit: Ferran Torres (Spain)
Spain's rising star Ferran Torres reaffirmed his credentials as the next big thing in world football with a talismanic display for La Roja. Torres scored both of their goals on the night, taking the European champions apart with his deadly finishing skills.
Adventerous and positionally excellent, the Manchester City winger stationed himself high up, providing an outlet for his team as the crosses came in.
Ferran Torres has now scored as many goals for Spain as his manager Luis Enrique (12). 🇪🇸 https://t.co/VAcBvMKun7
Torres broke the deadlock in the 17th minute by expertly latching onto Oyarzabal's cross and placing a fine finish beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma. The duo linked up again in the dying moments of the opening stanza for the second goal. This time, the cross was high, so Torres lept to direct his header into the bottom corner.
It was textbook finishing from the 21-year-old, who looks set to have a bright future.
Flop: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
Leonardo Bonucci was earmarked as Italy's key player on the night. His wealth of experience and leadership played a crucial role in their Euro 2020 triumph. Many expected the same to guide the Azzurri into another final here.
But far from delivering a talismanic performance, the 34-year-old was instead sent off in the first-half, reducing Italy to 10 men. It left the European champions to play with a numerical disadvantage for over 50 minutes that Spain made the most of.
What's even more damning is that Bonucci could've easily avoided his dismissal. While his second yellow was perfectly legitimate as he elbowed Sergio Busquets to the ground, he first went into the books for remonstations.
Leonardo Bonucci is sent off at San Siro after receiving two yellow cards 😬 https://t.co/Tl4qNqZcBQ
The referee stopped the play when he saw that Nicolo Barella used a bit too much force to keep the ball from Gavi. That really annoyed Bonucci, who subsequently tore into the match official.
Losing his cool over a small and petty incident was needless and the Juventus star, after getting his second yellow soon after, was left to stew in his juice. Italy, meanwhile, were torn asunder by La Roja.