The much awaited mouth-watering Euro 2016 clash between Italy and Spain will kick off tonight with only one team making it to the quarter-finals. Defeat in their final group stage encounters, against the Republic of Ireland and Croatia, for Italy and Spain respectively, will hardly act as a dampener for either side.
While Spain have mesmerised the world with their polished passing and superb link-up play in the final third. Italy have been clinical on the counter attack. Antonio Conte’s tried and tested 3 man back line with 2 wing-backs on either side, has reaped rich dividends, with Italy counter attacking their opposition with devastating speed and incision.
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This side of the pool is tougher compared to the other, which makes this a nail-biting affair. The winner of this match will progress to the quarter-finals and face off against reigning world champions Germany. Let us take a look at the players who will play a deciding role in today’s encounter.
1) Andres Iniesta
There seems to be nothing this man cannot do in the midfield. For Andres Iniesta, time almost stands still when he receives the ball. El Cerebro, as he is fondly called by fans of La Roja, is a midfield architect without a parallel in the modern game.
Iniesta’s performances in Euro 2016 till now have been so good, it led a commentator to place him above Zidane and Ronaldinho on the hallowed pedestals of midfield maestros.
While his place in the pantheon of greats might be debated, one thing that is indisputable is Iniesta’s numbers. Winning three consecutive man of the match awards in the Euro championships including one for the final in 2012, the enigmatic midfielder has once again set the stage alight in 2016.
In three games, Iniesta has a passing accuracy of 92.3% and has played an average of 95 passes per game, as per whoscored.com Iniesta has once again got Spain ticking over in midfield, and expect the Italians to sweat over how to stop him tonight.
2) David Silva
The silent backstage operator who never quite gets his due, Silva is the crucial link between Busquets and Iniesta in the centre of the park and Morata and Nolito in the attacking third.
The diminutive 30-year-old has the grace of a swan and the agility of a Thompson’s gazelle around the opponent’s box. A key member of the attacking triumvirate for Spain, Silva was the only member of the squad who has put up a consistent performance for La Roja in the 3 group matches so far.
While others were distinctly underwhelming, Silva put in an eye-catching performance against Croatia. With an average of 2.7 shots per game, per whoscored.com, Silva has not been shy to pull the trigger.
Statistics perhaps do not do justice to Silva’s contribution on the field. A cursory glance will reveal he has 0 assists, goals, or key passes. But Silva’s game involves a great many aspects not covered by statistics. If key runs to open up space for willing runners in Jordi Alba or Juanfran were a statistic, Silva would be topping the charts.
His ability to open up space in the opponents half with quick darting runs and rapid one-twos are a cause of significant bewilderment in opponents. Italy will be hoping for him to have an off day tonight.
3) Sergio Ramos
Ramos has been Spain’s defensive lynchpin for over a decade. Having donned the captain’s armband recently, Spain will be banking on one of their most experienced outfield players to provide leadership to an at times shaky defence tonight.
Since making his debut in 2005, Ramos has gone on to make 132 appearances for Spain, scoring 10 goals in the process. The long-time Real Madrid servant has won everything worthy of note, on the international stage.
However, if there is one word that can adequately describe Ramos, it is hunger. A hunger to win come what may. Followers of European competition will remember how Real Madrid were down and out and the elusive La Decima or 10th Champions League title had almost slipped out of their grasp in 2014.
A last gasp equaliser from Ramos, in added time, forced the final into extra time where Real triumphed emphatically. Ramos is fast, has the ability to play out from the back, and is an adept tackler of the ball. Ramos will have a decisive role to play in quelling the speedy Italian counter-attacks tonight.
4) Gianluigi Buffon
It is a near impossible task to write something about Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon that has not been recorded already. The 38-year-old custodian of the Italian goal made his international debut in 1997 and has won 159 caps in in the intervening 20 odd years.
Cut to the present, and Buffon is a prime example of longevity and consistency, at the highest level. The Italian captain is an enigmatic character, and his sheer presence can have an uplifting effect on the entire Italian squad.
Having suffered innumerable highs and lows both with club and country, Buffon is no stranger to pressure situations. His memorable save in extra time, off a Zinedine Zidane header, in the final of 2006 can still wet many an eye of fans of the Azzurri.
Having won the World Cup in 2006, a European Championship winner’s medal has eluded Buffon over the years. Having reached the final 4 years ago only to be humiliated by Spain, Buffon will be gunning for revenge.
5) Leonardo Bonucci
An ode to the Italian defence recently read’ forget Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, Italy’s Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini are Italy’s version of BBC. The youngest of that trio is Leonardo Bonucci. Since his debut in 2010, Bonucci has represented Italy 60 times and scored 3 goals.
Bonucci had gigantic shoes to fill when he made the cut for the Italian national side in 2010. Those shoes were of their World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro. In the late 2000’s the Italian defence had to undergo their greatest transition and subsequent re-structuring till date when the likes of Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro retired.
Many were sceptical about Italy’s chances of replacing them with players of the same quality. Bonucci has unfounded those fears over the years. In their opening Euro 2016 match against Belgium, Bonucci produced a sublime pass from near the halfway line, to set up Italy’s opening goal.
That match had the best of Leonardo Bonucci on display. A brilliant tackler with superb positioning sense, he makes it to this list ahead of Chiellini and Barzagli because he has a much better eye for a pass compared to the other 2. Expect the Spanish to toil hard if Bonucci is on top of his game tonight.
