FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 semifinal: Italy vs Spain - Five talking points

Italian resilience:

Italy probably had more riding on this match than Spain. The 4-0 thrashing in the Euro 2012 final was their worst in history and must still hurt. The Italians looked motivated and were men on a mission. All of them were tireless and worked extremely hard. Giaccherini and Maggio, in particular, worked hard to close down spaces and then provide attacking outlets. De Rossi may not have seen much of the ball, but he was instrumental in breaking down the Spanish attack. He constantly man-marked Spain’s players and was almost impenetrable once he moved to defence. A special word here for the much-maligned Gilardino. He may not have done much in front of goal, but he too defended admirably from the top. Although Spain’s superior fitness showed in the hot and humid second half, the Italians just refused to concede ground to them.