Football News: Italy Suffer Shock Defeat to Spain in Euro 2024 Group Stage

The defending champions of the European Championship, Italy, faced a demoralizing loss against Spain in their Group B match at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday. The final score of the game was 1-0 in favor of Spain, with the only goal coming from an unfortunate own goal by Riccardo Calafiori.

Dominant Spain Overwhelm Italy

Despite the narrow scoreline, the gulf in class between the two teams was evident throughout the match. Spain dominated possession and created numerous chances, with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams tormenting the Italian full-backs. The reigning champions, Italy, were completely overrun in midfield and offered very little going forward until the final 10 minutes of the game.

“The result means that Italy’s qualification for the last 16 of Euro 2024 is still in their own hands, but they will need to avoid defeat against Croatia in their final group stage match to ensure their progression.”

Donnarumma’s Heroics Not Enough

Gigi Donnarumma, the Italian goalkeeper, was the standout performer for the Azzurri, producing several crucial saves to keep the scoreline respectable.

The defeat is a significant blow to Italy’s hopes of defending their European Championship title, and they will need to regroup and find their form quickly if they are to make a deep run in the tournament.

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