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Goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli sent Italy into the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 with a 2-0 win against Republic of Ireland at Stadion Miejski in Poznan.

Cassano headed home from an Andrea Pirlo corner on 35 minutes, before Balotelli volleyed a brilliant second on 90 minutes.

The Azzurri qualified second from Group C after Spain beat Croatia 1-0 in the other Group C match. There was a nervous wait at the end as the final seconds ticked down in Gdansk, where a Croatian equaliser would have sent Italy home.

Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland produced their best performance of the tournament, but were still well beaten and exit the tournament with three defeats from as many games. Keith Andrews was sent off late on, picking up a second yellow card for dissent.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli made a radical tactical shift, abandoning his three-man defence and reverting to a more familiar back four - thereby returning Daniele De Rossi to his preferred midfield station.

Balotelli, still nursing a minor ankle injury, was left on the bench and his replacement Antonio Di Natale had a fine game, linking instinctively with Cassano and looking a constant goal threat.

Trapattoni made a single change, restoring Kevin Doyle at Simon Cox's expense, while making Damien Duff captain to mark his 100th cap.

Despite enduring a miserable tournament on the pitch, the Irish fans were in terrific voice, belting out both nations' anthems and frequently indulging in a geographically accurate version of 'the Poznan'.

And early on, the boys in green fared showed signs of the fine form that saw them qualify in the first place.

Doyle seized on an errant Andrea Pirlo pass and nearly got a shot away, while the Italian box was bombarded with balls in from the flanks.

But Italy established a foothold and became increasingly dominant as the first half progressed.

Cassano crossed low for Di Natale whose low shot was charged down by Richard Dunne, before Sean St Ledger's block of a Di Natale shot brought fervent - though unsuccessful - penalty appeals.

Italy won a cheap corner after Shay Given spilled a Cassano shot, and the Azzurri duly took the lead. Cassano glanced Pirlo's delivery goalwards, Given made half a save and Duff hooked it away from his position on the far post.

However, the officials rightly adjudged the ball to have crossed the line.

That goal moved Italy provisionally top of the group, but they knew events in the other Group C match in Gdansk could take matters out of their hands.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, as Cassano and Di Natale were denied by some heroic Irish blocks. Di Natale went off on 75 minutes having racked up seven shots, six on target.

Italy suffered a potentially crucial injury when their best defender Giorgio Chiellini went down just before the hour mark - the Italians' body language suggested the Juventus man will not play again in this tournament.

Ireland threatened to break Italian hearts as the second half went on and the Azzurri became nervous. Countless set piece chances came and went, while Andrews tested Gianluigi Buffon with a long shot.

It took the substitute Balotelli to put the result beyond doubt. He met a corner from the Italian right with a sweetly-struck volley on the turn, and Given had no chance.

Balotelli dusted off his customary no-celebration celebration, and Leandro Bonucci put his hand over the striker's mouth as he unleashed a tirade of abuse at someone or something.

As news of the Croatian defeat came through, Italian celebrations began in earnest and they can look forward to a last-eight tie against the winners of Group D - France, England or Ukraine.

Manchester United clung onto the coat-tails of leaders Manchester City when beating Aston Villa 1-0 in a Premier League match at Villa Park that made for painful viewing.

Long spells of mediocrity, from the home side in particular, were largely punctured by injuries as Javier Hernandez suffered an apparently serious ankle blow and Shay Given was withdrawn with a hamstring problem in the first half, with Jermaine Jenas later joining them on the sidelines.

The only real glimpse of genuine quality in the contest came after 20 minutes when Phil Jones scored his first senior goal with a lovely finish from Nani's cross. It proved to be the critical moment in an instantly forgettable contest.

The result means United reclaim second place from Tottenham, who earlier won at home to Bolton, and remain five points shy of City. Villa, with just two wins in 13, are eighth but with concerns growing among supporters about the tactical and stylistic approach of manager Alex McLeish.

After a low-key start to proceedings at Villa Park, the game suffered a lengthy stoppage when Hernandez went over on his ankle. The striker required plenty of treatment and left the pitch on a stretcher and in considerable pain, adding to United's attacking problems with Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen both injured at present.

Rather than push Ashley Young into a central role, it was instead Nani who was asked to come inside when Antonio Valencia took to the pitch and the Portugal international quickly found himself at the centre of the action when firing a shot well off target.

With Villa offering little of note, it was left to United to take the initiative and Chris Smalling saw a smart shot on the turn blocked by Richard Dunne and Stephen Warnock after Nemanja Vidic headed back across goal from a corner after 19 minutes.

Just 60 seconds later United were in front as they exploited some poor defending from the home side. Nani was afforded far too much space on the left and he had no problem dinking in a cross to Jones, who was left completely unmarked to produce an accomplished volleyed finish with his instep for his first senior goal.

With Villa apparently unable to string together a succession of passes, United went close to a second on 25 minutes. Dunne's mistake allowed Rooney to take possession and after he found Valencia, the winger crossed for Nani who saw his header saved by Given. It was then Valencia's turn to threaten as he collected possession 25 yards from goal and unleashed a fearsome effort that flew narrowly over the bar.

Villa's disappointing evening continued when they were forced into a change of their own after 38 minutes, with Given apparently suffering a hamstring strain to be replaced by Brad Guzan. The discontent of the home fans was audible around Villa Park when a poor first half, extended by eight additional minutes, finally came to an end.

McLeish was unable to coax much more out of his side in the second half as a rather dismal game continued in a similar vein. Rooney and Gabriel Agbonlahor had half-chances and those home supporters inside Villa Park were forced to wait until the 70th minute to see a chance of note from their team.

Agbonlahor won a corner when his shot was deflected up and over the bar and when Dunne flicked it on to the back post, substitute Emile Heskey should have done much better than nodding the ball off target.

The chance appeared to inject a bit of life into the match and after Young dragged a shot wide of the post following a nice run infield, James Collins threatened at the other end when his firm header from Dunne's hopeful ball into the box forced a smart reaction save from Anders Lindegaard.

Rooney threatened late on while substitute Danny Welbeck was correctly ruled offside when collecting a pass from the striker and rolling the ball past Guzan. It was an underwhelming conclusion to an underwhelming evening.