Online Assistant

Spain secured a unique place in football's long history by becoming the first team to win three successive major tournaments when beating Italy 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012 at Kiev's Olimpiyskiy Stadium.

Extending their incredible record of not conceding a goal in knockout football since the 2006 World Cup - a run that now stands at almost 1000 minutes - Spain added to their triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup with their crowning achievement: a comprehensive victory secured by three wonderfully-constructed goals that were true to the team's trademark style, and a late fourth to ensure the biggest margin of victory ever seen in a final at this tournament.

This was a night when Spain's dominance of international football became more absolute than any team's before them. The much-discussed philosophy of ultra-control, tiki-taka, allowed them to suppress yet another opponent; their intricate and wonderful passing overwhelming an Italian midfield that prior to Sunday night had excelled at Euro 2012, but for the last 30 minutes of this game in Kiev was depleted by an injury to Thiago Motta after all three Italian changes had been made.

Having attracted criticism for rather uninspiring victories over France and Portugal in the knockout stages, this was Spain's riposte: goals from David Silva after 14 minutes and Jordi Alba after 41 minutes were as technically excellent as any seen at the tournament and were vivid vindications of Spain's approach. The closing stages were a procession, Xavi teeing up substitute Fernando Torres with another fine pass for his second assist of the night and Torres then turning provider to square for Chelsea team-mate Juan Mata, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes in his first appearance of the finals.

The pass ensured Torres won the Golden Boot having finished level on goals and assists with Germany's Mario Gomez but having been on the pitch for only 189 minutes in total. The striker's goal in Kiev meant he was the only player to have scored in two separate European Championship finals.

On a night when records fell as regularly as Spain strung together gorgeous passing moves, Iker Casillas became the first player to win 100 international games and Vicente del Bosque became the first coach to win the European Championship, the World Cup and the Champions League. For an Italy side that has been resurgent under the laudable leadership of Cesare Prandelli, though, it was a step too far, a first defeat in competitive internationals against Spain since 1920.

They did lose a penalty shoot-out to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 though - a result that has been pinpointed by Spain's players as the moment when belief in their nascent ability finally crystallised and a long history of international disappointment began to quickly evolve into a legacy of sustained success, so it was a neat coincidence that the Azzurri again provided the opposition as Spain reached previously unscaled heights.

Spain's only change from the semi-final shoot-out win over Portugal was entirely expected, Cesc Fabregas replacing Alvaro Negredo in attack to perform the false nine role that has given such ammunition to Spain's growing number of critics. Designed to help enhance those possession statistics and keep the ball away from Andrea Pirlo, it was ostensibly a cautious strategy from Del Bosque.

Italy made a change of their own, the returning Ignazio Abate slotting in at right-back as Federico Balzaretti was dropped, Giorgio Chiellini being a more defensive option at left-back with Prandelli also unwilling to break up the central partnership of Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci. There was no return to the 3-5-2 formation that Italy deployed in their opening group game when drawing 1-1 with Spain in Gdansk.

However, Chiellini was exposed for the opening goal after 14 minutes as Spain were rewarded for an enterprising start that belied accusations that their brand of football has become unalterably boring. While Italy looked to target the rump of the Spain side with balls over the top to Mario Balotelli, Del Bosque's side once again demonstrated that their strength lies in their torso as Xavi and Andres Iniesta took control through the centre.

Xavi, who conceded prior to the game that he has not been at his peak level during the tournament, looked to have taken personal affront to negative critiques of himself and his side and unusually let fly with a couple of shots from range. The second flew narrowly over following a neat one-two with Fabregas.

It was a fluid start from Spain and they capitalised inside 15 minutes with a goal of utter brilliance. Iniesta took possession of the ball 25 yards from goal and opened up the Italy defence with a perfect through-ball for Fabregas. The false nine hit the byline and pulled a fine cross back for Silva, who timed his run excellently and from eight yards out directed his header inside the far post.

If Spain were determined to prove a point, it had been driven home forcefully. Yet Italy's response to going behind for the first time in the tournament was not to cower, but to try and wrest control back. Daniele De Rossi was instrumental with a forceful 20 minutes and, having seen Chiellini taken off with an injury, replacement Federico Balzaretti also provided real impetus down the left.

De Rossi robbed Xavi of possession on one occasion and pinged a pass out to Antonio Cassano. The forward made a smart turn before rolling in a low shot that Casillas saved, and later took the ball from Pirlo before seeing another effort beaten away by the Spain captain. Remarkably Italy had the better of possession in the first half, but they could not find an equaliser.

Four minutes before half time Spain extended their advantage. Alba played the ball square to Xavi and accelerated through the centre of the pitch with a brilliant run to receive the return pass. His first touch to control was exquisite, his second surgical as he placed his shot past Buffon. It was just reward for a player, destined to join Barcelona, who has been consistently excellent throughout the tournament.

Italy reacted at half time by sacrificing Cassano for Antonio Di Natale and the Udinese striker made an immediate impact. Within a minute he had headed over the bar from an Abate cross and, after Spain had a claim for a penalty turned down when a header from Sergio Ramos struck the arm of Bonucci, he should really have put Italy back into contention.

Riccardo Montolivo played a fine pass through to the striker, who appeared to be straying offside, and his low effort was blocked by a fine save from Casillas. The rebound popped out to Di Natale but his attempted pass was also cut out by the Spain captain.

Montolivo was swiftly removed for Motta though and Prandelli's rather reckless decision to make all three substitutions before the hour mark was punished accordingly when Motta suffered a hamstring injury after 61 minutes and was taken off on a stretcher to leave his side facing the might of Spain with only 10 players.

Ruthless in their pursuit of history, Spain exploited their advantage to the full. Having been summoned from the bench, Torres collected a fine pass from Xavi and slotted the ball past Buffon to make it three after 84 minutes. Within four minutes he had unselfishly squared for Mata who marked two minutes of tournament football with a goal of his own.

There was still time for Ramos to saunter up to the penalty area and try and score a backheel as Spain finished in rampant style, leaving their place in football's history books unassailable. Italy, suffering a first competitive defeat under Prandelli, could not fight against a Spanish tide that has had unstoppable momentum ever since that penalty shoot-out win in 2008.

After Spain's third triumph in as many major tournaments the only remaining question is whether they are the greatest of all time. The manner of their triumph in Kiev would suggest an answer in the affirmative.

Mario Balotelli was the star for Italy as he scored twice in a 2-1 win over Germany in their Euro 2012 semi-final at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw.

The mercurial Manchester City striker doubled his international goal tally with two first-half strikes that eliminated the joint-favourites for the title and booked his own side’s place in the final against Spain in Kiev on Sunday.

Mesut Ozil pulled one goal back from the penalty spot in the second minute of injury time, but it was too late for Germany to complete a comeback and salvage their hopes of winning a first tournament since 1996.

The victory extends Italy’s unbeaten record against Germany in competitive games to eight matches, and it was a performance fit to sit alongside some of the other classic instalments of this fixture between Europe’s two most successful teams.

Reaching the final is made all the more remarkable for Italy when taking into account that they finished bottom of their group at the last World Cup below Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand.

The evening began in nervy manner for the Azzurri. In the first 15 minutes Andrea Pirlo had to clear Mats Hummels’s instinctive effort from a corner off the line and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon spilled a low strike from Toni Kroos that rebounded off Andrea Barzagli and trickled wide of the goal.

Gradually Cesare Prandelli’s side became more enterprising. Antonio Cassano and the half-German Riccardo Montolivo both tested Manuel Neuer from range, but it was Balotelli who broke the deadlock with 20 minutes played.

Cassano managed to roll his way through two Germany players on the left wing after good build-up from Pirlo and Giorgio Chiellini and his dinked cross was headed past Neuer by Balotelli, who celebrated in uncharacteristically joyful fashion. That goal, only the striker’s third senior international strike for his country, was Italy’s first ever in a European Championship semi-final.

Germany responded well after going behind for the first time in a competitive game since their third place play-off at the 2010 World Cup. Ozil’s attempt to pass the ball past Buffon from 20 yards was unsuccessful, before Lukas Podolski was only denied a free shot at goal by an excellent tackle from Federico Balzaretti.

Sami Khedira connected well with his half-volley from range and Buffon conceded a corner from his save, but it was from that Germany set piece that Italy broke to score the killer second.

After defending and clearing the set piece, Montolivo sent Balotelli away with a pinpoint ball over the top. The striker’s control set the ball up perfectly for him to fire an unerring strike into the top corner just as Philipp Lahm made a despairing lunge in vain.

Balotelli was booked for removing his shirt in another celebratory outpouring of emotion, but nothing could dampen his or Italy’s spirits at that moment.

Germany made significant changes at the break, introducing Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus in place of Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski. Reus made an immediate impact, having a shot saved before playing his part in the move which culminated with Lahm firing over the bar.

Prandelli methodically made substitutions at regular intervals throughout the second half, including removing the indefatigable Montolivo, and by the 70th minute both sides had made all three of their allotted changes.

As Germany pushed harder for a goal that would get them back into the game, the game really began to open up. Reus forced a good save from Buffon with a wickedly dipping free-kick soon after Balotelli had fired low across the face of goal. Claudio Marchisio spurned two great chances to give Italy an unassailable 3-0 lead, while Balzaretti denied Reus a clear shot at goal with a wonderfully-timed tackle that he celebrated as though he had scored at the other end.

However, Balzaretti was culpable for giving away a spot-kick that gave Germany just a sliver of hope after he handled inside the area. Buffon guessed the right way from Ozil’s kick, but the playmaker’s shot was hit out of his reach.

It proved to be too little, too late for Germany, and even Neuer’s repeated forays forward for set pieces were not enough to avert yet another defeat to their bogey team.

Fernando Torres was guilty of spurning two golden chances as Italy unearthed a performance of real character to hold Spain to a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2012 opener at the PGE Arena in Gdansk.

World and European champions Spain went into the Group C opener as warm favourites, but were met by an Italian side who were every bit as dangerous going forward as their feted opponents in front of 43,615 good-natured fans in the Polish city.

Italy went ahead on 60 minutes after a tight first period, Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale bounding on to an exquisite pass from Andrea Pirlo to lift the ball over goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Italy fans were still celebrating when Spain equalised courtesy of Cesc Fabregas four minutes later.

The Barcelona midfielder evaded the attentions of Emanuele Giaccherini to slip the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon in levelling at 1-1 from David Silva's pass, but there remained plenty of time for Chelsea forward Torres to win it for Spain.

In keeping with the way it has been for him since he left Liverpool for Chelsea 18 months ago, Torres failed miserably.

The £50 million striker did little to suggest he is back to anything close to the form that saw him rise to prominence during his days at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool after replacing Fabregas, as he failed to take the ball beyond Buffon on 74 minutes with the Italian keeper racing from his line to make the sort of tackle a central defender would have been proud of.

Torres scored the winning goal from a similar situation when Spain beat Germany in the Euro 2008 final, but this is a figure clearly short of confidence four years on as hesitancy and lack of purpose infiltrates his movements.

He hoisted the ball over the bar with only Buffon to beat on 85 minutes when he could have played in fellow substitute Jesus Navas, opting to go for goal only to knock his effort well off target.

To encapsulate a fairly miserable 19-minute cameo, Torres was also lucky to only be booked for elbowing Daniele De Rossi in the throat as he jumped for a high ball. Another referee may well have sent off Torres.

It justified Spain manager Vicente del Bosque's decision to start the match without any recognised forwards as Torres, Alvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente were all left on the bench.

The latter two forwards may expect to see some action against Republic of Ireland in Gdansk on Thursday, when Spain continue their quest to defend the title they won four years ago in Austria and Switzerland.

Spain's best chance in the first period saw Andres Iniesta lift a shot over the bar from Xavi's pass while Casillas was forced to repel Thiago Motta's header second before half-time.

Torres was not the only Premier League forward found wanting in the moment as Manchester City's Mario Balotelli squandered an opportunity to give Italy the lead early in the second period when he robbed Sergio Ramos of the ball out wide.

He seemed to dither for an eternity with only Casillas to overcome, but his hesitancy enabled Ramos to make a fabulous recovery tackle.

Having been booked in the first half for a late tackle on Jordi Alba - one of seven men booked in a fiercely contested match - he was replaced by Di Natale, who had scored within four minutes of his introduction.