Italy’s report 37-match unbeaten run ends with 1-2 defeat to Spain in Nations League

Spain ended Italy’s report unbeaten run of 37 matches by beating the European champion 2-1 Wednesday within the Nations League semifinals after Roberto Mancini’s workforce was lowered to 10 males.

Ferran Torres scored two objectives within the first half for Spain, the second coming after Leonardo Bonucci was despatched off for a second yellow card three minutes earlier than the break.“We’ve been playing good for a while now. We are a young team playing well and I think this victory is another step,” said Torres, who came off four minutes into the second half after picking up a knock but said he would be fit to play Sunday’s final against either world champion France or top-ranked Belgium. “Victory over Italy in Italy. Now we’ll start thinking about the final.”Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled one back for Italy late on as the Azzurri threatened an improbable comeback. In the end though, Mancini’s side fell to its first loss in more than three years, since being beaten by Portugal in September 2018. Its unbeaten streak was a world record in international soccer.“It (defeat) would have come eventually. And better tonight than the final of the Euros or a World Cup final,” Mancini stated. “But this game will give us more strength despite the defeat and help us realize that we are really a great squad.”In Milan, Italy was within the hunt for extra silverware whereas Spain was searching for revenge after dropping to the Azzurri on penalties within the Euro 2020 semifinals.Barcelona teenager Gavi Páez began, making the 17-year-old the youngest participant to make his Spain debut. Gavi, who solely made his first-team debut for Barcelona a month in the past, broke the nationwide report set by Ángel Zubieta in 1936.The match in entrance of a passionate, sell-out crowd of 37,000 on the San Siro was performed with a excessive tempo from the beginning, with probabilities coming at each ends.Federico Chiesa was the primary to check the goalkeeper as Spain’s Unai Simón saved his effort from distance within the fifth minute after which denied Italy center-back Alessandro Bastoni moments later.Bastoni then made a decisive block on the different finish within the thirteenth to disclaim Mikel Oyarzabal following an assault down the left wing.Spain had been probing that left flank and it supplied the opener within the seventeenth minute as Oyarzabal’s cross from the left was volleyed into the underside proper nook by Torres.Spain virtually instantly doubled its lead as Gianluigi Donnarumma fumbled Marcos Alonso’s shot, and the ball got here out of his arms and off the left put up earlier than Bonucci managed to clear the rebound off the road.It was a uncommon mistake from the Italy goalkeeper, who was voted the participant of the match at Euro 2020. But his each contact was getting loudly booed by nearly all of the Italy followers at San Siro, which can also be the house of AC Milan — the membership Donnarumma left within the offseason on a free switch to Paris Saint-Germain.“We were disappointed because Italy was playing, it wasn’t a club match,” Mancini stated. “It could have been put to one side for once and jeer if Milan plays PSG. Italy is Italy and it comes above everything.”Italy had probabilities to degree the match and its finest alternative got here 10 minutes from halftime as first Federico Bernardeschi’s shot was turned onto the put up by Simón earlier than an unmarked Lorenzo Insigne turned Emerson’s cross broad from an awesome place.Italy’s probabilities then took a blow simply earlier than the break as Bonucci was proven a second yellow card for leaping along with his elbow raised on Sergio Busquets. The Italy captain had obtained a primary reserving on the half hour, for dissent.Spain instantly made the additional man rely because it doubled its lead on the stroke of halftime, with a really comparable objective to its opener. This time, Torres headed Oyarzabal’s cross from the left again throughout objective and into the underside left nook.Despite being a person down, Italy continued to press and Chiesa hit the proper put up after run from the Juventus ahead. The offside flag was up however it could have been a decent resolution.Oyarzabal virtually bought on the scoresheet himself within the 63rd however he headed a cross from Yeremy Pino broad of the put up.Donnarumma additionally saved a low shot from Alonso earlier than Italy pulled one again seven minutes from time. Chiesa sprinted ahead from inside his personal half to the penalty space, drew Simón after which unselfishly rolled throughout for Pellegrini to faucet into an empty internet.