Last modified on Wed 7 Jul 2021 19.10 EDT
There was a moment 101 minutes into the wet, wild Wembley night in which Spain lost a place in the final but found a future when Pedri dribbled around the referee. Why? Because he had to and because, well, why not? Because he can, neatly finding his way beyond Felix Brych just as he repeatedly found a way to escape much tougher men. A shift of his weight and the Spaniard wriggled free to play another pass. To complete it too.
Of course. The semi-final of Euro 2020 between Spain and Italy was well into extra-time and still Pedri had not put a pass or foot wrong. It was not just the fact that he had completed every pass when 90 minutes came, the 65 completed of 67 by full time â a third more than any Italy player â and it certainly was not because he spent the night playing safe; rather it was the smoothness, the awareness, the balance, the ease of it all, socks low, body too. It was everything.
Italy tops Spain on PKs, advances to Euro 2020 final
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Euro 2020: Italy survive shootout to reach first final since 1968 | Sports| German football and major international sports news | DW
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Match in brief
Italy started brightly but Spain began to take control in midfield. The first clear chance came on 25 minutes when Dani Olmo, spearheading the Spain attack after being picked ahead of Morata, pounced on a loose ball but was denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Later in the first half Italy threatened down the left, Emerson clipping the woodwork with a shot across goal.
Federico Chiesa curls in the openerPOOL/AFP via Getty Images
The opening period had only simmered but the second half boiled over with chances, Ciro Immobile and Sergio Busquets going close before Chiesa forced a save from Unai Simón. On the hour mark, that man Chiesa broke the deadlock, picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box, cutting inside and curling a shot inside the far post.