Defending Champions, Spain will open their campaign in the 14th Euro Cup Football tournament against Italy at PGE Arena, Gdansk, Poland on Sunday (June 10). This group C match will start at 21.00 hours (PST).
It will be 30th international match between the two teams and fourth in European Cup finals.
Matches between the rivals are traditionally close with Italy holding a narrow edge of 10 wins to eight with 11 draws. The two have met in tournament finals no less than six times before and Spain have never won in regulation time. However, they did defeat Italy on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 on their way to the title.
Spain, The European and The World champions, have the chance of several records in this tournament. They could become the first team to retain the European title and the first to win three major finals in a row after their Euro 2008 success in Austria and Switzerland and their World Cup win in South Africa two years ago. They could also equal Germany’s record of three European championship titles.
Since their surprise 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in their first World Cup group game two years ago, Spain have embarked on a record 14 successive victories in competitive matches – six at the World Cup and eight in the Euro qualifiers. Since the start of 2007 Spain’s record in World Cup and Euro competition is startling – in 40 games they have won 37, drawn two and lost only once.
Italy are one of only four teams to have beaten Spain since they won the World Cup. They beat the Spaniards 2-1 in a friendly in Bari last August. The three other teams to beat Spain were Argentina, Portugal and England.
Italy go into the tournament on the back of three successive losses in friendlies without scoring a goal. Curiously, their last goal was scored in Poland when they beat the Poles 2-0 in Wroclaw last November.
The second match of the day will be played between Ireland and Croatia at City Stadium, Poznan, Poland. This group C match will start at 24.00 hours (PST).
It will be the seventh international match between the two teams and first in European Cup finals. Ireland have won two, lost one and draw three in six previous matches against Croatia. Ireland have lost only once in six previous meetings with Croatia, a 1-0 defeat in Zagreb in the Euro 2000 qualifiers in 1999.
Ireland come into the tournament on the back of an exceptional run of 14 unbeaten games in which they have conceded only three goals. Their last defeat came more than a year ago when they went down 3-2 in Dublin in a March friendly against World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay. Ireland travel well. Their last defeat in a competitive match outside their own country goes back almost five years to a 1-0 defeat by the Czech Republic in Prague in a Euro 2008 qualifier in September 2007. They have played 13 successive competitive matches away without a loss.
Croatia have lost just three of their last 20 competitive matches in the World Cup and Euro 2012 qualifiers.
Croatia, playing in their fourth Euro finals, had the most unlucky of exits at the last tournament in 2008. After winning their three group games, including a 1-0 victory over hosts Austria, they seemed destined for the semi-finals when they led Turkey 1-0 in extra time. But a last-gasp equaliser was followed by a defeat on penalties.
EUROPEAN CUP FOOTBALL:
SPAIN V ITALY:
HEAD TO HEAD:
INTERNATIONAL MATCHES:
Played: 29
Italy won: 10
Spain won: 8
Drawn: 11
Goals for Italy: 38
Goals for Spain: 29
EUROPEAN CUP MATCHES:
Played: 3
Italy won: 1
Spain won: –
Drawn: 2
Goals for Italy: 1
Goals for Spain: –
IRELAND V CROATIA:
HEAD TO HEAD:
INTERNATIONAL MATCHES:
Played: 6
Ireland won: 2
Croatia won: 1
Drawn: 3
Goals for Ireland: 7
Goals for Croatia : 5
First meeting in European Cup finals
