Italy Showed Spain the Exit Door From the ongoing Euro 2016

Italy players celebrating one of their goal

Knocked out of the last two Euros by Spain, who thrashed them 4-0 in the final four years ago, the Italians got their own back in style.

Giorgio Chiellini stabbed them in front in the 33rd minute and Southampton’s Graziano Pelle smashed in a second in stoppage time.

Pelle's goal

Chielini celebrating his goal with teammates 

It was enough to send Italy through to meet Germany in the last eight as Conte’s well-organised men snuffed out men showed the greater hunger against a sluggish Spanish side who could not get out of first gear.

Until Pelle’s strike Spain were still in the game thanks to the heroics of one-man wall David De Gea. They’d have needed a statue of David in Spain too if they’d won.

But Antonio Conte’s side got what they deserved, partly thanks to a superb late save from Gianluigi Buffon, one of five Italians on show who started the 2012 final.

Conte, who will take over at Chelsea at the end of the tournament, mounted the dug-out in celebration when Pelle’s goal went in.

And Chiellini, another veteran of 2012, said: “I always thought that before I ended my career with the national team I would get my own back on Spain, who have made me suffer so much over the years.

“Perhaps we had something in us and we had to end it after all those defeats against them. Now our tournament can begin against the world champions.”

Spain were lucky to get to half time only 1-0 down as the Italians utterly dominated the first half and deservedly went in front.

De Gea had already denied Pelle with a fingertip save, watched Emanuele Giaccherini hit the post and seen Marco Parolo head a great chance wide before he was finally beaten.

Eder powered in a free kick through a gap in the wall created by two Italians peeling away, and De Gea could only push it back out into the danger zone.

Giaccherini nipped in quickly to poke the ball free, and Chiellini pounced to stab it over the line as the Italy bench erupted in celebration.

De Gea then made a brilliant stop from Giaccherini before denying Eder at the start of the second half when the Italian was clean through on goal.

As Italy tired, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique had long-range shots well saved by Buffon, who then made a miraculous stop to deny Pique again in the 89th minute.

But Pelle removed all doubt with a stoppage-time volley after substitute Matteo Darmian’s cross deflected nicely to him off Sergio Ramos.