Euro 2012 reaches its climax in tonight’s final in Kiev, when defending champions Spain will bid to hold off an Italy side who have steadily eased into form in trademark fashion.

Having beaten strongly fancied Germany 2-1 in Thursday’s second semi-final in Warsaw, Italy will contest a Euro final for the first time since their extra-time loss to France in 2000.

Reigning world and European champions Spain are seeking to become the first team in history to win three consecutive major titles, but they required a penalty shoot-out to edge Portugal in the last four in Donetsk.

Despite dominating possession, as they did in the 2-0 quarter-final success over France, Spain laboured in attack against the Portuguese and have started to face accusations that their ‘tika-taka’ style has become sterile.

Italy, in contrast, have confounded low pre-tournament expectations to eliminate first England and then Germany, and they have not been beaten by Spain over 90 minutes in a competitive match since the 1920 Olympics.

Italy’s preparations for the tournament having been clouded by the Calcioscommesse match-fixing affair, the Azzurri could be poised to triumph in the face of adversity once again but coach Cesare Prandelli has cooled talk of omens by insisting that his side will be the underdogs at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium.

“We are looking for Spain’s weak points and we’ll be working on that, but it won’t be easy,” said Prandelli, whose side beat Spain 2-1 in a friendly in August last year.

Spain and Italy drew 1-1 in their opening Group C game and it will be the fourth time that two teams who have met in their first game resume hostilities in the final.

The last occasion was at Euro 2004, when Greece twice upset hosts Portugal.

Italy successfully stifled Spain three weeks ago in Gdansk, as Prandelli opted for a 3-5-2 formation that afforded his defenders extra room to manoeuvre against Spain’s fluid front three.

Fabregas was used as a ‘false nine’ in that game, but Spain coach Vicente del Bosque appears to have doubts over who is the best player to spearhead his attack.

Fernando Torres played up front in the 4-0 win over Ireland and the 1-0 defeat of Croatia, while Alvaro Negredo started in the 0-0 draw with Portugal but was replaced by Fabregas early in the second half.

One striker brimming with confidence is Italy’s Mario Balotelli, who came of age in the semi-final against Germany with a confidently taken first-half brace.

The controversy-prone 21-year-old provided one of the images of the tournament by embracing his adoptive mother in the crowd after the final whistle, and he will enter Sunday’s game as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with three goals.

An engaging tournament requires only a memorable final to confirm its status as a modern classic, but Spain will need to awake from their slumber if they are to overcome a disciplined and committed Italy side.

The champions must also shake the weariness from their legs after 120 minutes of graft against Portugal, although they will benefit from an extra day’s rest.

“We’re very motivated by the possibility of setting a new record by winning the trophy,” said centre-back Sergio Ramos.

“But we also want to enjoy the moment. Even if we lose, we’ve already made history just by reaching the final. Winning would be the cherry on the cake.

“Spain as a country can be very proud, whatever happens on Sunday, but the goal is obviously to win and return to Spain with our heads held high.”

Both teams are expected to be at full strength, with Italy right-back Ignazio Abate having shrugged off a muscle problem that kept him out of the semi-final.

As well as pitting together two of the tournament’s outstanding midfielders in Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Italy’s Andrea Pirlo, the game will also see Spain attempt to become the first country to successfully defend the European title.

Head-to-head

Spain: W7 D11 L8
Italy: W8 D11 L7

10 June 2012	Spain vs Italy	1-1	(EC)
10 August 2011	Italy vs Spain	2-1	(F)
22 June 2008	Italy vs Spain	0-0, 2-4 pens	(EC)
26 March 2008	Spain vs Italy	1-0	(F)
28 April 2004	Italy vs Spain	1-1	(F)
29 March 2000	Spain vs Italy	2-0	(F)
18 November 1998	Italy vs Spain	2-2	(F)
09 July 1994	Italy vs Spain	2-1	(WC)
14 June 1988	Italy vs Spain	1-0	(EC)
12 June 1980	Italy vs Spain	0-0	(EC)
21 December 1978	Italy vs Spain	1-0	(F)
25 January 1978	Spain vs Italy	2-1	(F)
20 February 1971	Italy vs Spain	1-2	(F)
21 February 1970	Spain vs Italy	2-2	(F)
13 March 1960	Spain vs Italy	3-1	(F)
28 February 1959	Italy vs Spain	1-1	(F)
27 March 1949	Spain vs Italy	1-3	(F)
19 April 1942	Italy vs Spain	4-0	(F)
01 June 1934	Italy vs Spain	1-0	(WC)
31 May 1934	Italy vs Spain	1-1	(WC)
19 April 1931	Spain vs Italy	0-0	(F)
22 June 1930	Italy vs Spain	2-3	(F)
22 April 1928	Spain vs Italy	1-1	(F)
29 May 1927	Italy vs Spain	2-0	(F)
14 June 1925	Spain vs Italy	1-0	(F)
09 March 1924	Italy vs Spain	0-0	(F)

Last two competitive clashes

July 9, 1994 – Italy 2 - Spain 1
(1994 World Cup quarter-finals)

• Roberto Baggio’s 88th-minute winner took Italy into the semi-finals at the 1994 World Cup, after Dino Baggio’s 25-yard strike in the first half had been cancelled out by Spain’s Jose Luis Caminero.

The match is perhaps best remembered for the moment late in the game when Italy’s Mauro Tassotti swung his elbow into Luis Enrique’s face, breaking the Spaniard’s nose and later earning the perpetrator an eight-game ban.

Italy beat Bulgaria 2-1 in the last four before facing Brazil in the final, when their hopes of a fourth World Cup crown were dashed by Roberto Baggio’s ballooned spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out.

June 22, 2008 – Italy 0 - Spain 0 (Spain win 4-2 on penalties)
(2008 European Championship quarter-finals)

• A turning point in the history of the Spanish national side, as Luis Aragones’s men secured a victory that gave them the belief to establish themselves as the world’s top national team.

A tight game at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium went to extra-time and penalties, and after Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas denied Daniele de Rossi and Antonio Di Natale, Cesc Fabregas stepped up to put Spain in the semi-finals.

“This is an important victory for this young side,” said Fabregas, then still an Arsenal midfielder.

“We have been waiting for this for a long time.”

One week later, Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the same stadium to claim their first European Championship title since 1964.

Note: Reports refer to matches before June 10, 2012.

Results and fixture

Quarter-finals

Quarter-final 1: Czech Republic vs Portugal - 0-1
Quarter-final 2: Germany vs Greece - 4-2
Quarter-final 3: Spain vs France - 2-0
Quarter-final 4: England vs Italy - 0-0 (2-4 after penalties)

Semi-finals and final

Semi-final 1		Portugal vs Spain	0-0 (2-4 after penalties)
Semi-final 2		Germany vs Italy	1-2
Final	Today	Spain vs Italy	20.45