Fabregas reigns in Spain after penalty win over Italy

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

Worst. Game. Ever.

This game was so dull that it really isn't worthy of a proper match report, in fact if it hadn't been for the fact that I'm blogging this tournament I would've turned this snoozefest off and watched "Big Brother" or some other vacuous Channel 4 crap.

Italy were extremely defensive and without Pirlo, who was suspended, to pull the strings in midfield, they resorted to pumping the ball forward for Luca Toni to head, scuff, mis-control and occasionally shoot everywhere but towards the direction of Casillas's goal.

The previously deadly Spanish duo upfront of Torres and Villa, were both given the kind of service usually reserved for British restaurant customers and, to be honest, in an effort to liven up proceedings I was left to try to decide which of the two teams had the most ridiculous hair (it was between Puyol's ludiculous Scouse-style bubble perm and Luca Toni's pathetic attempt at a pencil moustache, with mentions in dispatches for the rubber band wearing Torres, Silva and Camorenesi and the ridiculous goatee of David Villa).

I was also left waiting for an Italian free-kick on the edge of the Spanish box so that I could sing a variation of the Suzanne Vega song, "Marchena on the wall", yes, this match really was that dull.

The only goalscoring opportunity of note (I've discounted anytime Luca Toni had the ball within the six yard box as, early on in the tournament, I realised that with Luca Toni possessing all the accuracy of a Daily Mail news report about immigration, he would have trouble scoring if the ball was placed, unguarded, on the goal line) was when, the usually reliable, Buffon spilled a routine long shot and watched gratefully as the ball bounced back off of his post and into his arms.

Extra-time came and went with both sides looking tired and the game opening up slightly, although still neither side looked likely to score and so it was down to penalties.

Bizarrely Spain had previously been involved in 3 other penalty shoot-outs on the 22nd June and had lost all three, whilst the omens looked good for the Italians with them winning their last two shoot-outs including their victory in the World Cup final over France.

Both sides scored their first penalties, but when Casillas saved De Rossi's penalty it looked all over for the Italian's, Senna and Camoranesi then scored their respective kicks before Buffon gave Italy renewed hope as he palmed away Guiza's effort.

However Casillas superbly saved Di Natale's spot-kick and it was left to Cesc Fabregas to clamly slot home the winning penalty, causing the Spanish squad, including the amusingly, childish sounding reserve keeper, Palop, to invade the pitch and envelope the Arsenal man.

So after three fantastic knock-out matches we had our first stinker, but at least the slightly more adventurous Spaniards went through to face Russia in a re-match of their first game of the tournament, that will surely not be a repeat of the 4-1 rout from first time around.