By Sam Tobin
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) – Riccardo Calafiori’s second-half own goal earned dominant Spain a 1-0 victory over defending champions Italy on Thursday to qualify for the last 16 of Euro 2024 as Group B winners.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept his side in the game during the first half, tipping Pedri’s header over and denying Alvaro Morata from a tight angle before producing a brilliant fingertip save from Fabian Ruiz’s long-range effort.
Winger Nico Williams, who should have scored a simple early header, tormented Italy right back Giovanni Di Lorenzo and created the winner, sending a dangerous ball across goal which Calafiori deflected into the net in the 55th minute.
Williams almost settled the game in the 70th minute, crashing a shot against the bar, and Italy barely threatened an equaliser before a late spell of possession which Spain withstood with relative ease.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin, editing by Ed Osmond)
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