Italy v Spain background

There is nothing to choose between Italy and Spain as they meet for a third successive EURO, the Azzurri eager to make amends following a 4-0 defeat by their opponents in the final of UEFA EURO 2012.

Previous meetings
• The nations have met 34 times: they have recorded ten victories each and 14 draws (with a win apiece and three draws in five EURO encounters); the most recent encounter was a 1-1 friendly draw in Udine on 24 March, Aritz Aduriz cancelling out Lorenzo Insigne's opener.

• The sides are facing off for a third EURO in succession: they drew 0-0 at UEFA EURO 2008 (Cesc Fàbregas converting the winning kick as Spain beat Italy 4-2 on penalties in the quarter-finals), and 1-1 in their opening game of UEFA EURO 2012, before locking horns again in the final which Spain won 4-0.

• Spain are unbeaten in five matches with Italy (W2 D3) since a 2-1 friendly loss in Bari in August 2011; in competitive games, Spain have had the better of the last three fixtures (W1 D2) since a 2-1 reverse to the Azzurri at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

 • The teams will also meet in 2018 World Cup qualifying, where they have been pooled together in Group G. The first of their tussles is scheduled for Turin on 6 October.

EURO facts: Italy
• Italy's defeat by the Republic of Ireland halted a run of four straight victories for Antonio Conte's side, during which they had not conceded a single goal.
 
• This is Italy's ninth EURO final tournament and their sixth in a row since missing out on the 1992 edition in Sweden. Only twice have they failed to advance through the group stage – in 1996 and 2004.

• Italy won the 1968 EURO and have been runners-up twice since – in 2000 and 2012.

• Italy (W7 D3) were among four teams unbeaten in qualifying alongside England, Austria and Romania. The Italians also have the longest ongoing unbeaten UEFA European Championship qualifying run, having avoided defeat in their last 30 qualifying matches.

• Italy have played three games at the Stade de France (W1 D1 L1): they overcame Austria in the 1998 World Cup group stage then fell to France on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals; coach Conte – then a midfielder for Juventus – was an unused squad member on both occasions. Most recently, Italy succumbed 3-1 to Les Bleus in a UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier

EURO facts: Spain
• Spain's 2-1 loss to Croatia in their last Group D outing ended a sequence of 14 EURO finals matches without defeat (W11 D3), stretching back to a 1-0 reversal against Portugal at UEFA EURO 2004; prior to Croatia, they had not conceded in their previous seven EURO finals fixtures, since a 1-1 draw with Italy in 2012.

• Spain went down 1-0 to France in their sole previous game at the Stade de France, in January 1998.

• This is Spain's sixth consecutive EURO. They are bidding to triumph for the third time running, having become the first side to win two in a row at UEFA EURO 2012.

• Spain and Germany/West Germany are the most successful EURO teams having won three editions each.

Coach and player links
• Current team-mates:
Matteo Darmian and David de Gea (Manchester United, 2015–present)

• Former team-mates:
Thiago Motta and Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona 2001–07)
Ciro Immobile and Sergio Rico (Sevilla 2015–16)
Álvaro Morata with Simone Zaza, Stefano Sturaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus 2014–16)

• Conte will be Pedro Rodríguez and César Azpilicueta's manager at Chelsea next season.