By Anna Italia
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36% Ball Possession ITALY and 64% Ball Possession SPAIN
Italy 1 – 1 Spain 
82′ Daniele De Rossi (pen) 55′ Vitolo
It’s a direct duel for the FIFA World Cup Qualification. Italy and Spain having 4 points each after Matchday 2. Italy are now in the 3rd position with 4 points having a positive goal difference of +2. Spain in the 2nd position with 4 points having a better goal difference of +8. The first position of Group G is for Albania reaching 6 points and a positive goal difference of +4. This draw keeps Italy without losing a World Cup qualifier in 52 games.
Stats: FIFA Coca Cola World Ranking
Italy, 13th position with 1124 points
Spain, 11th position with 1141 points
Tough luck! Spain opening the score in the 55th minute. Vitolo taking advantage of the empty net while Italy goalkeeper Gigi Buffon anticipating trying to clear, yet, somehow, slipping without touching the ball. Vitolo continuing his run to finally deliver a right footed shot in the center. The assist is by Sergio Busquets. What a blow!
Italy equalizing the score in the 82nd minute. Referee giving a penalty to Italy conceded by Spain defender Sergio Ramos after a foul on Italy forward Citadin Éder. It is midfielder Daniele De Rossi to take the penalty spot and there you goooooooo De Rossi converting the penalty with a right footed shot in the bottom left corner.
Here is ITALY official starting lineup by coach Gian Piero Ventura:
ITALY (3-5-2): Buffon; Romagnoli, Bonucci, Barzagli; De Sciglio, Parolo, De Rossi, Montolivo, Florenzi; Pellè, Éder.
Here is SPAIN official starting lineup by coach Julen Lopetegui:
SPAIN 4-3-3): De Gea; Carvajal, Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Iniesta, Koke, Busquets; Vitolo, David Silva, Diego Costa.
| uefa 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING – Second ROUND – GROUP G | Overall | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||||
| 1 | Albania | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||||
| 2 | Spain | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | ||||
| 3 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 4 | Israel | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 3 | ||||
| 5 | Macedonia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 0 | ||||
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | -10 | 0 | ||||
- Italy and Spain have met nine times at major tournaments, with Italy having the upper hand until Spain beat them on penalties on their way to winning UEFA EURO 2008.
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- Click the video to watch Italy 1 – 1 Spain highlights, Thursday 6 October 2016
Photos of the match Italy vs Spain courtesy by facebook.com/NazionaleCalcio
Italy official starting lineup against Spain
Italy Head Coach Gian Piero Ventura
Italia midfielder Alessandro Florenzi and Spain Andres Iniesta
2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Italy 1 – 1 Spain
Thursday 6 October 2016
Juventus Stadium
Turin, Italy
20:45
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant referees: Mark Borsch (GER) and Stefan Lupp (GER)
Fourth official: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Goals: 55′ Vitolo (S), 82′ Daniele De Rossi (I) (pen)
Official lineups – formations:
ITALY (3-5-2): Buffon; Romagnoli, Bonucci, Barzagli; De Sciglio, Parolo, De Rossi, Montolivo, Florenzi; Pellè, Éder.
Subs: Donnarumma, Perin, Darmian, Ogbonna, Candreva, Bonaventura, Verratti, Immobile, Astori, Bernardeschi, Gabbiadini, Belotti.
Coach: Gian Piero Ventura
SPAIN 4-3-3): De Gea; Carvajal, Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Iniesta, Koke, Busquets; Vitolo, David Silva, Diego Costa.
Subs: Sergio Rico, Pepe Reina, Nacho, Morata, Callejón, Thiago Alcántara, Herrera, Sergi Roberto, Iñigo Martínez, Vázquez, Nolito, Alcácer.
Coach: Julen Lopetegui
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)