Italy's strong performance dwarfed by Spain's star power
How Spain dominated Italy despite the Azzure's impressive display
It was always going to be a tough obstacle to overcome for Italy in Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland. After beating Belgium 1-0 in their opening match followed by a disappointing yet thrilling 1-1 draw with Portugal in their second match, Italy faced one of the favourites at Euro 2025 in the final group match against Spain. Group B leaders with a perfect record and a whopping 11 goals scored and only 2 conceded in their first two matches, Spain, beyond having already mathematically qualified for the quarterfinals and secures first place if they avoided defeat against Italy, have been enthralling, dangerous and at times mesmerising throughout their group stage fixtures. Nevertheless, Italy knew a victory against the Spanish side would not only secure qualification and the elusive top spot in Group B, but also serve as a statement of intent, a demonstration that they could match, and even overcome, one of the tournament’s most dominant teams and be a real danger further into the knockout stages.
The Italian Women's National Team have not reached the knockout stage of a European Championship since 2013, and in the last two editions, in 2017 and 2022, have exited at the end of the group stage- coming last in both occasions. Spain, on the other hand, has not won a knockout game in this tournament in all 5 of their appearances since they first qualified and reached the semi-final of Euro 1997 (when the tournament had only 8 teams, the top two of 2 groups went to the semi final).
Spain, now a markedly different prospect from the side that first broke through in the late 1990s, arrived at this tournament with heightened expectations — and pressure to finally deliver when it matters most. In recent years, their rise has been fuelled by the emergence of a technically gifted generation, many of whom played key roles in Spain’s historic World Cup triumph. Multi-Ballon D’or winners like Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, experienced professionals such as Irene Paredes and Mariona Caldentey and young starlets like Vicky Lopez and Claudia Pina, have transformed this national team into one of the most tactically sophisticated, serial winners in the women’s game.
Italy, on the other hand, are a team still in search of stability and a clear identity on the international stage. While historically one of Europe’s foundational nations in women’s football, the Azzurre have struggled to keep pace with the continent’s rapid tactical and technical evolution. Under successive coaching changes and amid generational turnover, Italy have shown flashes of potential, but inconsistency continues to plague them. The squad blends experienced campaigners like Cristiana Girelli and Elena Linari with emerging talents such as Sofia Cantore, Emma Severini and Arianna Caruso, yet they’ve often lacked the dynamism and structure required to trouble top-tier sides over 90 minutes. Physically competitive and tactically disciplined on their day, Italy can frustrate opponents, but they’ve struggled to impose themselves against elite opposition, a trend they must reverse if they are to progress from a tough group.
Since 2013, the two sides had met seven times, with Spain winning three, Italy just one, and three encounters ending in draws. Spain have outscored the Azzurre 9–5 across those meetings, averaging 1.3 goals per game to Italy’s 0.7. While not an overwhelming margin, it reflects La Roja’s gradual edge over their competition across the continent in the past decade, particularly as their technical dominance and possession-based style have matured on the international stage.
Despite their relative achievements on the international stage in the past few international cycles, the head-to-head record reveals how closely contested many of these games have been. The margins are fine, and Italy have often been able to frustrate Spain, even when the latter have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession. The Azzurre’s lone win in that span, coming in their 2023/24 UEFA Women's Nations League campaign group stage fixture, serves as a reminder that tactical discipline and defensive compactness can effectively disrupt Spain’s rhythm, especially if the game remains tight heading into the latter stages.
Spain headed into the match against Italy enjoying one of their strongest performances in recent times and after their emphatic win against the Azzurre today, it marked the first time in their history they have achieved a perfect record in a Women's EURO group stage. Finishing with nine points now allows the team to maintain a winning momentum going further into the tournament.
However, despite being on the losing side today, Italy are also through to the knockout stages, a testament to the work they did earlier in the group stage and the fine margins that define tournament football. While this match exposed certain structural limitations, particularly in their ability to contain midfield overloads and retain composure under Spain’s press, Italy’s qualification reflects the resilience and discipline they've shown across the campaign.
STARTING LINE UPS + SUBSTITUTIONS
Spain lined up in their now-characteristic 4-3-3, a system that remains, as we have seen throughout the tournament, positional rather than rigidly symmetrical. With Leila Ouahabi and Ona Batlle occupying high-and-wide fullback positions, La Roja stretched Italy’s defensive block horizontally, seeking to create space between the lines for Vicky López and Alexia Putellas to operate. Patricia Guijarro served as the anchor, orchestrating the tempo and managing rest defence — often staying deeper when Ouahabi surged forward.
Italy, meanwhile, oscillated between a defensive 5-3-2 and a fluid 4-4-2/3-5-2 hybrid in transition. Andrea Soncin clearly prioritized numerical control in central areas, instructing his wingbacks — Boattin and Di Guglielmo — to track Spain’s fullbacks aggressively. The plan was to deny Spain easy overloads out wide, force play back inside, and congest the middle with Caruso, Giugliano, and Severini forming a narrow, pressing triangle.
Italy came out on a sugar high. Their early intensity, aggressive pressing, and a visible urgency to impose themselves on the match saw them reap the rewards of what Andrea Soncin asserted in his comments pre-match, “Spain have weaknesses like everyone else, and we’re studying them carefully…looking to exploit them.”
However, Italy crashed almost as quickly into the reality of Spain’s structure, possession dominance and technical quality. Within minutes of taking the lead,, their energetic start dissolved into disjointed pressing and positional gaps, leaving them exposed to Spain’s creative buildup and relentless positional play. What began as hopeful momentum turned into frantic scrambling, as the Azzurre’s early fire proved unsustainable against the rhythm, control, and tactical maturity of a Spain side that never panicked under pressure.
By the 25th minute, Spain had completed over 220 passes to Italy’s 57, registering an astonishing 83% possession in the opening stages. But this wasn’t sterile control- Spain’s possession was incisive, stretching Italy vertically as well as laterally. The heat maps show Guijarro consistently dropping into the left half-space to create a back-three in build-up, enabling Batlle to push high and create a 2-v-1 overload against Lisa Boattin.
What made Spain's positional play so fluid was the interchangeability between Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati, and Mariona Caldentey. Aitana, in particular, excelled between the lines, receiving in tight areas, turning quickly, and engaging in third-man combinations. Her ball security under pressure neutralized Italy’s attempts to counter-press.
Yet, despite the territorial dominance, Spain were momentarily undone by exactly what Soncin had hoped for — a high, aggressive press leading to a direct transition. In the 10th minute, impressive Italian combinations on the left wing led to the ball coming into the box, a stray shot from Martina Piemonte left Mariona Caldentey unable to clear her lines, and Elisabetta Oliviero was on the spot to score her first international goal.
It’s worth noting that this was one of only two shots Italy managed in the first half. A 0.06 xG chance that became the match’s opener reflected Italy’s plan to let Spain dominate the ball, then strike surgically on transitions. However, The goal wasn’t just a statistical anomaly — it was the blueprint Soncin had prepared for. Italy’s press wasn’t constant but calculated; the trap was set in Spain’s left-sided build-up zone, and when it worked, it exposed Spain’s rest defence as Guijarro and Paredes were left too high and narrow. As Patri asserted post-game “With transitions we like to keep the ball, we try to overwhelm the opponent and it’s normal that they try to get us during transitions…"
Crucially, Spain didn’t panic after they went down as within four minutes, they drew level. Athenea del Castillo’s equalizer came after Athenea received the ball on the right, weaved her way between a cluster of Italian defenders, before playing a one-two with Alexia Putellas. Alexia produced a touch of class with a nifty back-heel, and Athenea finished what she started, with a glorious first-time finish from the edge of the area seeing the ball sweep into the top-left corner. The winger’s finish across Giuliani was coolly taken, and the sequence underscored the attacking balance Spain maintained, both able to build methodically or press to punish.
Post-match, Soncin stated his team's "first half was of the highest level ... .We came to play against Spain, the world champions, and we managed to do so for one half." But this statement wasn’t just a reflection on his team’s visible effort; it was a recognition of structural cohesion under extreme pressure and an implicit acknowledgment of the narrow tactical window in which Italy could compete with Spain. In the first half, Italy managed to compress the central channels, maintaining compactness between their midfield and backline while restricting Spain’s ability to play through the thirds.
Crucially, Italy limited Spain to just 0.53 xG in the opening 45 minutes, and despite conceding once to Putellas, they forced Spain into wide, low-percentage chances and slowed down their tempo. That period was the closest Italy came to turning the game into a physical, stop-start battle — the kind Soncin likely envisioned. And in possession, they occasionally broke forward with direct intent, using Girelli's hold-up play to buy time and drag Spain’s back line into transitional vulnerability.
But this tactical equilibrium, tenuous as it was, began to unravel once fatigue set in and Spain shifted into a higher pressing gear in the second half.
At halftime, Italy’s passing only looked worse from their first quarter, not even doubling their numbers to only complete 104 passes to Spain’s 428. The gulf in rhythm was stark, and it began to tell early in the second half as the patterns of the game subtly shifted with Spain dialling up their pressure higher up the pitch, and Italy, increasingly fatigued and conservative, dropped deeper into a flat back five. The first 15 minutes post-restart told the story statistically: Spain completed over 120 passes in that period alone, while Italy managed just 26. Spain's pass accuracy across the match reached an elite 91.6%, compared to Italy’s 66%, a technical gulf that became more decisive as energy waned.
Spain’s second goal in the 49th minute was a culmination of sustained pressure and central occupation. A long sequence with over 30 uninterrupted passes culminated in another mazy run from Athenea, before an attempted clearance fell right to Patri, who this time executed her speculative effort, slicing a first-time right-footed shot along the ground, off the post and into the back of the net.
This was quintessential Spain: structure, circulation, overload, patience, and finally, penetration. Because Italy’s block was compact but increasingly reactive; by the time Spain reached the final third, their midfielders were too deep to step out and contest second balls. Guijarro’s goal was her second of the tournament — and one that validated her understated influence in maintaining Spain’s metronomic control.
Italy’s central midfield trio began to show signs of overload. Giugliano, typically the tempo-setter, was pinned deeper and unable to dictate play whilst Severini and Caruso were stretched horizontally, often forced to shuttle laterally to track Spain’s midfield rotations. Patricia Guijarro and Alexia Putellas took full advantage, often drawing defenders out of the half-spaces to open up central lanes. Guijarro’s progressive passing map shows 18 forward passes into the final third — the most of any player on the pitch.
This passing map comparison between Manuela Giugliano (No. 6) and Patri Guijarro (No. 12) reveals a stark tactical contrast between the two midfielders, both in terms of volume and positional influence. Guijarro was clearly a central figure in her team’s structure- her map showing widespread activity across the midfield, with involvement in deep build-up play, wide combinations, and forward distribution. Her high volume and range indicate that she operated as a deep-lying playmaker or pivot, tasked with dictating tempo and linking different phases of play. The variety of passing directions, lengths, and locations suggests she played a crucial role in maintaining rhythm and attempting to break lines—even under pressure.
In contrast, Giugliano’s contribution was far more limited- her activity was heavily restricted to the left side and defensive third. The majority of her unsuccessful passes were long or diagonal balls, which may point to a reactive game plan focused on clearing danger or bypassing a press, rather than building through the thirds. Her positioning and lower involvement suggest she was either tactically constrained or crowded out by the opposition, which appeared to dominate midfield control. Unlike Guijarro, Giugliano’s pass map shows little impact on the match’s progression phase, indicating a struggle both to connect with teammates and to escape pressure.
Furthermore, this set of passing maps represents a series of passing network diagrams centred around Patri Guijarro (No. 12), highlighting her connections with different teammates across multiple matches or phases of play. The maps clearly establish Guijarro as a central node in Spain’s build-up and progression structure, underlining her pivotal role in orchestrating ball circulation. Her partnerships with players such as Jana Fernández, Aitana Bonmatí, Leila Ouahabi, Mariona Caldentey, and María Méndez suggest that she was not just a frequent receiver of the ball, but also an initiator of possession sequences across different vertical and lateral zones of the pitch.
Across all five networks, Guijarro’s position consistently lies at the heart of a compact midfield triangle, linking defense, full-backs, and advanced midfielders. Her high pass counts with players like Fernández (33 passes exchanged) and Bonmatí (21 passes) reflect a recurring theme: Patri was the outlet under pressure, constantly involved in short combinations to recycle possession or progress play vertically. This is further reinforced by the distribution balance shown in each map—for instance, 13 passes from Guijarro to Ouahabi and six in return, or near-equal exchanges with Bonmatí—demonstrating bilateral ball-sharing and her reliability as a connective tissue across units.
Overall, both her comparative pass map and her connection maps reflect how Patri Guijarro functioned as the strategic fulcrum of Spain’s positional play. Her sustained relationships with both defensive and advanced players allowed her to dictate tempo, stabilize build-up, and create numerical superiority in tight midfield zones. While her risk-taking did lead to turnovers, her overall influence and volume underscored her centrality in the team’s possession and attacking play. Giugliano, a real barometer of Italy's overall performance and it reveals the broader shape and control dynamic of their respective teams, appears isolated and ineffective due primarily to tactical setup, opposition pressing, and structural disconnect within her team.
The volume and variety of Guijarro’s passing and link-up play emphasize tactical trust in her decision-making under pressure and reinforce the idea that Spain’s ball progression depended heavily on her positioning, press resistance, and spatial awareness.
Spain's increasing dominance, however, wasn't simply a function of shape — it reflected Spain’s pressing system, which suffocated Italy’s build-up options. Their PPDA (passes per defensive action) was 5.4, indicating a high-intensity press, particularly in the middle third. Italy’s attempts to play out were met with suffocating traps, usually initiated by the forwards pressing Italy’s centre-backs into one side, while Aitana and Guijarro hunted the second pass.
As the match wore on, Spain’s chance creation became increasingly structured as they consistently used the left-hand overload to create the right-side switch- a classic Spanish pattern.
On at least six occasions, Ouahabi, Putellas, and Mariona combined on the left, drawing Italy’s midfield across, before the ball was cycled to Batlle or Athenea in space on the opposite side. From there, low cutbacks into the box created high xG shots: Spain generated a total xG of 2.3, compared to Italy’s 0.3.
While Alexia Putellas drew the plaudits, Patri Guijarro’s display was another underrated tactical masterclass. Often the deepest midfielder, she orchestrated Spain’s rest defence with impeccable timing, stepping into midfield when needed, dropping between centre-backs when Italy pressed, and progressing the ball under duress. Italy attempted to press in staggered blocks, often cueing their pressure when Spain recycled the ball backward. But Guijarro’s ability to scan, shape her body, and turn into space consistently broke those lines. She finished the game with 121 touches, 13 recoveries, and 18 line-breaking passes.
Patri’s Passing Map + Goal across her 87 mins.
Montse Tomé’s assessment of Guijarro before the match was emphatic: “For me, she’s the best central midfielder in the world. She doesn’t get enough recognition, but she makes Aitana, Alexia, Mariona, and Pina play with freedom.” Her humility off the ball, paired with composure on it, gave Spain a base to dominate. Italy’s pressing triggers, usually activated by backwards passes, were frequently blunted by Guijarro’s awareness and clean execution. She is, undoubtedly, Spain’s pressure release valve and the player who allows Spain's positional play to breathe under duress.
Though Italy had a brief resurgence between the 60th and 75th minute with Girelli and Cantore combining to exploit Spain's high line, Spain’s grip never truly loosened. The final blow came in stoppage time as Alexia once again at the heart of the attack- on the edge of the box, whipping a perfectly placed ball in between Italy’s two centre-backs hitting Esther Gonzalez who, despite an initial save from the keeper, tapped the ball in the back of the net.
Esther’s goal has now taken her to four goals for the tournament, joint-top with Putellas who has 7 G/A in the opening three games. Talking to Radio MARCA's Marcador program, former Spain international, now Catalonia national team vice-captain Vicky Losada spoke about Alexia’s impact in this tournament, stating “We're always going to look up to a player this good and demand more from her. Alexia is very decisive, but I didn't expect that in Aitana's absence she would take on the captain's hat and pull the strings like she is. She's back to her best.”
Where Spain further distinguished from their opposition was in the quality and strategic utility of their substitutions. In the second half, Tomé introduced Claudia Pina, Vicky Lopez, and Esther Gonzalez for varying roles but ultimately to aid in maintaining control and press Italy deeper into submission. Vicky’s introduction in particular changed the rhythm of the final third. With only 25 minutes on the park, Vicky completed the most dribbles (4) in the match, created the most chances (4) in the match and her touch map revealed 24 touches in the right inside channel in just 25 minutes, completing 13/16 (81%) of her passes.
Vicky Lopez’s Passing, Successful Dribbles & Recoveries
Montse Tomé has spoken often about her belief in balance — keeping the team’s “joy and rhythm” while giving depth players confidence. In the build-up to this match, she stated: “The good thing is that we have all the positions covered… The players are managing things well. They’re accepting whether they play or not. We’re going to put out the best eleven.”
Her rotation strategy throughout the tournament, both intentional and forced due to injury, sickness or suspension, reflects a long-term management style. It is not just about getting results but building cohesion among multiple first-team-calibre players. Spain’s goal distribution across the tournament (11 goals from 6 players) underlines the breadth of their attacking resources. This is emphasised by Tomé herself who articulates that “It doesn’t matter who comes in — Spain always plays the same way. The good thing is that we have all positions covered.”
Italy’s failure wasn’t just defensive — it was also tactical passivity and poor transitions. Across 90 minutes, they completed just 2 passes into the box from open play. Their offensive structure remained too reliant on hopeful long balls toward Martina Piemonte or out wide, specifically to Sofia Cantore, with little midfield support arriving in time. Italy also registered only 1 touch in the Spanish penalty box after the 60th minute, ending the game with 18- Spain had 46- a damning stat that reflects how little they threatened once the game opened up. Throughout the game, Italy only had 13 shots to Spain’s 20, had 18 Touches in penalty area compared to Spain's 46 and as alluded to earlier with touches inside the oppositions penalty box, Spain entered the final third a mere 27 times whilst Spain made 80 final third entries. This, compounded with their total xThreat (expected threat from ball progression) being 0.45, compared to Spain’s 2.67, underscored how much of their movement lacked true incisiveness or final third pressure.
What would be more disappointing for Andrea Soncin and his side was Spain’s 3–1 win was comprehensive but not clinical. They left chances on the table, and Italy, had they been more precise in transition, could have punished them further. Still, the match confirmed Spain’s tactical maturity, squad depth, and capacity to manage tournament football. Montse Tomé’s ability to rotate without losing structure will be decisive in the knockout rounds.
As the final whistle blew in Bern, Spain’s 3–1 triumph over Italy wasn’t just a result- it was a culmination of philosophy, preparation, and execution. The match validated Spain’s blueprint: positional dominance, technical superiority, and tactical discipline. Yet behind the geometry of triangles and pressing traps were players embodying emotional arcs, coach-driven principles, and national ambitions. If Spain’s victory was constructed on the training ground, it was animated by a cast of players who interpreted the system to perfection.
Spain’s victory over Italy didn’t just book their quarterfinal ticket — it cemented their tournament identity. But what that identity is can’t be defined by a single system, shape, or even line-up. Rather, it’s a philosophy built on fluid positional play, intelligent rotation, and the interchangeability of roles and that, precisely, is what sets Spain apart from the rest of the competition.
That harmony of ego-less adaptation is rare. And it makes Spain extremely hard to scout: they have no single point of failure, and no singular rhythm. They can smother you with possession and their high press or cut through you with direct transitions. Even their set-piece defence, long a weakness, has shown signs of improvement — they conceded none to Italy despite repeated aerial tests.
What Spain has mastered is not just change, it’s change with purpose yet change that does not abandon Spain’s key footballing philosophies . As Vicky Losada alludes to, “The girls on the national team have been together for many years... We play a lot on the street, we enjoy playing with the ball, and that's something unique in Spain that other teams, no matter how much they train, will never have.”
For Italy, the cracks that had slowly opened in the first half turned into fissures in the second. The midfield’s vertical distance from the backline widened, and Spain exploited the space between the lines with ruthless efficiency. Andrea Soncin spoke before the game about adaptation and tactical awareness stating “We’ve shown we can change depending on the match and opponents. There’s great awareness — in every match, we look for the optimal set-up to play our best.” But Italy’s adjustments never fully came. The switch to a back five invited more pressure, and the midfield lacked the ball-carrying threat to break Spain’s press. Even Girelli, one of the few Italian players to threaten, was isolated. Ultimately, Spain’s press, guided by clear triggers, was unrelenting whilst Italy’s build-up was improvisational at best, chaotic at worst.
Arianna Caruso, in the build-up to the match, had said, “if we defend well and manage to score, I don’t see why we can’t progress.” However, Italy simply couldn’t sustain the defensive concentration Spain demanded. Their press was episodic, and once it was broken, they had to recover in retreat, which was often too slow and too late. The final 10 minutes saw Spain hold 82% possession, effectively passing Italy into submission.
Spain (Left) vs Italy (Right) Successful Passing, Crosses and Final Third play (assists and/or goals) in the last 10 mins.
Spain leave the group stage with three wins, 14 goals scored, 2 conceded, and growing clarity around their identity. They are now the tournament’s top scorers, average 69% possession, attempt more final-third entries than any other team, and complete over 90% of their passes in the middle third, which allows them to dictate both tempo and territory. Perhaps most crucially, they maintain a defensive block that minimizes chaos: they allow the fewest touches in their penalty area per game of any remaining team.
OPTA-Stats collected after the first 3 games (Calculated Per-90mins)
And yet, Spain’s identity is not just about ball control. This group stage has revealed a Spain side that can shift gears, slowing down to rest with the ball, accelerating into overloads with split-second precision, and pressing higher up with coordination when needed. It has also shown us that Spain’s players don’t just operate within the system- they elevate it. Alexia Putellas’ incisiveness and way she punctured defensive lines with precise timing and spatial awareness, Esther González’s clinical finishing, Patri Guijarro’s command in build-up, Vicky López’s spontaneity in pockets- all of it underscores the point that Spain don’t rely on moments of magic in spite of their structure; they rely on magic through it. In this way, their group stage campaign has signalled not only tactical sophistication but also a maturity in how flair and function coexist.
Spain now heads into that next stage of the tournament with not just confidence, but ever-growing tactical clarity and collective purpose. As Montse Tomé said: “We’re ready to compete. We’re on a very good path to get the three points… Winning gives us confidence. This is the highest level, it’s elite…but we can win… we can go far in this competition… that I am confident about”
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