Spain vs Italy LIVE: Euro 2024 team news and updates from Group B blockbuster

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente ahead of facing Italy: “They are contenders in every international competition. Spain vs Italy is a classic game, it could very easily be the final.

“They have great players, a great coach, and a real football culture. They’re one of the great national teams. I’m sure it’ll be a great show and a great game. It will be a contest worthy of this competition. We’ll do our best to win it.

“We are prepared to get muddy, to dig deep in a quarry and for a day in the office. Ready for everything. We know what kind of football they play and how competitive they are, so we won’t be surprised. I expect a strong, aggressive Italy who will try to control possession.”

Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti ahead of facing Spain: “When you play a Euro, all games are finals, all games are unique, all games are something to remember.

“We want to play the same kind of football we played against Albania and measure ourselves against one of the strongest teams in Europe. I’m sure that if we leave the ball to them, it will end badly for us. So we will have to take the initiative and see if we manage to do so against such great opponents.

“Spain will set up differently based on how we played [against Albania], and will squeeze us more. Against Spain, there will be, play the ball forward more, be more direct. They tend to be more aggressive in bite, so there’s more chance to play behind the defensive line. It’s unlikely we’ll see something similar to what we saw tonight.”

Luciano Spalletti has named an unchanged Italy team to face Spain, as the Azzurri line up with the same side that beat Albania 2-1 in their opener.

Italy XI: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco; Jorginho, Barella; Chiesa, Frattesi, Pellegrini; Scamacca

Scenes in Gelsenkirchen as we build up to Spain vs Italy.

Spain have made made one change from the 3-0 win over Croatia, with Aymeric Laporte replacing Nacho in defence. They are unchanged elsewhere.

Spain XI: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Williams.

The reigning champions have endured a mostly torrid time since the last Euros, but looked impressive for large chunks of their 2-1 win over Albania, despite conceding that disastrous early goal. They remain short of an elite goalscorer, but Lorenzo Pellegrini and Federico Chiesa can make up the difference from the wide forward roles.

An exciting new generation of Spanish players is showing itself at these Euros, primarily through the talents of Atletico’s Nico Williams and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal – the 16-year-old Yamal is already one of Barca’s best players and looked bright in an opening 3-0 win over Croatia. Spain looked open at times and allowed Croatia 16 shots – a better opponent would surely have capitalised – but it was a convincing scoreline nonetheless and their clash with Italy will be fascinating.

Spain vs Italy head-to-head: 2021

Five years and one tournament on, at Euro 2020, Italy earned further revenge against Spain with a semi-final victory on penalties following a thrilling 1-1 draw at Wembley.

Federico Chiesa scored a stunning goal on the counter-attack to give Italy the lead but Spain found a deserved equaliser as Alvaro Morata came off the bench to force extra time.

Italy, though, found a way to win and Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero in the shoot-out as he saved from Morata and Jorginho rolled in the winner.

Italy would go on to do the same against England in the final as they become European champions for the first time.

Spain vs Italy head-to-head: 2016

Italy’s revenge, and a masterclass from Antonio Conte. Spain lost a knockout game for the first time in 10 years as Italy executed Conte’s gameplan to perfection and the holders were eliminated following a 2-0 defeat in Saint-Denis in the Euro 2016 last-16.

Conte’s wing-back system and tactics saw the Azzurri dominate, with Giorgio Chiellini scrambling in the opener before Italy fell back onto their defence and Graziano Pelle sealed victory in injury time. Italy went on to lost to Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Spain vs Italy head-to-head: 2012

After a 1-1 draw in the group stage of Euro 2012, Spain and Italy met again in the Kyiv final. Spain crowned a golden era with a dominant 4-0 victory, with goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata.

“We had the perfect game,” said Andres Iniesta. We dominated, moved the ball quickly, and created lots of chances. I think it’s one of the national team’s greatest games.”