Football: Spain setback in Euro title bid

WARSAW: Spain’s bid to become the first team to win back-to-back European titles got off to a bad start on Sunday, after they were forced to come back from 1-0 down to draw with crisis-hit Italy in Gdansk, Poland. Udinese’s Antonio Di Natale put the Azzurri ahead in the second-half, latching on to an inch-perfect Andrea Pirlo through-ball and slotting it with his right foot past the advancing Iker Casillas. But Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas equalised within minutes at the other end after Manchester City’s David Silva split two Italy defenders with a neat pass, leaving Gianluigi Buffon helpless. Subsitute Fernando Torres could have added a second for La Roja minutes from the end but the Chelsea player lifted his chip over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2012.