The Spanish beat Italy in a shoot-out to reach the EURO 2008 semi-finals, ending an 88-year jinx in the process.
With the score standing at 0-0 at the end of extra time, substitute Cesc Fabregas sealed a 4-2 win on penalties after Spanish keeper Iker Casillas had saved efforts from Daniele de Rossi and Antonio Di Natale. It was Spain's first victory over the Italians at the finals of a major tournment since the 1920 Olympics.
They now face Russia in Vienna on Thursday for a place in the final - having already beaten them 4-1 in the group phase.
Only group winner through
The result in fact leaves Spain as the only group stage winner to make it into the last four at EURO 2008. There was little to be seen, however, of the flair they had displayed earlier in the tournament in a tactical encounter in front of a 51,178 crowd in Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
A weakened Italian side for the most part successfully dampened the tempo against their high-flying opponents, while Spain's due respect for the Azzuri was all too evident.
Penalty claim
The Spanish were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 16th minute for a foul by Massimo Ambrosini on David Villa.
The first real chance of note, however, was all of an hour in coming - and it fell to the Italians on the break. A bad mistake by Iker Casillas gave substitute Mauro Camoranesi a shot on goal, but Casillas made amends, blocking the effort with his feet.
Buffon error
Nine minutes from the end of regulation time his opposite number, Gianluigi Buffon, fumbled a 30-metre drive by Marcos Senna, only to see the ball roll against the post and back into his hands.
Early in the first period of extra time, David Villa fired narrowly wide at one end, while a Di Natale header pulled a great fingertip save out of Casillas two minutes later at the other.
Date of ill-omen
Spain had lost three of the four penalty- shoot-outs contested at a major finals. Oddly, all three defeats occurred on 22 June - against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup finals, against England at EURO 2006 and against South Korea at the 2002 World Cup.
On this occasion, it transpired, bad things really do come in threes…
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