Nico Williams leads majestic Spain into final 16 with win over Italy at Euro 2024 – newest response

There they were, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Andrea Cambiaso, sizing up the younger, fitter, faster, stronger man in front of them once again, like a couple of wounded bouncers realising they had bitten off more than they could chew but were in a fight they could not get out of. And Nico Williams just would not stop coming at them. 

Attack after attack, an unsparing, devastating opponent who looked like he could keep doing this long into the night and never get tired. Luciano Spalletti, the Italy coach, had sent on Cambiaso at half-time in the hope that, in tandem with Di Lorenzo, they might at least be able to discourage the juggernaut down Spain’s right flank. The problem was Williams took even greater pleasure and motivation from the chance to wreak double the destruction.

By the time the Athletic Bilbao forward took his leave to a standing ovation with 12 minutes remaining, having hit the crossbar, dazzled and delighted and conjured the move that would see Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori turn the ball into his own net for the goal that settled a grotesquely one-sided game, Italy’s defence looked out on its feet.

The 1-0 scoreline did scant justice to the scale of Spain’s dominance or the majesty of a display that had a bit of everything bar the bundle of goals their superiority and sublime football deserved. Only Italy’s goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made two fine saves late in the game to deny Mikel Oyarzabal after a series of fine first half stops, prevented La Roja from running up a cricket score here. 

Williams was the stand-out performer, a relentless, irresistible force in partnership with Marc Cucurella down the left, but there were outstanding displays all over the pitch. No one will want to be paired with Luis de la Fuente’s side on this form in the knockout rounds.