Italy s world-record 37-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the 2021 Nations League final with a 2-1 win at San Siro.
Roberto Mancini s side overcame Spain in the last four of Euro 2020 in July, but they were blown away by a Roja side who will play the winners of Thursday s other semi-final between France and Belgium in the decider on Sunday.
Ferran Torres was their star man, the Manchester City forward delivering two superb finishes either side of Leonardo Bonucci s dismissal for the Azzurri before half-time.
Lorenzo Pellegrini set up a dramatic finale with a breakaway goal in the 83rd minute, yet Luis Enrique s side held firm in the closing stages to progress to the final.
This duo for Spain Italy = ______
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Spain started brightly and went ahead after 17 minutes when Torres steered a 10-yard volley past Gianluigi Donnarumma after being picked out by Mikel Oyarzabal s sumptuous cross.
Donnarumma almost gifted Spain a second less than a minute later as he fumbled Marcos Alonso s strike onto the post, while Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne went close to restoring parity at the other end.
Italy s hopes were dealt a blow three minutes before the interval when Bonucci received a second yellow card for catching Sergio Busquets with an elbow in an aerial challenge.
Spain capitalised on their numerical advantage in first-half stoppage time, Torres again getting on the end of an Oyarzabal cross to head into Donnarumma s far corner.
Oyarzabal should have made it three shortly after the hour mark, but his header from Yeremy s cross flew agonisingly wide of Donnarumma s right-hand post.
The excellent Federico Chiesa teed Pellegrini up for a tap-in after a lightning quick break in the final 10 minutes, but Italy were unable to find the leveller that would have preserved their remarkable undefeated streak at least into extra time.
