Buffon to star in goalless Euro 2012 final

Never has there been a goalless European Championship final but there is a first time for everything and that first time could be when Spain and Italy meet in the Euro 2012 decider.

The beauty of the Spaniards and the Italians meeting in the Euro 2012 final at Kyiv`s Olympic Stadium, at least from a betting perspective, is the availability of recent form.

Spain and Italy faced each other in Group C`s opening game in Gdansk and what transpired was an interesting tactical battle that Cesare Prandelli won convincingly even if the match finished all-square at the end of 90 minutes.

Prandelli set up the Italians in 3-5-2 system, while Vicente Del Bosque used a formation rarely seen at international level, one in which the Spaniards have no recognised striker. Basically, they played with a false nine.

Spain, as it does, had more of the ball - according to UEFA, the reigning world and European champion enjoyed 60 per cent possession - but Italy frustrated Del Bosque`s side for long period thanks, in the main, to Prandelli`s intelligence.

Indeed, while the Spaniards had the more attempts at goal than the Italians, in the more enlightening statistic of clear-cut chances, the Rojas trailed the Azzurri 6-7.

It will be fascinating to see which systems Spain and Italy choose to employ in the biggest game of the tournament. One would think that the Spaniards will not use a false nine again and that the Italians, whichever formation they encounter, will have a plan to stifle the favourites.

Bookmakers have, unsurprisingly, installed Spain as the match market leader at around 11-10 and the title market leader at around 8-15. Even if you think the Spaniards will become the first team to win three major competitions in a row, you have got to question whether they represent value against an Italian side that is being coached very smartly.

Better value, surely, lies in the game being really close and going to extra time. The 90-minute draw is available at around 9-4 and, since the only draw that anyone can fancy with any real conviction is a goalless one, it makes sense to consider the 0-0 correct-score play at around 6-1.

Understandably, odds-on betting is not everyone`s cup of tea but consider this before turning your back on the odds of around 1-2 that are available on under 2.5 goals in normal time: Spain and Italy have featured in nine separate Euro 2012 matches and eight of them have gone under the total, with the one and only exception being when the Spaniards routed the outclassed Irish 4-0 in Gdansk two weeks ago.

Punters love exotics betting on big games and odds on who will be the man of the match make for interesting reading. Bookmakers have installed Andres Iniesta as the favourite, which makes sense given that he won the award when the Spaniards and Italians drew 1-1 on Sunday 10 June 2012.

Obviously, your man-of-the-match selection depends upon your view of the game itself but, based on the ratings awarded to players when the team met in Gdansk three weeks ago, there would have to be a case for backing Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon at the generally available double-figure odds.

If the match does end up being short of goals, Buffon is likely to be among the contenders and, according to many good judges, the Italian custodian has been every bit as impressive as his teammate, Andrea Pirlo, during Euro 2012.

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29/06/2012     © Frixo 2026