Defending World Cup Champions Spain Defeat Italy

In one of their final friendly games before the World Cup the Spanish side had picked tough opponents in Italy. Many believe this could be a late stage World Cup match, so they were evidently excited to see a sneak preview. Both teams were toe-to-toe for the majority of the game, with Barcelona star Pedro scoring in the second-half to hand Spain the victory.

The game was competitive throughout, until the 63rd minute in which the champions took control. Spain had the better throughout, but Italy always looked like they had a fighting chance. One of the key moments of the game was Spanish forward Diego Costa getting his international debut. The forward has been a revelation at club level and he has broken in to the starting eleven at the perfect time, considering the World Cup is weeks away.

Atletico Madrid's star striker had played for Brazil in a friendly against Italy, but he had changed his allegiances and opted to represent his Spanish side. Although the Spanish star was a threat throughout, Italy did not have their star striker, Mario Balotelli, who was out injured. With Balotelli back, the Italians forward line will look promising, and could breach even the toughest of defenses.

Both of these teams have had a look at what one another can bring to the tournament, and if the pair meet again in the World Cup you can expect changes to be made. Will this defeat hurt the Italians and their confidence, or will they see it as a lesson learned as they seek to win the World Cup?