SPAIN 1-1 ITALY

Well, with lots of work, this is my first match of EURO2012 watched live. When I first saw the lineup, I am abit disappointed. Zero striker in the lineup of Spain which is loaded with 6 midfielders. It is fine with 6 midfielders if it will guarantee a very strong midfield, which was not the case. I would not even consider putting Silva and Busquets in the lineup. The flow of passing was very much disconnected by Spain's standards. The pitch may be blamed for the lack of rhythm of football passing but I blamed the players for not playing like a unit / team.

To be fair, Italy had better chances of the night and Spain were lucky to get a draw with a very alert Casillas. Italy's attacks looked far more dangerous and effective, especially in the first half, which gave the defence a lot of scary situations. Cassano and Balotelli were dangerous and I guess Di Natale was just more experienced than Balotelli. I would give Balotelli more chances to prove himself as he lacked experience in such big tournaments. Torres' inclusion late in the second half was welcomed but he was not as sharp as expected to finish off two good chances. Spain also wasted all their free kicks and corners. Overall, I think the result is fair, considering the chances and the possessions of both teams.

I will want to catch the French - English match tonight. I don't expect much of England. The first upset of the tournament came from the Denmark 1-0 Holland match. It was unexpected but I am never too fond of this generation of Dutch for being extremely aggressive. The memories of the last World Cup is still fresh in my mind.