Italy vs Spain Euro 2016 reaction: Fairytales rely on the big beasts - and they don't come much bigger than Italy

Italy 2 Spain 0: Germany are next for the Azzurri, another mouth-watering battle between teams that have often brought the best from each other

Graziano Pelle wheels away delighted after scoring Italy's second (Getty)

Sport needs fairytales like Leicester City, Danny Willet and Marcus Willis. It needs the unpredictability provided by giantkilling. But it also needs the big beasts to thrive. If a competition has a different winner each time it loses authenticity and becomes a lottery. Without giants to be slain everyone is a pygmy.

The big beasts are the benchmarks, their successes the canvas upon which the unexpected occasionally splashes. The likes of Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland have added colour to this tournament. They and their fans have justified the expansion to 24 teams. But there have been too many matches in which an undermatched team has simply been defending. There have been others when the teams have been even, the match open, but the quality moderate, such as Poland-Switzerland.

This was different. Here were two contenders slugging it out. The 43rd match of Euro 2016 was the first between genuine heavyweights. While it felt as if the round of 16 was still too early for a match that would have made a good final the tournament needed a clash of titans.

True, both teams had lost their previous matches but both had already qualified. Italy fielded an ersatz team against Republic of Ireland and Spain paid for complacency against Croatia. This, though, was the real deal. One of these teams would be going home just as the tournament was warming up.

Under softly falling rain it was Italy who began the sharpest. The match had been billed as a contest between the irresistible force of Spain’s attack and the immovable object of Italy’s defence but the Azzurri surprised Spain with a vibrant opening, pressing high out of possession and showing adventure when in it.

Their full-backs, confident in the ability of their Juventus back three to repulse all boarders, pushed on, pinning their Spanish counterparts back and providing attacking width. Graziano Pelle led the line with a mix of power and nous that showed what a good finishing school the Premier League has been for him. Alongside Emanuele Giaccherini, who perplexingly made a much more limited impression on English football, buzzed about, pulling Spain’s defence out of shape. The goal was thus not a surprise even if the scorer, Giorgio Chiellini, was as unlikely as the fact it followed a David De Gea error.

Having taken the lead Italy withdrew, as they have done down the ages. Given possession Spain, the great pass masters were flummoxed. Although Italy defended narrow and deep they too often tried to pass through the blue thicket instead of going around it. It was not just blanket defence, Italy maintained an attacking threat and De Gea redeemed himself by keeping Spain in touch.

The Italians celebrate in front of their supporters (Getty)

The second half was more even as Del Bosque re-jigged personnel. Yet while Gianluigi Buffon was called into serious action Italy always looked the more likely and Pelle’s clincher was just reward for a fine line-leading performance.

This will be the end for Del Bosque. Perhaps he should have departed after the debacle in Brazil as Spain look as if they need freshening up. Italy, however, are coming to the boil nicely. One move midway through the first period summed up their play. Spain were busy probing with the intricate passing that is their hallmark when Andreas Iniesta attempted a quick give-and-go on the edge of the box. Leonardo Bonucci read Iniesta’s pass, intercepted, then strode out of defence, cruising imperiously over the halfway line before finding Pelle. Meanwhile Mattia De Sciglio had been haring up the left and the move ended with Marco Parolo going close from the wing-back’s cross.

Germany are next for the Azzurri, another mouth-watering battle between teams that have often brought the best from each other. And this, of course, is the main reason competitions need the big beasts, their matches, usually, are of the highest quality, the best ones to watch, and this was no exception.