Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle goals gave Italy a 2-0 round of 16 victory over European champions Spain at the Stade de France.
That victory way the Azzurri will meet world champions Germany in the Euro 2016 quarterfinal on Saturday in Bordeaux.
Spain struggled to get entering into a game that Italy might have won more effortlessly had it not been for goalkeeper David De Gea's heroics.
The Manchester United man, playing in his first worldwide event, was referred to as into action twice in the opening 10 minutes, first turning Graziano Pelle's robust header vast and then diving to push an Emanuele Giaccherini overhead kick onto the publish.
Spain's first real sight of intention didn't come except the 27th minute when Andres Iniesta took a hopeful shot from outside the discipline that was once effectively gathered by way of Gianluigi Buffon. Following that danger Italy underlined their dominance when Mattia De Sciglio's low go into the field forced Sergio Ramos into a fortuitous clearance over his possess bar from close range.
The breakthrough got here in the 32nd minute when Pelle used to be fouled by using Ramos. De Gea couldn't hold Eder's resulting free kick enabling Chiellini to score from close variety and give Italy a deserved lead.
Giaccherini practically doubled Italy's skills in the forty fifth minute but his curling effort used to be pushed away from the top corner with the aid of De Gea.
Vicente del Bosque presented 35-12 months-historic Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz at half-time for Nolito and Spain begun the second period brighter than they did the first. Alvaro Morata used to be given a transparent sight of goal from six-yards out but might handiest direct his header straight at Buffon.
But Italy quickly wrestled back manage of the game and De Gea was once once more pressured to come to Spain's rescue in the 53rd minute, saving good when Eder was once sent easy via on goal by way of a neat Pelle flick.
Barely 10 minutes later Eder triggered extra chaos in La Roja's penalty area when he found De Sciglio in house however the AC Milan man couldn't select out a teammate with his pass.
From there Italy had been pleased to shut up shop and enable Spain to take the initiative, anything the 2008 and 2012 winners of the eu Championship lacked the spark to do, before Pelle grabbed a last-gasp intention to seal the win.