Spain reaches semis by taking out Italy

VIENNA, Austria -- When a team has gone so long without a big win, it doesn't care how that victory comes.

For Spain, it came in the form of a penalty-kicks shootout over World Cup champion Italy, 4-2 after a lackluster 0-0 draw through 120 minutes Sunday night in the European Championship quarterfinals.

"We finally had the luck that we have been missing," goalkeeper Iker Casillas said after saving 2 penalty kicks.

It was much more than luck, though. Spain showed the kind of fortitude it often has lacked in big tournaments. And Casillas was brilliant in the shootout, guessing right on all 4 kicks, and stopping Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale.

"We deserved this," Casillas added.

It was the first victory for Spain over Italy in a major competition in 88 years -- since the 1920 Olympics. Aragones said Spain's King Juan Carlos went into the locker room after the match and spoke to the players.

Cesc Fabregas scored the decisive penalty kick, setting up a semifinal against Russia on Thursday night in Vienna. Spain, the only group winner to make the semifinals, beat the Russians 4-1 in their group opener.

"What happened before is not important now," Casillas said. "We don't feel like champions just because we beat Russia in the first round."

The other semifinal has Turkey against Germany on Wednesday in Basel, Switzerland.

David Villa, Santi Cazorla and Marcos Senna beat Italy's Gianluigi Buffon in the shootout. Fabio Grosso and Mauro Camoranesi connected for Italy, but Casillas was the difference.

"I was sure he was going to stop the penalties," Spain coach Luis Aragones said. "I was sure."