The group stage of the 2016 UEFA European Championship is over, and the knockout rounds begin on Saturday. For Italy, the round of 16 starts on Monday at 5 p.m. BST (noon ET), when they square off against fellow European titan and two-time defending champion Spain.
The Azzurri earned this marquee fixture after defying expectations and winning Group E with a game to spare, defeating pre-tournament favorites Belgium 2-0 and a punchless Sweden team 1-0 before losing the group finale 1-0 to the Republic of Ireland, a game that only had meaning for the Irish.
Spain was expected to be on the other side of the draw as favorites in Group D, but a blown lead and 2-1 loss to Croatia in their group finale on Tuesday saw the Vatreni go top and dropped Spain into Italy's lap.