1. Cristiano Ronaldo is either a bottler or a glory-hunter. He shirked his penalty shootout duties and ended up not being needed. The best penalty taker in the team should have been up first.
2. His only decisive input was whispering something to goalkeeper Rui Patricio ahead of Real Madrid team-mate Xabi Alonso’s penalty. We thought the winker was going to become the whisperer when that was saved, but it was all in vain.
3. We all went crazy over Andrea Pirlo’s Panenka, but Sergio Ramos is supposed to be a centre-back. Outrageous! And he invented the belly flop clearance too.
4. Bruno Alves’ gut suggests he regularly hits the bar, but not in that manner and not in a European Championship semi-final.
5. Vicente Del Bosque gave a 55-minute demonstration as to why he’s preferred to play without strikers, and his side still won the match.
6. Having survived 120 minutes and two penalties, the nets must have thought a higher power was on their side.
7. Cesc Fabregas stepped up and did what any good fake striker should do. Hit the post and get a rebound into the net to score the winning penalty.
8. Pepe, previously without so much as a yellow card to his name at Euro 2012 before tonight, reverted to his Real Madrid persona this evening. He picked up a booking and got away with a couple of other… interesting moments.
9. Don’t worry, Cristiano. Lionel Messi didn’t win a trophy this time last year either.
10. Spain’s bid for a third successive major tournament win goes on. They stuttered along tonight, but they were the better team.
