So Spain take the win and they were immaculate for the most part today. Congratulations to them and commiserations to Italy, who put up a good fight but were just short on class in the end.

Spain are still buzzing around at the feet of their opponents. They don't want Italy to get one more back, let alone two.

There's a fan on the pitch. In fact there are a couple to tarnish what has been a fine game of football.

There will be four minutes added on at the end of the game - just not enough time for Italy with Spain keeping the ball well here.

I think they have run out of steam, Italy, and who can blame them? They are coming forward still but without real pace as a sea of red in front of them continues to press.

SPAIN SUB: Koke comes off, and he's harried hard in the middle. Ignacio Camacho comes on for him - who certainly does not look under 21.

At least the goal will make the last 10 minutes competitive as Italy have something to cling on to. I can't see it myself, but you never know, do you?

Borini thinks the comeback is on! He plays a one-two with Insgne and fires into the bottom corner from outside the box - a great goal. Meanwhile Rodrigo comes on for Morata.

BOOKING: I've lost count of yellow cards now. Crimi's first act is to go in late and earn himself a yellow. Too excited.

ITALY SUB: Marco Crimi comes on for Verratti

I feel I should have had paella for dinner tonight instead of spaghetti, such is the Spaniards' dominance tonight. Muniain nearly gets in but eventually Italy escape with a goal kick.

SPAIN SUB: Tello, who has been brilliant this half, makes way for Iker Muniain. Another quality player for Italy to deal with. There's a booking for Caldirola.

It's a shame for a neutral that the contest is over so early, but you really have to admire Spain in tournaments. They get better and better all the way to the final. They've torn Italy apart tonight.

It's an almost identical penalty on the other side of the box. Montoya cuts inside and is sent sprawling by Regini. That's a penalty every day of the week and the defender is booked. This time Isco is back on duty and he sends the keeper the wrong way to slot into the bottom corner. Game over, if it wasn't already.

The pace is much less intense in this half and it's almost as if the players think the first 45 settled the contest. Spain are under little pressure in their half, which was not the case in the first half.

The passing hasn't been quite as sharp for either side in this half. Tello has been the best player and he almost nabs a goal but Bardi is alert at his near post to save.

ITALY SUBS: Immobile has run an awful lot, and he's making way now. Manolo Gabbiadini comes on for him. Riccardo Saponara is also on for Florenzi.

Thiago pinches the ball in midfield - he has totally controlled the middle of the park. Italy just can't deal with the movement at the moment, but Isco's pass to Montoya is too hard and goes out of play on the right.

CHANCE: Tello has been lively this half and he got away down the right. He waits for the onrushing Isco, whose shot from the edge of the box is curling but not quite enough to get inside the post. A decent opening there for Isco.

CHANCE: A decent chance for Florenzi there. The ball falls to him fortuitously from about 12 yards out by he slashes at his shit and skies it into the stands. He was surprised that it came to him, but he simply must do better.

After the early booking, Martinez seems to have the better of Immobile just now. He reads a ball over the top much better this time to head away - the battle he will win every day.

Italy have started the half with a good tempo. Mangia must have geed them up here and they win a corner out of nothing, but Morata heads it away.

BOOKING: Tello starts the half with a driving run down the right, but his cross comes to nothing. At the other end Immobile looks to get away but he's clipped by Martinez, who is booked.

KICKOFF: Spain get us back underway for the second half.

So not long until the restart now. I'll let you know if there are any changes - there might well be from Italy but I highly doubt we'll see any changes from the reigning champs.

The equaliser came about from the centre-backs pressing up the pitch and Moreno, the left-back, playing Immobile onside. They took his name for granted a bit there as once he was in behind he was away, and clipped it over De Gea really nicely.

The goals were really good as well. At least aside from the penalty. Morata's influence in the first was excellent. He moved into the channel on the left and had the awareness to look up and find Thiago making a burst into the box.

So far, so good for Spain. Spain's passing has been sublime at times and when they've felt like it they've been able to carve the Italians open at will. It will take a monumental effort from Italy to salvage anything from this now.

The fourth official holds up just one added minute.

Italy are seeing much more of the ball as the half winds down, but that's largely because Spain have got numbers back looking to close it out.

The atmosphere has gone surprisingly flat inside the Teddy Stadium. Italy will still be in this if they don't concede again by half time, but it's not looking good for them.

Donati slides in on Tello, who had burst into the box on the left. The cutback from the Barcelona man is too good and Donati brings him down. Isco wants it, but the captain has the final say and slots the penalty right down the middle for his hat-trick. That could be it.

Again Italy go for that ball over the top towards Florenzi, but it's too long this time and he might have tweaked something stretching to control it.

Italy have responded well to the goal; they're pressing forward again, but haven't managed another chance as yet. Montoya misses a header and nearly lets Insigne in, but Illarramendi comes back to help his right-back out.

What a wonderful pass from Koke there. He dissects the two Italian cntre-backs to find Thiago with a ball over the top and the Barcelona man chested it down before firing low past Bardi. The keeper got a touch but not enough on it to keep it out.

Great block from Bianchetti. It was last ditch after Isco had played in Morata when it really didn't look as though there was a gap. Bianchetti got across to slam the door shut just as the Real Madrid man pulled the trigger.

They're creating chances, but I would expect the Italians to tire before long; certainly in the second half. The movement from Spain is a lot for their defence to keep on top of and gaps will probably start to open up just as happened for the first goal.

BOOKING: Tello is booked for a slightly studs up challenge. It's just about fair as he did catch Donati.

CHANCE! This time it's Florenzi who's played in. He's not quite clear of Martinez, but flicks it over the defender neatly, but his effort his a bit close to De Gea and is cleared. The Manchester United stopper is not happy!

The game has been much more even since the Italian goal, if Spain are looking slightly more dangerous. Here come the holders again with Tello and Montoya combining but they're eventually squeezed off the ball.

CHANCE! Isco drives his free kick straight into the wall. Another shot comes in and it's squared to Koke, who tries to find the net with a backheel, but he's kept out by a combination of Bardi and Donati.

BOOKING: Spain have a free kick here and Marco Verratti is booked. His boot was high on Morata and the Spaniard got a boot in his face for his troubles. Isco stands over it...

CHANCE! That's the first time Morata has been in behind this afternoon. He's threaded in by Thiago, but there's not enough on his finish to beat Bardi, who saves down low.

De Gea is out like a flash to another through ball to Immobile. He's the sole outlet for the Italians at the moment and they're really pressing high now in comparison to the first five minutes or so. Great response from them.

Italy are suddenly seeing a lot more of the ball. There's that pass over the top again for Immobile, but this time he's offside. He's looked a real threat with his pace so far.

What a game we have here! Immobile is played over the top. He's nicked in behind his marker and clips over the advancing De Gea. A really good finish and Italy are right back in it.

That's the problem with Italy piling around the Spanish players on the ball. They left space for Thiago to drive into from deep and the neat footwork from his teammates presented him with an easy header.

As expected, Spain are seeing most if not all of the ball. Italy are not concerned with their opponents having possession in their own half, but are like a swarm of bees when Spain venture near the final third. Isco has three players around him but manages to find Morata - he crosses for Thiago who was in acres in the middle to head into an empty net. Great goal from Spain.

Morata drifts across to the left after being fed by Isco. Italy are getting numbers around every Spanish attack at the moment and Bianchetti concedes the corner. Italy look to break with Insigne played in over the top but Moreno stays with him and wins the tackle.

I probably don't need to say, but Italy are in blue and Spain in red. Early possession from Spain, with Tello looking to get through on the right but he's crowded out and Italy win a free kick.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! I predict Spain to win, but only by the odd goal or two.

Nearly time then for the match to get underway. The final warmups are taking place and Spain win the toss - Thiago opts for Italy to kick off.

The mascots are laughing at the Italian players' quite frankly dreadful singing of the national anthem. At least they know the words, I suppose...

Spain are really strong favourites, as it turns out. You won't get close to evens on them, while you can find Italy as far back as 4-1.

So we're not too far away from the kickoff now in Jerusalem. I'll take a final look at the pre-match odds. If you ask me, this isn't a certainty, but I fully expect it to be Spain's to lose.

But then Spain are Spain. The tiki-taka style is bred in them from such a young age and this crop of players are well suited to it. Isco and Cristian Tello are just brilliant, but they will be in a battle today with the Italians - who, remember, are bred to defend.

Italy have conceded just the one goal so far. They drew with semi-finalists Norway, but aside from that have looked all-but unbeatable at the back. Another important aspect, I think, is that they have several players who have been in full squads. Including Borini.

Spain will of course be starting this one as the favourites, but Italy have at times shown a lot of skill. In particular they have been incredibly solid at the back and that will be key to any hopes they have this afternoon.

Lopeteguiis very confident in his side and he warned that his side can still improve, despite their 3-0 win over Norway.

"We are happy with the performance and of course the result," he told Sky Sports News. "In the second half Norway played well physically and tactically and we have beaten a good team.

"At the moment we are tired, we have good players but we still think that we can improve.

"I think we played well and we are getting better. We are very comfortable playing the Spanish way."

Borini was naturally delighted with his impact against the Netherlands. After the game he said it "means everything" to score such a vital goal.

He told Sky Sports News: "It means everything - the past, the present, the future. "All the group is absolutely amazing because it was very hard to play against Holland in the first half. We came out really well in the second half to be compact and scored the goal."

Check out the full team news here.

Lorenzo Insigne is fit to start for the Italians and he will line up alongside Borini and Ciro Immobile. Mangia decided against making too many changes and puts his trust with largely the same side that played the Netherlands.

So Spain coach Julen Lopetegui has mixed things up a little. David de Gea makes his 27th appearance to go level with Santi Denia, and Alvaro Morata is preferred to Rodrigo up front. Iker Muniain misses out on a start but Cristian Tello and Koke both come back in.

SPAIN XI: De Gea; Montoya, Bartra, Inigo Martinez, Moreno; Koke, Illarramendi, Thiago; Tello, Isco, Morata

ITALY XI: Bardi; Donati, Caldirola, Bianchetti, Regini; Florenzi, Verratti, Rossi; Insigne, Immobile, Borini

So before I go into the build-up, let's take a look at the teams shall we?

So we're finally coming to the end of the tournament in Israel and the teams in the final were largely to be expected. Spain, the holders, were always likely to make it and Italy - up until the last game at least - were strong throughout.

Hello everyone and welcome to our coverage of the U21 Euro 2013 final. It's Italy against Spain and it kicks off in just under an hour.