Euro 2012 Scores: Semifinals Prove We're Headed for Low Scoring Final

If you like goal scoring, then you might not want to bother watching Italy and Spain duke it out for the 2012 European Championship.

This is going to be a low scoring affair. In fact, the total is not even going to equal the two goals these two teams scored in their 1-1 draw when they began this tournament.

That low-scoring opening is certainly reason enough to suggest this next match is going to suffer from severe goal-scoring deficiencies, but it isn't the biggest reason. That belongs to their most recent matches.

These two advanced to the championship after combining to score two goals in the semifinals. Spain took down Portugal in a shootout—a shootout that only came about after a 0-0 stalemate.

Compared to that, Italy's two-goal performance seems like an absolute explosion of offensive activity.

Still, as well as Germany had been playing, they had suffered some momentary lapses of defensive efforts. The Die Mannschaft defense is one that is vulnerable if their offense doesn't dominate, and that is exactly what Italy exploited.

They are not going to have the same weaknesses to exploit against the amazingly stiff defense. In fact, Spain has yet to yield a single goal since Italy scored against them in the opener.

At the time, that match seemed to be a product of both squads being a little listless. Spain seemed to be sleepwalking through their opener. Time has revealed a far different tale.

Italy is playing at a level few thought they were capable of, and Spain's defense has dazzled while their offense fizzled.

That match was simply a product of two strong defensive teams running into each other, and that is going to be fully apparent in the championship.

Looking back on it now, it is actually surprising that Spain scored at all on Italy. They have allowed just two goals since that match, which includes the one that they allowed to the mighty German attack.

This championship game is going to be decided by one goal. I don't mean that just one goal is going to separate these two teams—I mean that just one goal is going to be scored.