Cesc Fabregas says that Spain will need to pay special attention to Mario Balotelli if they are to get the better of Italy in Sunday's Euro 2012 final in Kiev.
"Balotelli is a great player," the Barcelona midfielder said on Friday.
"He showed that yesterday by scoring two superb goals in a semi-final against a very strong team like Germany.
"Italy's defenders are very experienced, and they know when to attack and when to defend.
"On top of that they have a goalkeeper (Gianluigi Buffon) who's a natural leader.
"They also have a lot of variety up front. They have strong players like Balotelli, tricky players like Cassano, and in midfield they have special players like (Claudio) Marchisio and (Andrea) Pirlo, who's had a great tournament.
Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas controls the ball during the Euro 2012 football championships semi-final match Portugal vs. Spain on June 27, 2012 at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE