It took 73 minutes, but Italy finally got their well deserved goal from former Brazilian international Thiago Motta. The defensive midfielder didn't venture forward very often against Slovenia, but when he did, he made the most of his shooting chance and scored Italy's winning goal, giving them a 1-0 win and the top spot in their Euro 2012 qualifying group. Both teams looked content with a 1-0 draw for an extended period of time, but Antonio Cassano's touch, followed by Motta's finish changed the game considerably and might leave the Slovenians wishing they were more ambitious with their play.

Both teams defended well throughout the match and both goalkeepers turned in great performances, but Italy deserved the win at the end of the day as the more ambitious side with more technical quality. Slovenia lacked creativity throughout the match, unsurprisingly, and their counter-attack wasn't good enough to create a goal out of nothing like it often is. Despite the loss, they will still have a great chance to finish second in their group and qualify for the European Championship. Italy now have a stranglehold on first place, and it would be stunning to see them miss the tournament.