FORTALEZA, Brazil — Spain set up a Confederations Cup semifinal reunion with Euro 2012 final victim Italy after beating Nigeria 3-0 on a steamy afternoon in Fortaleza Sunday to secure top spot in Group B. Vicente del Bosque's side needed just a point to confirm a place in the last four, but it made doubly sure thanks to a fine brace of goals from Jordi Alba and a 62nd-minute header by substitute Fernando Torres. The world and European champion will now face Italy, which it crushed 4-0 in last year's Euro 2012 final, in the second semifinal in Fortaleza Thursday, a day after Brazil meets Uruguay in Belo Horizonte. Italy will, however, be without its influential striker Mario Balotelli. The 22-year-old has been ruled out of the last-four tie due to a torn thigh muscle. Uruguay secured its place in the semifinals with an 8-0 drubbing of Tahiti, featuring the fastest goal in the competition's history. The Confed Cup record-breaker at Recife's Arena Pernambuco was Abel Hernandez, the Palermo striker heading in off Nicolas Lodeiro's corner after just 79 seconds. He went on to bag four, with Diego Perez, Lodeiro and Luis Suarez with a double, joining him on the scoresheet. With this result following their record 10-0 loss to Spain and 6-1 defeat to Nigeria, Tahiti take their leave of the competition. Nigeria, meanwhile, was left to rue last Thursday's damaging 2-1 defeat by Uruguay, having begun its Confederations Cup campaign with a breezy 6-1 thrashing of Tahiti. “We played against a better side, a team who've been together for a long time,” said Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi. “It's a learning process for us, it's good. We have to continue from where we stopped tonight, and build on that.” It was the teams' first meeting since Nigeria beat Spain 3-2 in the group phase of the 1998 World Cup, and if the world champion was out for revenge, it was quick to draw first blood at Estadio Castelao. There were three minutes on the clock when Andres Iniesta sprayed a pass wide to Barcelona teammate Alba, and the left-back weaved around three challenges before stroking a low shot past Vincent Enyeama. Nigeria looked set for an afternoon of toil amid stifling humidity inside the stadium, but despite losing Kenneth Omeruo to injury in the 11th minute, they took the fight to Spain. Brown Ideye and Joseph Akpala spurned half-chances, while Spain goalkeeper Victor Valdes did superbly to tip a snapshot from the recalled Sunday Mba around the post. Despite several slick interchanges, the African champion's composure repeatedly let it down whenever it penetrated the Spanish area, but Spain was not without blame in that department either. Roberto Soldado twice shot straight at Enyeama when clean through on goal, while Cesc Fabregas conspired to hit the post from only eight yards after being picked out by Soldado's sweeping low cross. Spain introduced David Silva and Torres from the bench and within minutes of coming on, the Chelsea striker made it 2-0, flinging himself at Pedro Rodriguez's left-wing cross to score with a glorious flying header. Having scored four times in the record-breaking 10-0 rout of Tahiti earlier this week, Torres is now the tournament's leading scorer with five goals. Spain successfully took the sting out of the game thereafter, only for Alba to add the coup de grace in the 88th minute when he sprang the offside trap, rounded Enyeama, and rolled the ball into the net. — Agencies
