In the 2002 World Cup, Casillas failed to stop a single shot as South Korea sent Spain home in a quarter-final shootout. This time, the Real Madrid goalkeeper was close to flawless, diving to the correct side on each Italian penalty. He couldn't stop well-placed shots from Mauro Camoranesi and Fabio Grosso, but he easily denied attempts by Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale.
"We deserved this. It was very tough match and it was very hot out there," said Casillas, who also stopped a shot from Camoranesi, which could have given Italy the lead in the second half.
"We wanted the Spanish fans to be proud of their team and I think we've already achieved that," he said, referring to Spain's previous struggles to get past the quarter-finals. "Now we've passed that barrier. We must continue through the semi-finals to the final."
