Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo put himself in the shop window with a goal scoring performance for Italy in their friendly win over Spain.

Montolivo described his first Italy goal and a new position as the Azzurri beat Spain.

"Mimmo Criscito did the through ball after Gerard Pique was dragged forward by their move, so I attacked the space. Iker Casillas was so close to me the only way to score was to chip it," he explained after the 2-1 victory.

"We did well and held out in midfield, where Spain tend to dominate sides, and the fans really helped push us along tonight. The crowd was fantastic.

"The first half was especially strong and we moved around well. Considering the moment I'm going through at club level, the Italy jersey gives me greater calm," said the Fiorentina outcast.