Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is confident Italy's Nations League semifinal defeat to Spain was a blip.

The Azzurri lost 2-1 on Wednesday night, breaking their 37 match unbeaten run.

“It's a pity the defeat came in Milan, but there is proud for this extraordinary run of results," Chiellini told RAI Sport.

“it's a necessary stage in the growth process for a team that can still do far better. We knew it was a difficult match, we called for patience and clear minds, sometimes you have to accept the opposition is a very strong team that causes you problems.

“It's a pity, we wanted to continue this unbeaten run, but the fact is this will help our growth process. We almost got it back on level terms when down to 10 men and 2-0 down, so that shows what we're capable of."