Spain vs. Italy Recap, Analysis, Video Highlights: Five Things We Learned About Spain

Spain defeated Italy in an international friendly on Wednesday by the score of 1-0.

The game featured a rematch of last year's Confederations Cup semifinal with Pedro giving Spain the ultimate winner. But the match was interesting for the Spaniards for a number of other reasons and storylines. Here are the five things that were learned from Spain's 1-0 win.

1. Spain is capable of playing fast-paced games

La Furia Roja knocked the sphere around, but the passing was not often the lethargic style that dominated the World Cup qualifying versions of the team. This Spanish side, which did not feature Xavi at all during the match, actually moved the ball around quickly; the players moved around with speed, making the Italian defense open up and providing a chance for numerous creative looks. The two best players in the game were Andres Iniesta and David Silva; both combined to create Pedro's goal and were able to constantly make decisive passes and runs that broke apart Italy's defense.

2. Diego Costa is still a work in progress

The big story of course was Costa and whether or not he would give Spain the forward it has been hoping for. The answer is no, but only momentarily. The Atletico Madrid product looked slow at times (he was literally standing still in the box during the buildup to the goal), but he did continually garner the attention of at least two Italian defenders at all times; this opened up space for the rest of his teammates to pass the ball around more freely. He never really had a great chance or made a terrific play, but there was some potential for another look in the future.

3. Xabi Alonso had a mediocre game

He helped recover the ball in the middle of the park, but he was clearly second best to Sergio Busquets. He constantly made errant passes or simply made passes that put his teammates in touch positions. At one point he actually ran into Thiago Alcantara and knocked him over accidently. It was actually quite shocking to watch Alonso make some poor passes considering his remarkable form for Real Madrid.

Busquets looked a lot more poised in the holding position and was better able to distribute than Alonso was during his part of the game.

4. Thiago Alcantara could take Xavi's starting spot in Brazil

The former Barcelona product had a terrific game wearing No. 7. He rarely made a poor pass and looked calm and collected with the pitch. He teamed up really well with Busquets, Iniesta and Fabregas in the first half and had some great chemistry with Silva in the second. More importantly, he showed a tremendous determination to win back the ball throughout the game and managed to do just that on a number of occasions throughout the game. He is definitely a keeper, especially if he continues to play up to this quality for Bayern Munich.

5. Javi Martinez is a good centerback

The other big Bayern Munich star on the team is Javi Martinez who was placed at the centerback position due to the injury to Gerard Pique. One might wonder whether Pique should come back at all after Martinez's display. It was not spotless, but Martinez's size coupled with his awareness made him a solid addition to Spain's defense. Pique's defense has been inconsistent this year so one might wonder whether manager Vicente del Bosque opts for Martinez instead.