Antonio Conte is adamant there is no need to worry unduly about Italy's round of 16 match against reigning European champions Spain.

Italy topped Euro 2016 Group E -- despite a 1-0 loss to Ireland in their final game -- but Spain's second-place finish in Group D has set up a meeting between the two giants of European football in the second round.

Conte, however, is not concerned about the prospect of facing a Spanish side targeting a third European Championship title in eight years.

"Why should we be anxious [about Spain]?" Conte said. "The lads are doing everything they have to do and we need to carry on working the way we are without getting anxious because, I repeat, our first objective was to get to the round of 16. Now we've got a game against one of the favourites to win, but let's not forget where we came from.

"We've certainly got to be enthusiastic about playing Spain, like we were when we faced a Belgium side who, on paper, seemed to be much better than us.

"We are facing one of the best sides in the world. What do you want me to say, that Spain are rubbish? They are the strongest in the world. We know this, but it's on the pitch where we will find out the result. They are the best team in the world and I'm not a visionary just landing off the moon now and thinking that they are just going to be sparring partners."

A much-changed Italy conceded their first goal of the tournament as Robbie Brady's late strike handed them defeat to Ireland, but Conte believes the changes he made will have a positive impact in the long term.

"We had the chance, with qualification already mathematically ours, to rest those who had used a lot of energy," Conte said. "But despite the eight changes, and two new players -- [Lorenzo] Insigne and [Stephan] El Shaarawy hadn't played yet -- we still had our own shape. Even when we changed eight, which became 10, you could see that this is a side which has strengths and weaknesses.

"But they want to fight. If we had not played with the right attitude, it would have been hard. Ireland played out of their skin and it was the game of their lives."

And Italy midfielder Thiago Motta went further, suggesting that Wednesday's defeat against could be a blessing in disguise.

Motta, 33, was one of the eight changes to the starting team, but says the lessons from the loss might serve Italy well ahead of their clash with Spain at the Stade de France next Monday.

Thiago Motta (left) was one of eight changes to the starting lineup for the game against Italy. Claudio Villa/Getty Images

"It's always difficult to digest a defeat, but we knew before the game that we had qualified," the Paris Saint-Germain player said.

"Paradoxically this defeat will do us good, because after two matches we found ourselves as favourites, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. We're going to try and think only of Spain in order to play a good match.

"We know that Italy is not at the level of Spain or Germany, but we know we can win by playing to our strengths. Nobody believed in us before the Euros and in two matches we qualified.

"Spain are the favourites in the last-16, but we're going to try to do the things that we know how to do well. When the match starts, there's no longer a favourite."

ESPN FC's France correspondent Mark Rodden contributed to this report