Euro 2008 - Italy survive Group of Death

Eurosport - Wed, 18 Jun 09:19:00 2008

Italy booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 with a 2-0 win over 10-man France in their final Group C game.

FOOTBALL Euro 2008 Italy players celebrate during match against France. - 0

Andrea Pirlo netted a 25th minute penalty following France defender Eric Abidal's dismissal before Daniele De Rossi sealed victory with a heavily-deflected free-kick midway through the second half.

But the result in Zurich would have meant nothing had Romania beaten the Netherlands in the other Group C game in Berne. Fortunately for Italy, they did not, going down 2-0 to the impressive group winners to leave the Azzurri looking forward to a last-eight clash with Spain.

Somewhat ominously for the rest of teams left in the tournament, the same old story appears to be playing itself out once again - Italy have struggled to find any kind of fluency so far this tournament, yet they are still there and in with a shout of glory.

Events at the Letzigrund Stadion unfolded in a similar fashion - it was far from classic Italy but a combination of good fortune, grit and determination saw them emerge from the Group of Death very much alive.

As for France, their era of international dominance is over and the defeat is likely to provoke a series of retirements from football at this level and the French Football Federation may have to consider the position of coach Raymond Domenech.

Domenech will already rue his decision to play Abidal in the centre of the French defence in preference to veteran centre-back Lilian Thuram.

Abidal - who usually operates at left-back - looked uncomfortable in his new role from the outset, and it was his mistake on 24 minutes that changed the entire dynamic of the match.

The Barcelona man allowed Luca Toni to sneak in behind him before clumsily upending the big striker in the penalty area. Referee Lubos Michel was left with no choice but to point to the spot and, since Abidal was the last defender, brandish a red card.

Pirlo stepped up to net the spot kick with aplomb, leaving France with a mountain nearly as big as the nearby Alps to climb.

De Rossi's deflected free-kick on 62 minutes made that task impossible, the ball hitting Thierry Henry's outstretched boot in the wall and sending Gregory Coupet the wrong way.

Even before Abidal's dismissal, the world champions had taken the game to France and could easily have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute had Toni not opted to strike from distance when played through on goal.

It was not to be the last time the Bayern Munich striker went close - he could have netted a first-half hat-trick - but for a man who netted 24 times in the Bundesliga last season, he was curiously profligate in front of goal.

At least his team-mates were capable of troubling Coupet - defender Christian Panucci had an 11th minute header cleared off the line by Claude Makelele before Coupet got the slightest of touches to Fabio Grosso's well hit free-kick to divert the ball against an upright just before half-time.

But despite being a man down, and having seen the influential Franck Ribery stretchered off after twisting his knee, France managed to creep back into the game as the opening period approached its conclusion.

And after the break, Les Bleus continued to enjoy some possession as Italy's play strangely became rather ragged. In particular, Jeremy Toulalan impressed and it was the Lyon midfielder's cross which led to Karim Benzema's stinging volley soon after the re-start, which flew just off target.

Henry too seemed intent on dragging France back into the game, but once news filtered through from Berne that Netherlands had netted a second against Romania, the huff and puff in the French side's play left them.

Another Benzema shot on goal - brilliantly saved by Buffon - was all France could muster in the closing stages, leaving Italy to wind down the clock and savour their victory.

Toni should have capped a great night for his nation with a late goal, but his blockbuster from outside the box grazed the wrong side of the post in injury time.

It mattered not: Italy were through and now no one will want to meet the Azzurri in the knockout stage.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

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  1. OK AFTER READING FEW POST ID LIKE TO EXPRESS MY OPINION MYSELF ABOUT ITALY I KNOW
    PPL THINK THEY DONT DESERVE TO GO TROUGH FAIT IN OFF BUT DID ALL OF YOU SEE HOW ITALY
    PLAYED DURING THE QUALIFICATION AND THE FRIENDLY MACTH?WELL!!! THE ONLY PROBLEM WE
    GOT IS THE COACH BECOUSE HE KEEPS HOPING FOR TONY TO DO THE JOB BUT HASNT HAPPNED
    ON THE BENCH WE GOT LOTS PLAYERS WITH FLEARS THAT ARE HICTHING TO PLAY LIKE IE
    DI NATALE QUAGLIARELLA AND MANY MORE IS VERY FRUSTATING WACTHING UR TEAM PLAYING LIKE
    THAT BECOUSE I KNOW WE CAN PLAY BETTER I JUST HOPE DONADONI GET THE MESSAGE ALSO WE NEVER PLAYED LONG BALLS THATS ANOTHER THING I HATE WE ARE USED TO PLAY THE BALL ON THE GROUND WITH SKILL IM VERY FEAR PERSON IF A TEAM PLAYS BETTER THEN OTHER IM THE FIRST ONE
    TO SAY IT AND IKNOW ITALY THEY NOT BEEN AT THEIR BEST I ALSO ADMIRE VANBASTEN HAS COME LONG WAY WITH A BEAUTYFULL TEAM AND HONEST AND IF HE WON THE COMPETITON ILL WOULD
    THAKE MY HAT OFF THEY COULD HAVE LOSR AGAINST ROMANIA BUT NOT HE WENT ALL THE WAY
    WELL DONE TO HIM IM GOIN TO ENJOY THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT REGARDELESS WHO WINS
    MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN SO DONT GET ANGRY TO ONE ANOTHER LETS CHEERS OUR TEAM

    From dario d, on Wed 18 Jun 7:08PM

  2. .......Italy didn't deserve to win??!!! ........keep sleeping, mate!!!!!

    From zweetsoundz, on Wed 18 Jun 3:15PM

  3. Italy didn't deserve to qualify, Romania and France as well. The only team that played great was Holland. So Italian fans, go prey and build a statue for Buffon, because he is the one who qualified you. Italy played bad so far and they'll play the same way against Spain.

    From teddo_doc, on Wed 18 Jun 2:51PM

  4. italy you is the best.

    From trotoardamenk, on Wed 18 Jun 12:36PM

  5. italiaaaaa fucks every team ......................

    From giorgi12345678, on Wed 18 Jun 12:23PM

  6. to me italy can win euro Buffon is still the best keeper and if Tony gets hes shooting boots on thats worth two goals a game. the defence need to be a little bit more carefull. the Italian supporters were great they got behind the team and out sing the frence. well done the lads keep eating the pasta just like my mama sued to say.

    From m.gunning406, on Wed 18 Jun 12:19PM

  7. yessss i agree 100% they won in thier previous match but the ref. was unfair with luca toni!!!!!!!

    From Na J, on Wed 18 Jun 12:08PM

  8. yessss i agree 100% they won in thier previous match but the ref. was unfair with luca toni!!!!!!!

    From Na J, on Wed 18 Jun 12:05PM

  9. This article has no truth to it, and your comment's what are you 10,years old

    From sunny m, on Wed 18 Jun 12:02PM

  10. viva italy!!!!!! goooo u r the best gooooo ahead and never let us down!!!!! gooooo italy

    From Na J, on Wed 18 Jun 11:58AM

  11. italy is the best,and evreybody is @#$% jelous,we r @#$% 4 times world cup winners,waht more u asking italy,even so refferis r agains italy,what was agains roumenia,but italy stars all the tournamets badly and ones thar r throgh they can win all they way,like in germany,cmnnnnnnnn italiaaaaaaaa,and buffonnnnnnnnnnnnnn u r best in the world,not fickin imigrant france team

    From giorgi12345678, on Wed 18 Jun 11:55AM

  12. When I think of the French national side all I can say is HAHA and HA

    From don zurich, on Wed 18 Jun 11:42AM

  13. Italy is the best team in the world.I love Italy.I knew Italt wsa going to beat France.I don`t like the Franch team.They don`t have coordination on the field of play.even during the final of the 2006 world in Germany,Italy should have even beaten them straight on the field of play but God blessed them.however,they were still bveaten on penalties.
    Italy will always beat France in highly competitive games because the Italians are always composed in highly competitive games and usually play to win.
    Italia! Italia!! Italia!!! all the way!!!!

    From jamessayagrn, on Wed 18 Jun 11:39AM

  14. Oh by the way,, USA beat brazil just the other day,,, so you should know what to do with that stupid brazil comment. HINT: put it where the french love it.

    From piero p, on Wed 18 Jun 11:05AM

  15. I love it!!! Italy is the best, they have overcome the romainian game that was stolen from them and you retards cant understand why,,, ha ha,you guys suck. Get on your knees and bow. I wish the idiots watching the game who think, oh well, Italy did it again, they got that guy kicked out so they could win,, knew the rules u retards. Take your racist comments and shove it to the french,loosers. FARZA ITALIA!!!!! Get Spain so the retards can cry some more,,,keep calling it luck too, u retards. Having game taken from you is luck? How retarded can you be? Italy is the best. Still a powerhouse.

    From piero p, on Wed 18 Jun 11:01AM

  16. ITALIA ITALIA ITALIA is the best wether u like it or not !!!! and will win the next match

    From Na J, on Wed 18 Jun 10:51AM

  17. those who watched the match yesterday can't say that italy was lucky. we played a good match, we had a lot of clear chances to score, even before the penalty. in spite of that, we're far away from the team that won the world champ two years ago. the main problem, in my opinion, is not the attack but the defence. however, if toni wakes up, i think we can make it against spain, but holland are too strong for us this time, if they keep on playing like this i think tehy deserve to win the championship...

    From back_fd, on Wed 18 Jun 10:49AM

  18. Lucky or not, the rule is simple - the Italians scored twice, the French scored nil. So, Italy won even though some people might not like the way Italy played. You can play like s***, but if you score more goals then you're the winner...!

    From cheong m, on Wed 18 Jun 10:40AM

  19. GOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOO AHEAD ITALY U R THE BEST !!!! BUT PLZ LUCA TONI PLZ FOCUS ON THE TARGET NEXT GAME WE NEED GOALS TO IMPROVE THAT THE OTHER PPLS R WRONG!!!

    From Na J, on Wed 18 Jun 9:53AM

  20. ITALY IS LUCKY??? MAYBE U DIDNT SEE THE MATCH AGAINST ROMANIA., WE HAVE HAD A PENALITY AGAINST THAT WASN'T PENALITY, WE HAVE HAD A REGULAR GOAL BY TONI INVALIDED (EVEN THE REFEREE ADMITTED IT); WE HAVE LOST 4 GOALS DONE BY TONI YESTERDAY, 2 WOODS (GROSSO AND AGAIN TONI BEFORE THE END OF THE MATCH); A LUCKY TEAM CAN'T BE WORLD CHAMPION 4 TIMES!!! BUT I KNOW WHY U SPEAK THAT WHY.... IT'S JUST FFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR TO MEET US!!! SHUT UP STUPID @#$% PEOPLE! AND REMEMBER THAT FOOTBAL ISNT DONE JUST OF ATTACK, THERE IS NO RULE ABOUT HOW TO PLAY A MATCH, FACTS COUNT, CHATS VALUE ZERO.

    From Zen The Mobster, on Wed 18 Jun 9:47AM
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