Game in a sentence
Italy stun Germany and Europe with an incredible performance in Warsaw, which featured two wonderful goals from Super Mario Balotelli, and continue the Azzurri’s incredible tournament record against Die Mannschaft.
Observations
- Italy went with the diamond midfield 4-1-2-1-2, and the same team against England with one major exception. An injury to Ignazio Abate meant Chiellini was called to play leftback, while Balzaretti switched sides. Otherwise it was Montolivo behind Balotelli and Cassano, with Pirlo in front of the defense with Marchisio and De Rossi on either side.
- For Germany, Jurgi Loew played spin the bottle again with a 4-2-3-1, putting Gomez up front, Oezil in the hole, but Toni Kroos on his right instead of Mario Goetze. It wasn’t, as it turned out, the most inspired selection. And go!
- It looked in the early stages that Italy would have their backs up. Consistent pressure from the German midfield saw possession maintained around the Italian 18 yard box. Mats Hummels nearly scored in the 5th minute when Italy failed to clear a corner, but Buffon was onto it. Phillip Lahm added support on the left, Oezil was insightful, but Podolski was really nowhere to be seen. Even so, Germany lacked the ruthless, pinpoint run-and-pass-through-the-middle that their idealists believed they were good at, and Italy generally defended well.
- Prandelli’s master plan seemed to have been to attack down German’s right flank, and boy did that work, particularly as Riccardo Montolivo had a barnstormer of a game, linking up brilliantly with Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano and finding space for himself twice undefended on the edge of the German penalty area. Germany’s centreback pairing was weakened by the less-than-assured presence of Badstuber, who failed to mark Balotelli for Italy’s first goal, headed in by the Manchester City player in the 20th minute of play.
- And for the second goal, Montolivo sent a searching over-the-top ball to Balotelli, who smashed it past Manuel Neuer to give Italy a powerful 0-2 lead. Lahm played him onside on that occasion, but in general the failure of Khedira and Schweinsteiger to help compress the midfield left the CBs exposed.
- Germany left at half-time two goals down, and Loew must have known he made some major errors in his team selection. On came Marco Reus and Miroslav Klose at the 45 minute mark; off went Podolski and Mario Gomez. Germany started the half brightly with a few near chances, but they were still far too insistent on teeing up the perfect ball in the centre of the area. Pirlo was his imperious self, and the Italians pressed brilliantly in their own half, putting the Germans off their game easily at times.
- Meanwhile as the clock ticked down, the Germans moved higher up the pitch, and were almost exposed once or twice, as Marchisio failed to tee up Di Natale with acres of space. Italy grew in confidence and played positively sumptuous football with Pirlo driving the engine. Germany eventually resorted to come-what-may-crosses easily repelled by the back four.
- Still, there were some late thrills when Mesut Oezil scored a penalty when Balzaretti handled a bouncy ball in the area. Cue scenes of Manuel Neuer running up to do stuff. Quite an ending. Quite a game, as Italy prevailed, and will see Spain on Sunday in the final of Euro 2012. An incredible finish to a wonderful semifinal, and a footballing feast from the Azzurri.
Three Stars
1. Mario Balotelli
2. Riccardo Montolivo
3. Mesut Oezil
Where are all you german-loving knob gobblers?!? Douchland met its maker again!! Forza Azzurri!!! You can’t beat us!! hahahahahhahahahhaha!!!!!
AC, you’re keeping it classy.
Credit to Italy. Fully deserved.
Classic italian douche comment, wouldn’t expect anything less. Just a quess you are wearing a early 90′s Baggio uni that you got when you were 12 and your rocking some white stich jeans with puma sneakers?
was that your last ditch chirp???? sit please. good boy.
No i’m just replying to all u german loving douches who keep ripping Italy, so lick balls!
Wow…you guys are absolutely terrible at this.
The trick is to say things just to provoke people, not ’cause you mean it.
Because if you mean it, then you’re liable lol.
I thought Germany would win. I admit it. Congrats to Italy. Looking forward to watching it when I get home.
Same. I can’t believe how bad they were. Like it was unbelievable. Credit to Italy for pressing and defending well, but wow. Germany could barely string together a few passes. What a pathetic performance. I think this has solidified their status as born losers. They always go so far in tournaments just to lose. 2012 semis, 2010 semis, 2008 final, 2006 semis, 2002 final, Bayern CL final 2 of the last 3 times, BVB first in Bundesliga and last in weak CL group… wow
What to say but Italy were magnificent! They took their chances (for the most part – where has Marchisio’s touch gone?) and defended when they had to. The front three of Balotelli, Cassano and Montolivo were superb. Their possession was assured and at points they looked like Spain in how they passed their way out of trouble from the back. All-in-all an excellent game. Looking forward to the rematch Sunday! Forza Azzurri!!!
Italy played very well and put in an excellent team performance.
One thing I found strange was how the official seemed incapable of adding on additional time in extra time, surely more time should have been added because of the penalty (I think he only added 17 seconds?).
Regardless of that, well done Italy, hopefully they can put the same performance against Spain.
Lack of world class touch from the German side, possession doesn’t mean a thing if there isn’t a finish.
Really thought the GER mid would create and they just didn’t deliver.
Congrats to ITA, Mario finished and Buffon was world class today.
WHERE IS THAT COWARD DIDIER DROGBA NOW? FANCULO PUTTANA!
Dude, relax. I kinda promised Richard I wouldn’t comment any more but I’ll tell you one thing.
I was cheering for Italy. I’ve got 2 very mad german friends to prove it ;)
Why would I be cheering for Italy, you’d say?
Reason: Italy “stun” the team that’s supposed to win it all and look like they are capable of beating Spain, just as portugirl was. The whole world channels their hope to Italy and pray that they beat Spain and believe that they can because they’re playing well, have a solid defence, midfield, offence and have Severus Snape on their team.
This is when Spain will crush everything and prove once again, sure try your heart out. There’s no beating perfection.
In the end, I want Spain to beat the better team. I’ve believed all along Italy are better than germany and I wish I could show you my fantasy team…4 Italians, no germans. Rest are Spanish lol. But they’re in the same class.
Spain is in another.
1) Kroos played in the hole, not Ozil. It was clear to the millions of people watching this game that Ozil was playing on the left and yes did have freedom to help inside once in a while. Kroos was playing in the hole.
2) Germany finally played a good team this tournament and they failed. Portugal were better yesterday than the team that lost to germany 1-0.
3) Italy got better and better throughout the tournament. But this bodes extremely well for the Spanish. All of Italy’s chances are created from midfield which can be drowned out by Spain’s midfield. However, two strikers may be problematic for Spain.
4) I have never seen Khedira play like this for madrid as he as for these last few games for Germany. Dribbling with the ball, shooting, through balls, wow. You’d think he was trying to get a transfer or something. That’s a good thing though. Players only go to madrid if they want to retire from world class football, sit on the bench, and double their wages.
5) Ozil, 3rd best player in the word? Please. That’s an insult to Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. Ozil is good, yes. But he doesn’t really do anything that the opposition can’t handle. Sure he makes players run around a little bit more, but that’s it.
6) Neuer is amazing.
*Correction on 1)
Ozil was playing on the RIGHT.
German midfield just didn’t show up today. Gomez didn’t do a thing up front, was stagnant on and off the ball. When Klose and Reus came on at HT, there was more movement up forward but definitely not enough. I am so devastated! I just hid my face in my German shirt at full time…another piece of silverware slipped away!
Credit to Italy, well deserved win and a berth in the Final.
Can I also just add that the English defence did a better job at isolating Balotelli and Cassano then the vaunted German defence did. Just saying.
To be fair, the german D didn’t 4 midfielders sitting directly infront of them
Prandelli pulled the perfect Italian job on the Germans.
Lucky for them it wasn’t a humiliating blow-out.
Poor defending and Germany played a different style int he 1st half than they usually did in other games. No fullbacks bombing forward, podolski wasn’t being utilized, gomez was useless. When Klose and Reus came on you could tell that they had a different style. Had they started the game the way they started the 2nd half, surely they could’ve won. Still, great game by Italy, well deserved win. Looking forward to the finals, hopefully it will be more entertaining than the group game they played.
One of the most interesting international matches I’ve seen in a while. Watching (for the most part) both teams being so comfortable on the ball and passing it around nicely was a great contrast to England and their nervy possession.
buffon played really well — the germans had some close chances but were stopped by gigi time and time again. i thought cassano played really well and his performance underrated