France 0 Italy 2
Posted on June 18, 2008
Filed Under Euro 2008
Italy kept there dream alive when a good performance against France to make there way into the quarter finals against Spain a penalty & a deflected free kick did the damage to send them through. For France the Euro2008 were a disaster some of the players weren’t at there best if at all good some looked like it was a tournament to far & if France went to progress in the future they need a complete overhaul of staff & players.
Italy started the football match very very well if it wasn’t for the terrible finishing of Luca Toni Italy would have won the match in the first 20 minutes. First he collected a long ball & shot wide but disaster for France as Ribery tracked back made a tackle on Zambrotta but badly injured himself & had to be stretchered off. They brought on Nasri but Italy still created a Panucci headed was cleared of the line from Makelele but with all the pressure they Finlay took the lead Toni got through & raced in on goal but Abidal tried to tackle him in the box but was adjudged to have brought hm down & the ref pointed to the spot.
Not only did he give the penalty the ref then sent off Abidal as it was a goal scoring opportunity Pirlo stepped up & scored the penalty pass Coupet to his left. Because of this it was the end of the brief appearance of Nasri as the sub was subbed with Boumsong. Italy pressed for the second goal with Perrotta set up Di Rossi but fired over then Toni missed two chances Pirlo pass into box but Toni fired over then from the resulting corner he could only shoot wide. France got the first chance on 33 minutes Henry had the ball slid into him he held off the defender but he shot wide they had another chance moment later but Benzema sent the free kick against the wall & his second shot was well over.
But it was Italy who finished the strongest & looked to put more pain on France with a Grosso free kick that Gregory Coupet had to touch onto the bar but nothing came out of the corner & the half ended with Italy one nil up.
France came out for the second half & stepped up there game & with ten men played very well & at times it looked like Italy had ten men. Benzema had first chance but shot over then Henry Had a couple of shot at Buffon but he saved them comfortably but for the first fifteen minutes France tried hard but all that ended in the 61st minute Italy had a free kick Di Rossi took the kick & as it flew past the wall Henry stuck out his foot the football struck his toe & deflected past Coupet & into the net. Buffon then made the save of the night & maybe the tournament when he streched out to palm away a fantastic Benzema curling shot.
Italy then just carried on & pressed on to score another & with the news coming thorugh that the Dutch were beating Romania the players knew they were through. Sub Camoranesi put a cross into the penalty box but it was deflected wide & then to finish it off Luca Toni again must wonder when he is going to score as he crashed a shot against the post & the football match finished with Italy going through & France crashing out.
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