Germany 0-2 Italy (AET)
Germany 2006 | Semi-final
Signal-Iduna-Park, Dortmund
Attendance: 65,000
Goals: Grosso (119), Del Piero (120)
Teams
Germany
Jens Lehmann; Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Christoph Metzelder, Philipp Lahm; Bernd Schneider, Michael Ballack (c), Sebastian Kehl, Tim Borowski; Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski.
Substitutions: Bastian Schweinsteiger for Borowski (73), David Odonkor for Schneider (83), Oliver Neuville for Klose (111).
Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
Italy
Gianluigi Buffon; Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (c), Marco Materazzi, Fabio Grosso; Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Simone Perrotta; Francesco Totti; Luca Toni.
Substitutions: Alberto Gilardino for Toni (74), Vincenzo Iaquinta for Camoranesi (91), Alessandro Del Piero for Perrotta (104)
Coach: Marcello Lippi
Going into the game
While this Germany side did not boast the star power of the ones coach Jurgen Klinsmann graced during his glittering career, the host nation had nonetheless thrilled their fans with an electric series of performances. They kicked off the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in style with a 4-2 win over Costa Rica, and subsequent victories over Poland and Ecuador ensured they qualified for the knockout phase with a perfect record. A convincing 2-0 last-16 win against Sweden set up a quarter-final showdown with Argentina, in which the Germans prevailed on penalties after the game finished in a 1-1 draw.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi, meanwhile, could call upon several world-class operators, including the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo and Francesco Totti. They also impressed in the group phase, recording 2-0 victories over Ghana and Czechia as well as a 1-1 draw with USA. A 95th-minute Francesco Totti penalty was needed to edge Australia 1-0 in their first knockout game before Ukraine were swept aside 3-0 in the quarter-finals.
Hitherto head-to-head record
13 Italy wins
7 Germany wins
8 draws
The game
For 118 minutes, this showdown between two European superpowers had somehow remained goalless. The net may not have rippled, but the action was enthralling. Germany and Italy traded blow-for-blow in a bid to deliver a knockout punch, attacking at will and carving out a series of chances. The hosts, roared on by a frenzied home crowd, were repeatedly denied by the great Buffon. He twice repelled powerful efforts from Lukas Podolski and also thwarted Miroslav Klose.
Italy came closest to scoring in extra time, with Alberto Gilardino and Gianluca Zambrotta both striking the woodwork. Coach Lippi, perhaps aware of Germany’s formidable record in penalty shootouts, had thrown caution to the wind in an attempt to win the game before spot-kicks. The veteran boss brought on attacking trio Gilardino, Alessandro Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta to join playmaker-in-chief Totti. His bravery was rewarded – but it wasn’t one of his forward talents who made the breakthrough. Instead, with just one minute of extra time remaining, left-back Fabio Grosso alighted on a stunning no-look pass from man-of-the-match Pirlo and sent an unstoppable curling effort beyond Jens Lehmann. Grosso’s emotional celebration will live long in the memory, as he wheeled away, Marco Tardelli-style, shouting “Non ci credo!”, which translates as “I don’t believe it!”.
Then, as Germany desperately committed players forward in search of a leveller, Italy put the result beyond doubt when Del Piero emphatically finished into the top corner following a fine reverse ball from Gilardino.
The Italians went on to overcome France in the Berlin final – but it is this pulsating last-four clash which will perhaps be remembered as Germany 2006’s greatest match.
