The teams played to draws in the group stages at Euro ’88 and ’96 before they met again at the World Cup in 2006, this time in the semifinals in Dortmund. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. Claudio Marchisio had two glorious opportunities to make it 3-0 only to put both chances wide. The crowd was stunned into silence but before Germany could catch its breath, Italy launched a quick counter that ended with Alessandro Del Piero chipping a shot past Lehmann. The first competitive contest between the two European heavyweights came during the group stage of the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Mesut Ozil put the ball past Gianluigi Buffon from the spot but the late drama did not transcend into anything more substantial. That, combined with ferocious power, made it a spectacular goal. The shot was still rising as it went into the top left-hand corner of Neuer's goal, but it was the swing of the ball to take it away from the goalkeeper that was really striking. Re-emerged as his team's most likely creator of chances in the second half but still not make enough inroads. There was still plenty for Balotelli to do after Riccardo Montolivo's long, diagonal ball had dissected the German defence but the manner in which he found the net demonstrated someone bristling with confidence. There was another twist to the tale when Muller scored his second of the match in the 110th minute, but Gianni Rivera sealed the win for Italy when he completed the incredible scoring sequence just two minutes later. Euro 2012: Germany v Italy player ratings Marks out of 10 for Italy's stunning victory over Germany in their Euro 2012 semi-final Mario Balotelli and his team-mates celebrate the second goal. 03:25 11/05/2016 Live EURO 2012 highlights: Ukraine 2-1 Sweden. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! All rights reserved. The tournament started on 8 June and the final took place in Kiev on 1 July 2012.. Each national team had to submit a squad of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers, by 29 May 2012. What followed was 30 magical minutes, a classic battle between two rivals full of drama, tension and goals. EURO 2012 semi-final: Germany 1-2 Italy. Although the Germans enter Thursday’s contest as the favourites, it is the Italians who hold the decided advantage in the all-time series. More telling is the fact that Germany has never defeated Italy at a major tournament, including two European Championship encounters (they drew in the group stages of the 1988 and 1996 tournaments) and five World Cup matches. See how a memorable double from Mario Balotelli in Warsaw saw Italy make it into the final of UEFA EURO 2012. This was the first time Joachim Löw's team had been behind in the tournament and it was perhaps their determination to get back into the match quickly that left them so vulnerable for the second goal. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. Italy had withstood some concerted second-half pressure but they also had enough chances on the break to have made it a more convincing victory. Daniele De Rossi beat Neuer only to be denied by an offside decision. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. © 2000-2020 Rogers Media. Watch Germany v Italy from Euro 2012 … Interestingly, Italy entered the contest as the overwhelming fan favourite, Germany winning few friends after goalkeeper Harald Schumacher sent France’s Patrick Battiston to the hospital with his reckless challenge in the semifinals. Italy had its work cut out against a Germany side that had not lost a game in 71 years in Dortmund, winning 13 of 14 matches there — a 1-1 draw against Wales in 1977 was the only blemish. Italy thrashed Germany 4-1 in an exhibition match in Florence during the buildup to the tournament, but the Germans were considered the favourites. Watch the 2012 Germany vs. Italy Euro Semi-final full match held at Stadion Narodowy (Warszawa) on Footballia Could have crowned it all with a goal following lovely exchange with Alessandro Diamanti midway through the second half 8/10, Riccardo Montolivo Continually broke up Germany's play with fine tackling, then used the ball shrewdly. On the one occasion a forward got the jump on him he compensated with a late-ditch tackle of great elegance 8/10, Giorgio Chiellini His positioning, energy and commitment were on par with those of his defensive team-mates, completing a high-class collective performance 8/10, Andrea Pirlo Not given quite as much space as against England but still pulled plenty of strings, occasionally inspired, never sloppy 7/10, Claudio Marchisio The pick of Italy's excellent midfielders, blending energy and finesse in exemplary fashion. Between them they’ve won seven World Cups and four European crowns, and they’ve reached the semifinals of both tournaments on numerous occasions, further underling their pedigree. They would meet again eight years later in the second round of the World Cup in Buenos Aires, playing to a scoreless draw before meeting in the 1982 final in Madrid. Germany 1-2 Italy. With Balotelli it is never easy to be sure of what happens next but if he approaches the final in the same state of mind,he could represent Italy's best chance of ending Spain's hegemony and winning this tournament for the first time since 1968. 5:28. More than 102,000 spectators field out of Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, lucky enough to bear witness to a game that entered the sport’s pantheon, and was later commemorated with a special plaque in front of the legendary stadium referring to it as Partido del Siglo, the game of the century. We’ll have to wait to see, but if history is any indication we’re in for an entertaining ride. "After the game I went over to her and said: 'Those goals are for you.'". Made several superb clearances and one brilliant late tackle on Reus before giving away late penalty 7/10, Andrea Barzagli Commanded the centre of defence impeccably with Bonucci, preventing Gomez and then Klose from gaining any satisfaction 8/10, Leonardo Bonucci As diligent as his partner in the heart of the defence. Marco Reus was more incisive within minutes of replacing him 3/10, Mario Gomez Lacked sharpness and mobility and was easily contained by the defenders. If the 0-0 draw in Santiago was uneventful, their next meeting at the World Cup more than made up for it. Privacy Policy Italy vs. Germany is soccer’s Robinson vs. LaMotta, two opponents whose rivalry, despite its lopsided nature, has produced some of the most memorable matches in the sport’s history.