On this day in 2006, Luca Toni struck twice as Italy beat Ukraine 3-0 to reach the World Cup semi-final.
Having come through a nervy final group game with the Czech Republic, the Azzurri defeated 10-man Australia in the Last 16.
Fabio Grosso went down rather theatrically under Lucas Neill’s challenge, and Francesco Totti converted with the last kick of the game.
That set up a tie with Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine in Hamburg, and it took Marcello Lippi’s men just six minutes to break the deadlock.
On this day in 2006, Luca Toni struck twice as Italy beat Ukraine 3-0 to reach the World Cup semi-final.
Having come through a nervy final group game with the Czech Republic, the Azzurri defeated 10-man Australia in the Last 16.
Fabio Grosso went down rather theatrically under Lucas Neill’s challenge, and Francesco Totti converted with the last kick of the game.
That set up a tie with Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine in Hamburg, and it took Marcello Lippi’s men just six minutes to break the deadlock.
Gianluca Zambrotta cut in from the right flank and fired in a left-footed shot from just outside the box.
Olexandr Shovkovskiy should perhaps have saved it, but it went through the goalkeeper’s hands to put Italy in front.
Ukraine knew they had to push in the second half, and Gianluigi Buffon had to save from Maksym Kalynychenko and then Oleg Gusev early on, before a stunning Zambrotta block on the line.
Just before the hour mark though, the Azzurri put the match beyond doubt thanks to Luca Toni’s first goal of the tournament.
The big striker was left unmarked at the back post, and Francesco Totti found him with a perfect cross for the simplest of headed finishes.
It was the two goalscorers who combined for the third, with the excellent Gianluca Zambrotta breaking into the box and squaring it for a Toni tap-in.