The Azzurri are on an unwanted holiday this November and December but they have been World Cup stars in years gone by. In the fourth part of his series, Giancarlo Rinaldi recalls three famous matches at the semi-final stage.
Italy 4-3 West Germany (1970)
This is still recalled as the game of the century as it produced more dramatic twists than the best box set in the business. Two teams went toe to toe for a place in the Final and threw everything at each other across a couple of epic hours of entertainment. The Azzurri made it through but many of them could hardly stand by the time the final whistle blew.
It looked, in truth, like a classic Italian 1-0 victory for much of the match. Roberto Boninsegna had given them the lead before 10 minutes had passed and they held it until the 90th minute and beyond. It was Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – who played in Italy with Milan – who would break their hearts and take the game to extra-time. Ferruccio Valcareggi’s game plan had gone out the window.
When Gerd Muller gave West Germany the lead, it would have been easy for the boys in blue to crumble but instead, they dug deeper than they had ever done before to turn the match on its head. Tarcisio Burgnich and Gigi Riva put them back in front before their ever-resilient opponents struck back again through Muller. Having punched themselves out, the two shattered sides delivered one final epic act as Gianni Rivera clinched the tie. They would lose the Final convincingly to Brazil, but they gave more than anyone could ask in this tie.
Italy 1-1 Argentina (1990)
This was a heartbreaker in Naples for Azeglio Vicini’s side who had looked on course to deliver the triumph on home soil that everybody in Italy craved. Facing Diego Maradona, though, in the city where he was revered was never going to be easy. It proved to be a step too far in a tense clash.
The Azzurri had been perfect in the competition up to that point – winning all their games without conceding a goal and finding new stars in Roberto Baggio and Totò Schillaci. It would be the latter, in the form of his life, who would strike first but Argentina would not be shaken off and there was always nagging doubt and tension that they could turn things around. When Walter Zenga came for a cross that he could not quite reach, Claudio Caniggia beat him to it to level the clash.
Try as they might, the home side was not good enough to bounce back and the game trickled away, inevitably, to penalty kicks. They were not kind to the Italian national team in that era and Argentina were perfect from the spot to secure their place in the final. The host nation was left in tears as a great chance to secure a fourth World Cup victory went begging. Victory in the third and fourth place play-off against England was of little consolation.
Italy 2-0 Germany (2006)
The Azzurri have a happy knack for hurting host nations at major tournaments and this was perhaps the greatest example of them all. A pulsating tie which could easily have gone either way was decided by some managerial magic from Marcello Lippi. His team would simply not be denied its date with destiny in Berlin.
Anyone who thinks a 0-0 draw is automatically boring should go back and watch this match as it had enough ebb and flow to satisfy even the sternest critic. Both sides had chances and Fabio Cannavaro produced possibly his most epic display of all time as the two teams threw everything at one another. Extra time felt a bit inevitable and nobody was in a rush to leave.
The old Italian way would have been to bolster the defence but Lippi was brave enough to stick Alex Del Piero on for Simone Perrotta late in the day and it was a bold approach which sent a message to his side. Still, the game hung exquisitely in the balance but it would be Fabio Grosso who curled in an absolute beauty in its dying minutes – from a lovely Andrea Pirlo pass – to provoke Marco Tardelli-like celebrations. A lovely little flick from Alberto Gilardino to Del Piero clinched the deal as the Juventus legend produced a trademark curling finish to ensure Germany suffered the same heartache as Italy had done 16 years earlier.
What a game that was in 2006.
The Italian side full of serious professionals all desperate to win that trophy. Cannavaro was immense.