EURO 2012 | 2nd Semifinals Italy eliminates Germany thanks to Balotelli doubled (2-1)

Italy a team lost by betting scandals before the European Championship, reached the final after beating Germany for the umpteenth time, he could never stop the creative storm Andrea Pirlo, the imagination of Antonio Cassano and the punch of Mario Balotelli. A couple of selections used to elevate soccer with his historic meeting brought together in a crash in which Germany, as always, started as favorite. The past, full of losses to the Alpine combined, seemed not to matter. Again, the "Mannschaft" convinced together in one team to three different generations of young talent, jumping to the turf with his chest puffed up with pride. No room to the memory of the deletions in the World Mexico 1970 and Germany 2006. Nor for the defeat in the final played in Spain in 1982. Not to remember that Germany had never beaten Italy in a major international competition. "The past is not worth," Loew said before kick-off. But it does have. It was Bonisegna or Riva or Rivera, or Rossi or Tardelli, or so many others who once gave a lesson to the great Germany. But on the field there were other players well taught by a coach, Cesare Prandelli has changed the playing style of a country accustomed to conservatism. Stands above the rest of Italy Andrea Pirlo. It is sad to continue fulfilling years. Deserve to be eternal. It is a perfect metronome, a brain with German precision calculator but with the Mediterranean touch needed to create magic. And against Germany did not fail. After holding the initial pull Joaquim Löw's men, with a good chance the young center Mats Hummels and a Barzagli, which almost marks an own goal, the player of Juventus decided to take the ball and started playing. He was only able to Sami Khedira, an authentic "panzer" that was destroying everything in the beginning of the meeting. Pirlo took the baton and his team began to octane. Of his game took the imaginative Antonio Cassano and Balotelli unpredictable.Among the three cooked the first goal with a header from striker final City, he repeated near the end of the first act. On this occasion, was Montolivo who gave a sensational assistance to Neuer could only watch the whiplash of Balotelli. History again repeated. Italy again acting as a "black sheep", although there remain 45 minutes ahead. In them, Marco Reus Löw sought to find the spark he needed his team and he got in the first quarter of the second act. At that time, the young Borussia Dortmund revolutionized his own and almost scoring with a free kick that Buffon saved and the crossbar. However, while Italy lost the ball, knows how to defend nature. He did it to perfection, until the end, with little surprises, and may even increase the score on the counterattack, but Marchisio and Di Natale did not put the final nail. With the Germans more than enough thrust, but lacking in ideas, the party was dying slowly and only late goal Özil created uncertainty. Italy is not satisfied with the appointment of Gary Lineker exdelantero English, who left a phrase to remember: "Football is a sport where eleven against eleven Germany always wins." He was wrong. In football, when faced Italians and Germans always win first. Today, once more, and are numerous. Spain expected in the final.