Sunday dinner in Kiev with Spain was the prize for the winners of tonight’s second Euro 2012 semi-final. Would it be Germany or would it be Italy? We had live minute-by-minute updates of the action in Warsaw.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on tonight’s game. E-mail niall@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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Germany 1-2 Italy
19.29 – Good evening dear friends and welcome to the penultimate game of this summer’s European Championships. Yup that’s right, it’s almost time for this circus to pack up and roll out of time but before we’re left with nothing but memories, there are a couple of very important issues still to settle.
Not least among them is the destination of the Henri Delaunay trophy for the next four years and tonight in Warsaw, Jogi Loew’s Mannschaft and Cesare Prandelli’s Azzurri do battle for the right to meet reigning World and European champions Spain in Sunday evening’s final.
We’ll be here until the bitter end which, if the last two games are anything to go by, will be at about 10.30 tonight following a bore-all draw and a brief flurry of excitement for penalties.
Game number 30 is nearly upon us. Once more unto the breach…
20.01 – Some Keystone Cops-esque defending from the Italians there and they are very lucky not to be a goal down. Khedira and Boateng link beautifully to create the opening. Buffon can only parry the latter’s low cross and then watches in horror as it bounces off the knee of the retreating Barzagli and rolls a couple of inches past the post for a corner. Very, very close. Germany are in control at the moment.
20.42 – On noting that Balotelli had been booked for removing his jersey to celebrate his second goal, the resident Spaniard in TheScore’s office asked about the likelihood of him doing something stupid in the second half and getting a second yellow which would rule him out of the final.
My answer? Very likely.
21.07 – OOF! Germany have a free-kick in a central position about 26, 27 yards out and a mini-committee of four stand over it to dole out the responsibility. Reus strikes it and what a strike it is as he gets it up, over the wall and back down again, forcing a combination of Buffon and the crossbar to divert it over. Great strike, great save.
21.50 – That’s where we’ll leave it for tonight, a night which proved — if nothing else — that Ireland were the fourth best team at Euro 2012.
I’m kidding obviously but on Sunday evening in Kiev, it’ll be two of Group C’s other teams who do battle for the Henri Delaunay trophy. Can Spain cement their place in history as international football’s greatest ever side with a third successive tournament win? Or will Italy spoil their party, much as they have done in Warsaw tonight?
One thing’s for sure: if you’re having a party, Super Mario is going to be there. Invited or not.
Thanks for reading and for your comments. Now switch over to the tennis! Lukas Rosol is leading Rafael Nadal by a break in the final set.
Preview: all you need to know ahead of the Germany v Italy game tonight
Guess who’s been invited to the German embassy for the game tonight
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