Italy in semis after 3-0 Ukraine win
Italy in semis after 3-0 Ukraine win
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Friday, 30, Jun 2006 10:03
Italy set up a titanic semi final clash with Germany after a ruthless display in their 3-0 win over Ukraine in Hamburg.
Goals from Gianluca Zambrotta and a brace from striker Luca Toni gave the Azzurri the victory in their most impressive performance of the tournament so far.
Marcello Lippi's side got off to the perfect start on six minutes when Zambrotta's left-foot drive from 25 yards flew into the bottom-hand corner aided by a touch from goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy.
Despite a tactical substitution on 20 minutes, the World Cup debutants failed to break down a stubborn Italian defence and were reduced to long-range efforts from Chelsea's Andriy Shevchenko and Oleg Shelayev that failed to trouble goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Ukraine improved in the second half after another tactical change by manager Oleg Blokhin although Luca Toni nearly opened his World Cup account at the start of the half but fired his shot wide from an acute angle.
Ukraine nearly equalised on 50 minutes when Andriy Gusin's header was tipped onto the post by Buffon.
Eight minutes later the Juventus shotstopper denied them again with a brilliant save from Oleg Gusev followed by a goal-line clearance from Zambrotta from Maksym Kalinichenko's rebound.
The three-time World Cup winners punished Ukraine's miss a minute later when Toni met Francesco Totti's left-wing cross with a close range header after slack marking from their opponents.
Ukraine's bad luck in front of goal continued on 62 minutes when Maksym Kalinichenko's towering header crashes off the crossbar with Buffon well beaten.
Toni, who top-scored in Serie A last season, sealed the victory with a tap-in from close range following a left-wing cross from Zambrotta.
Shevchenko then had two chances to grab a consolation first with a header that he blazed over followed by a ambitious freekick from 40 yards that was palmed away by Buffon.
Italy go into Wednesday's game in Dortmund against the Germans with a good recent record in the last four of a major tournament with semi-final victories at the World Cup in 1994 and Euro 2000.
But Germany, who beat Argentina earlier today on penalties, boast a 100 per cent record at the Westfalenstadion.