Giants of Europe write new chapter in old rivalry

Match of the Century, they called it. There’s even a plaque on the wall of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to commemorate the delirious 4-3 win that sent Italy through to the final of the 1970 World Cup at the expense of West Germany.

It was the opening act in a drama extending across four decades and shows no sign of exhaustion.

Let’s See Who Has Most Bottle is the battle-cry of Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport. Only Buffon Stands In Our Way, responds Germany’s favourite tabloid Bild. Other nations may imagine they have needle matches: this one’s for real.

Europe’s historic Big Two — seven World Cups between them — have met three times in mortal combat, and each time, the men in blue have come out on top.

The extra-time epic of the Azteca was followed by Italy’s dramatic second-half surge in the 1982 World Cup final. Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty but Paolo Rossi and Marco Tardelli, his two great Juventus pals, saw them home. Six years ago, a pulsating night in Dortmund seemed to be heading for penalties when stunning goals from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro del Piero deprived Germany of a final in Berlin.

Italy have triumphed on German soil, Germany have triumphed in Italy (against Argentina in 1990). No other two countries have quite this history and Act Four could well live up to its billing.

This time Germany definitely start as favourites. They are a better team, bursting with young talent, and they have the advantage of two days of extra rest and preparation, which could prove decisive if the context lasts the full two hours, as it did in 1970 and 2006.

Against that, Italy’s Juventus contingent have played fewer matches than their German opposite numbers this past year and Cesare Prandelli has rotated his squad a little more than Joachim Low.

Only Gigi Buffon, Antonio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi have played the full 390 minutes in this tournament. But Germany have the fresh legs of two young stars, Toni Kroos and Mario Goetze, both of whom have the speed and cleverness to test even an Italian defence.

On past evidence, the fuse may burn slowly before the fireworks begin although neither side is scared to attack from the start.

That Match of the Century was cagey for most of the 90 minutes — it only exploded when play became stretched and both side threw caution to the winds in the crazy half-hour that followed.

Italy’s defence made mistake after mistake, but their attackers drove them forward, above all Gianni Rivera. Germany were heroic, Franz Beckenbauer playing to the end despite a dislocated shoulder which left him with his arm strapped to his side. Like Tardelli’s wild celebration in 1982 and Cannavaro’s thunderous charge in 2006, Beckenbauer’s bravery is one of those football moments that stay with you forever. Tonight there will be another, be sure of it.