The Italians also dumped defending champions Spain out of the tournament with 2-0 victory in the last 16.
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Germany has a proud history in major tournaments with 4 World Cups and 3 European championships, but when they face Italy they have struggled. Also, Italy knocked Germany out of UEFA EURO 2012 at the semi-final stage, Mario Balotelli netting a brace in a 2-1 triumph in Kiev.
Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s live blog! Now it is our chance to turn the tables. Bayern played them in the Champions League, [Kroos’ club] Real Madrid played against Juventus one year ago.
That said, Italy have never lost to Germany at either the World Cup or the European Championships. “That is what we have prepared our side for, we are aware of what we are going to confront tomorrow”, Loew told a news conference on Friday. On the one hand impressive, on the other opportunistic.
Italy (W7 D3) were among four teams unbeaten in qualifying alongside England, Austria and Romania. And in the days between those two games, the players were constantly getting phone calls from their club managers or even club presidents urging them take it easy, not to go all out in that match (against Germany).
While impossible to be dogmatic, at 3/1 to win this game inside 90 minutes I’m more than happy to hope for the “super-extraordinary” performance Conte believes his side need to produce. “But in case we do fall behind, no one should think “oh, here comes another defeat”.
Ultimately this match is as billed: a clash between the best two sides in the competition on what we’ve seen so far. They’re the current World Cup holders and a dominant force in European soccer.
However the Azzurri doubled their lead in stoppage-time, as Southampton forward Graziano Pelle scored his second of the tournament from close-range.
“It’s going to be hard and we’re going to have to suffer, but if we prepare it well from the first seconds, like against Spain, we can give it a go”, said Italy wing-back Mattia De Sciglio.
Die Mannschaft are participating in their 12th successive EURO since missing out on the final tournament as West Germany in 1968, their first attempt at qualifying.
The world champions’ serene progress to the latter stages, without conceding a goal in four outings, has all the hallmarks of a side tipped by many to go all the way in France.
This is Italy’s ninth EURO final tournament and their sixth in a row since sitting out the 1992 edition in Sweden.
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Germany have kept clean sheets in all five of their matches at Euro 2016, but Klose said his team lack a “cutting edge” at the finals.
