| Reuters |
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| Grosso celebrates his goal. |
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With a scandal tearing apart the national sport back home, the Italians kept on plowing through soccer's premier event Tuesday night with a dramatic win. Fabio Grosso put a twisting left-footed shot into the far side of the net in the 119th minute, then Alessandro Del Piero clinched the 2-0 win a minute later.
The swiftness of the goals was stunning, Germany had pressured for the game's last hour. But Italy, which has allowed only an own-goal in six games, held off the hosts and crushed their hopes for a fourth title.
Now the Italians head to Berlin for Sunday's final in search of a fourth trophy of their own. They'll play the winner of Wednesday's Portugal-France match.
Lineups:
Germany: Jens Lehmann; Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Christoph Metzelder, Philipp Lahm; Bernd Schneider (David Odonko, 83), Michael Ballack, Sebastian Kehl, Tim Borowski (Bastian Schweinsteiger, 73); Miroslav Klose (Oliver Neuville, 105) and Lukas Podolski.
Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann.
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon; Gianluca Zambrota, Marco Materazzi, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso; Marco Camoranesi (Vicenzo Iaquinta, 91), Gennaro Gatusso, Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Perrota (Alsessandro del Piero, 104); Francesco Totti; and Luca Toni (Alberto Gillardino, 74).Coach: Marcello Lippi.
Goals: 0-1, min 119, Fabio Grosso. 0-2, min 120, Alessandro del Piero.
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Bookings: Tim Borowski, Christoph Metzelder, Mauro Camoranesi.
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