The Prince of Inter Milan starts with Brother Xiaosa

Chapter 312 German Nemesis

England was eliminated without any surprise, and Italy was filled with joy.

"After we play Germany in the next game, we will advance to the finals?"

"I think we have a chance to win the championship!"

"Believe in Leo, believe in Buffon!"

"I didn't expect that Prandelli did a pretty good job."

Italy's supporters seem to be a little too complacent, but this is also due to the psychological advantage they have had over Germany over the years.

The old rivals Germany and Italy have met thirty times in history, with the German team at a clear disadvantage with seven wins, nine draws and fourteen losses.

Especially in the seven meetings between the two sides in the finals of the competition, Deutsche Chariot has four draws and three losses without a win.

The last time Germany defeated Italy was in 1995.

This record is really unsatisfactory for Germany, which has been considered the top team in Europe for many years.

Therefore, many media and fans naturally joked that Italy is the nemesis of the German team.

In addition, Italy's record in competitions in recent years has been too good, especially the aura of winning two consecutive World Cups.

Since the Germans won the European Cup in 1996, they have not won any major championship trophy for sixteen years.

After vigorously developing youth training, a large number of extremely talented young players have emerged in Germany.

This gave many German fans hope.

But before this game, there were rumors of internal strife in the German team, and it was more serious than the conflict between Balotelli and De Rossi in Italy.

The whole team's behavior of catching the mole also made everyone in the German team feel at risk.

This makes the outside world even less optimistic about them. Most people believe that Italy has a great chance of defeating the German team and Spain in the finals.

After Italy played against England in Kiev, Ukraine, they returned to Poland.

And this time they went to Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

"Sure enough, Spain made it to the final!"

Although Italy defeated Matador without much effort in the first round of the group stage.

But as we all know, the Spanish team has always been slow to get started, and it is slow to enter the state in every competition.

The same is true for this year's European Cup. After losing to Italy, Spain quickly adjusted its state.

First, they faced Ireland and Croatia and achieved two consecutive victories to advance to the knockout rounds.

After that, they eliminated France and Portugal successively and took the lead in advancing to the finals of this European Cup.

On June 6, the European Cup semi-final between Italy and Germany will begin at the National Stadium in Warsaw.

"Our opponents have two days more rest than us, which is bad news for us.

So we will inevitably be at a disadvantage in terms of physical fitness.

We have to take the initiative in the first half and it is best to end the battle as soon as possible! "

German coach Loew once again made adjustments to the lineup.

Compared to the quarter-final against Greece, Kroos, Podolski and Gomez entered the starting lineup.

Cross, who is deeply trapped in the "ghost gate", has qualified as the main player for the first time since this cup.

Loew's starting lineup is still 4,231.

Gomez replaced Klose as the starting center, with Toni Kroos, Ergo and Podolski lined up behind him.

Khedira and Bastian Bastian Schweinsteiger serve as double midfielders.

Lahm and Boateng are on the left and right backs, with Badstuber and Hummels guarding the center and goalkeeper Neuer.

Germany captain Lahm surpassed his predecessors Klinsmann and Hasler to become the player with the most appearances for the German team in the European Cup finals with a milestone of 14 games.

"Little Pig" Bastian Schweinsteiger tied the record of thirteen games between the two seniors.

The Italian side's lineup did not change much, with the only adjustment being that Chiellini returned from injury and returned to the starting lineup.

Prandelli basically followed the formation from the previous game.

Cassano and Balotelli join forces up front, Leo as midfielder, Pirlo, De Rossi and Marchisio in the midfield.

Left back Balzaretti, Abate are injured, and Maggio is suspended, so David Thornton continues to start at the right back position.

Bonucci and Chiellini partnered as central defenders and goalkeeper Buffon.

This world-famous battle is about to begin. UEFA President Platini and FIFA President Sepp Blatter are all here to watch the game.

Not to mention the dignitaries and celebrities from the two countries, whoever was free appeared in the stands.

German Chancellor Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Monti were both attending the EU summit and were unable to attend.

Moreover, Monti and some other EU country leaders jointly stated that they would boycott the European Cup in Ukraine.

But in the end, the charm of football transcended politics. Some reporters said that leaders of various countries expressed concern about the situation of the European Cup during the meetings.

Many reporters took the time to watch the live broadcast of the European Cup semi-finals after their busy reporting work.

In order to commemorate the Italian soldier who died in a bombing attack in Afghanistan on Monday, the entire Italian team wore black veils during this game.

According to Azzurri coach Prandelli's plan, his team should launch an attack immediately after the opening.

But Loew thought of going together with him. The young German tank was full of impact!

Less than a minute into the game, the German team pressed forward and got a chance to get a throw-in.

Ram's cross from the left was a little too big, and the ball flew directly out of the baseline.

Two minutes later, Podolski took the ball from the left, and Balzaretti chased back and destroyed the ball out of the baseline in time!

The German team got the first corner kick of the game. Ergou's corner kick went to the front point. Hummels grabbed the spot in front of the goal and fired a semi-volley shot with his left foot without hitting the right spot!

Pirlo blocked the ball on the goal line to slow down the ball, and Buffon confiscated the ball steadily.

Soon after, Khedira's long-range shot from outside the penalty area did not pose any threat and went into the arms of Italian goalkeeper Buffon.

After playing for almost ten minutes, Italy gradually stabilized the situation and began to switch from defense to offense.

Leo sent a direct pass under Khedira's pressure. Pirlo's shot after breaking away from the defense at the front of the penalty area was blocked by the opponent's center back Badstuber with his body!

In the 11th minute, Cassano and Balotelli tried a one-two against the wall in the frontcourt but failed. Neuer flew to block the ball directly out of the baseline.

The German team's counterattack was quite swift. Khedira split the ball in the middle and Boateng made a low pass from the right.

The German team's offensive players were already in position in the penalty area. Buffon fell to the ground in time to save the ball, but the ball hit Chiellini who was returning to defend and almost had an own goal!

The ball was blocked by the Italian defender and it was another corner kick opportunity for the German team.

Ergo took a tactical corner kick, and Cross' right-footed shot from the sideline of the penalty area was bravely blocked by Buffon.

Leo accelerated and changed direction and passed Khedira to send a wonderful pass. Marchisio moved the ball laterally to avoid Schweinsteiger and shot a low shot from the top of the penalty area but Neuer got it!

Cassano's curve ball from outside the penalty area hit the far corner and was confiscated by Neuer.

The Italian team took the initiative, and several midfielders formed an airtight barrier in front of the back line.

It is becoming more and more difficult for the German team to break into the opponent's penalty area, and they can only end the attack with more long-range shots from the outside.

But such a shot couldn't cause Buffon the slightest trouble.

On the contrary, the Azzurri frontcourt pair of Cassano and Balotelli quietly showed their fangs.

Especially with Leo and Pirlo taking turns delivering ammunition to them, the two talented Italian forwards began to frequently test Neuer in front of the opponent's goal with extremely threatening shots.

In the 22nd minute, Leo took the ball in the middle and distributed it to the left after getting rid of the defense of Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Cassano caught the ball and turned around. He easily passed the German team's right back Boateng, and then got rid of Hummels who was rushing forward and crossed from the left!

Balotelli pressed the German center back Badstuber who was closely marking him in front of the small penalty area and scored with a powerful header!

One to zero!

Italy took the lead in breaking the deadlock on the field!

There was no fancy offensive coordination, it was just Leo organizing the attack, Cassano breaking through and passing, and Bashen scoring with a header. It seemed very simple.

However, behind such a simple statement, it is completely a display of the personal abilities of the several players involved in the attack!

Bad boy Cassano and Bashen hugged each other with smiles on their faces!

Compared with the talented Azzurri striker in the past, there seems to be no capable forward in the Italian team today.

But it happened that it was Kamazi and Bashen, two troubled teenagers that fans loved and hated, who teamed up to give the team the lead!

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. After taking the lead, the game was under control.

He looked at the two people not far away who were smiling like children, and smiled heartily.

After conceding the ball, the German team had no choice but to further strengthen its attack.

Boateng passed a 45-degree diagonal pass into the penalty area from the right. Gomez jumped high near the penalty spot and shook his head to attack the goal, which missed the near post!

In the 26th minute, it was Boateng's long pass from the backcourt that instigated the attack. Gomez turned his back from the front of the penalty area, and Ergo fired a low shot with his left foot from outside the penalty area!

However, Ergou's shot was not powerful enough, and the ball was easily saved by Buffon.

Two minutes later, Kroos' powerful long-range shot was too hard and went over the crossbar of the goal.

Boateng moved forward again from the right. He escaped Chiellini's flying tackle and passed the ball. Balzaretti cleared the ball before Podolski.

It seems that the offensive continues, but in fact the German team still has not found a way to break through the Italian team's layers of defense.

While several attempts at long-range shots failed, problems arose in his own defense.

In the 36th minute of the game, German team captain Lahm failed to pay attention to keeping level with his teammates and trailed behind the central defender.

This also led to the failure of the German team's offside tactics. Italian No. 10 Leo was keenly aware of this opportunity and sent a long overhead pass in time!

It's Balotelli again. This is the tacit understanding he has formed with Leo over the years, which others cannot envy.

After receiving the ball, Bashen was unguarded and strode straight to the opponent's penalty area with the ball!

This time Barcelona did not disappoint the Italian fans, but remained focused very rarely.

Balotelli stopped outside the penalty area and shot directly!

The ball went in! Bashen hit the single-handed ball into a world wave!

The ball went straight into the upper right corner of the goal! German goalkeeper Neuer didn't even have time to make a save!

Two to zero!

Italy expands its lead!

After scoring twice against Germany, Balotelli calmly ran to the sidelines and took off his jersey to show off his muscles!

The referee Lanois from France also showed him a yellow card for this.

Leo smiled bitterly and ran over to join in the celebration.

When I return to the locker room later, I still have to think of a way to prevent Mario from messing around again.

Balotelli, who has scored six goals in this tournament, ranks first in the scorer list, and Leo also ranks second with players such as Ronaldo and Gomez with three goals.

The game continued, and there was not much time left in the first half. The Italian team took the initiative to slow down the pace of the game.

But the German team gave up. They were two goals behind and must seize every opportunity to score. Since the start of this European Cup, the German team has shown improvement in their technical and tactical levels, and a group of talented young players is amazing.

However, the mental strength and willpower that the German team has always been proud of seem to have declined. This is their traditional strength.

As the favorites to win the championship, not only in today's game, they seemed a little too relaxed on the field before.

Players often made mistakes during the game, causing the defense to be in a hurry. Coach Loew's adjustments to the lineup before the game against Italy also felt a bit rash.

Cassano moved forward and sent a wonderful through ball. Marchisio broke through to the goal but hesitated and missed the fleeting single opportunity.

The German team immediately responded with a pass. Khedira stopped the ball on his chest on the sideline of the penalty area and fired a volley!

Buffon flew to save the ball.

Then the corner kick taken by the German team was easily picked up by Buffon.

In the 45th minute, Leo passed the ball directly into the gap. Cassano received the ball and broke into the penalty area!

But then he was unable to dodge a flying tackle from German center back Badstuber and fell to the ground injured.

The referee hesitated and did not award a penalty kick, which made the Italian players very dissatisfied.

Even though they knew that the referee could not change the decision, they still gathered around and put pressure on Lanois.

Forget it this time, but we are not easy to bully, and we cannot continue to brag about the penalties in the future.

This is what Italy wants to express.

The first half entered stoppage time, and Podolski and Lahm cooperated on the left.

But it is a pity that no teammate of the German team received Lahm's cross, and Buffon attacked and picked it off.

At the end of the first half, Italy temporarily led Germany 2-0 with Balotelli's two goals!

There was no hope of a comeback at all. Even before the second half started, some German fans in the stands were already in tears.

"Is there really no need to sew Mario's shirt and shorts together?"

This is the method that the manager of the Italian national team learned from the Internet to prevent Barcelona from taking off his jersey once he scores a goal in the second half, and he will receive another yellow card and be sent off.

"Hahaha, there's no need for this. I'll just remind Mario a few more words."

After changing sides, Germany changed two players in a row. Klose and Reus came on, while Gomez and Podolski were replaced.

German coach Loew completely rejected his attempt to change the lineup and changed the team back to its previous lineup.

This adjustment soon had an effect, and the German team, which was lagging behind, continued to attack.

Royce dribbled the ball from the right into the penalty area and dunked past Bonucci, then shot low with his left foot into the near corner of the goal!

Buffon was very focused and saved the ball steadily.

A minute later, Toni Kroos made the ball, and Ram inserted his right foot into the penalty area and missed.

Reus and Lahm completed threatening shots in the Italian team's penalty area.

Cassano once again got rid of Boateng's defense on the left and sent a cross. Unfortunately, De Rossi and Balotelli formed a double ghost shot in front of the goal but both missed the ball.

Ergo made a high-speed breakthrough from the right wing of the penalty area and then passed the ball low. Khedira was unable to turn around and shoot when surrounded by four Italian defensive players.

In the 55th minute, Klose broke into the penalty area and was about to shoot, but Bonucci took the lead and destroyed the ball.

Italy also made adjustments a minute later. Cassano was a little weak and was replaced by Diamanti.

Looking at the "bad boy" Leo who was dismissed early, he shook his head and sighed.

The adverse effects of missing two days of rest have gradually emerged. It’s hard to say what the final result of the game will be if we can’t withstand the pressure.

Regardless of fans who like or hate Cassano, at least after seeing his performance in the European Cup, they have to admit that this guy is very talented.

Whether facing strong opponents like Germany, England or Spain, Cassano can easily create threats through dribbling and passing in the frontcourt.

It's a pity that his lack of self-discipline after becoming famous at a young age not only prevented him from standing still and failed to reach the heights he could have reached, but also ruined his body.

Otherwise, Cassano is just about to turn thirty. Even if the European Cup competition is high-intensity and the rest time is short, he will not be able to hold on after only fifty minutes of the game.

This is equivalent to running out of energy after only playing half a game, which is a bit unjustifiable.

Just in October last year, Cassano suddenly felt some physical discomfort, and subsequently developed symptoms such as blurred vision, confusion, general weakness, and difficulty speaking.

Later, after a diagnosis at the Milan General Hospital, it was confirmed that the foramen ovale in the heart could not close automatically, resulting in a temporary lack of blood supply to the brain. It could be recovered after surgery.

This made Cassano's already poor health worse.

And it's hard to say why he has such a problem, and whether it has a lot to do with his past experiences.

Azzurri coach Prandelli defied public opinion and recruited Cassano, who had just undergone heart surgery, into the national team and was under great pressure.

Although the performance so far is quite impressive, when it comes to the semi-finals, Kamazi having to be replaced after only playing half-time will definitely have a bad impact on Italy.

Reluctantly, Diamanti came on as a substitute.

Diamanti's performance in Bologna last season was indeed pretty good, scoring eight goals and six assists in 30 league appearances.

But his role on the court is really far inferior to that of Cassano.

The "Bad Boy" assisted Balotelli to score Italy's first goal in today's game, so he also received applause from many Italian fans when he came off the field.

Cross dribbled the ball through the middle, Bonucci fouled Cross and received the first yellow card of the game.

Royce's free kick was saved by Buffon.

Leo distributed the ball in the middle, Balotelli cut in from the right and continuously changed lines to get rid of two defensive players. His low shot with his left foot on the right side of the penalty area missed the far post.

In the 63rd minute, Thiago Motta came on as a substitute, replacing the somewhat injured Pirlo.

Leo made a diagonal pass. Seeing that Neuer was far away from the goal, Diamanti directly took the shot, but unfortunately it was a little too far.

Leo couldn't help but frowned. Diamanti's ball just now seemed a little too casual.

In the 67th minute, De Rossi stole the ball from the backcourt, and Italy started a dazzling series of passes and receptions from the backcourt.

Motta and Leo hit the wall in the middle and passed the midfield in a two-two. Leo took advantage of the situation and distributed the ball to the right.

David Thornton broke through to the right side of the penalty area and passed in, and Balotelli knocked back in front of the penalty area.

Marchisio made the ball, Diamanti passed into the space, and De Rossi's shot from the edge of the penalty area went slightly wide.

Not to mention, Italy really played like Spain just now.

A minute later, Balotelli fell to the ground with cramps, and the exhausted Balotelli was replaced by Di Natale.

Balotelli is still young, in his early twenties.

The other is that with Leo watching, Ba Shen won't be as outrageous as Kamazi was.

So in comparison, Balotelli, who played for almost 70 minutes before getting cramps, was slightly better than Cassano.

In the 70th minute, German coach Loew made a desperate move and replaced Boateng with Muller.

At this point, both sides have used up all three substitutions.

Di Natale, who had just come on as a substitute, was actively pressing in the frontcourt. Neuer almost made a mistake in clearing the ball in the penalty area, and the ball was almost intercepted by Di Natale.

Leo sent a wonderful pass, Diamanti shook Badstuber in the penalty area and then shot hard!

The ball missed the near post and went out of the baseline.

Unable to seize such a good opportunity, Leo shook his head imperceptibly.

Although time is getting shorter and shorter, the German team still has not given up hope.

But they found that the harder they attacked, the more opportunities they gave Italy.

Pirlo sent a through ball from the front, De Rossi fell to the left and passed, Neuer intercepted the ball.

A minute later, Cross fired a powerful volley from the edge of the Italian penalty area.

In the 80th minute, Diamanti's left-footed low shot from the corner of the penalty area missed slightly.

Muller made a direct pass, and Klose forced a shot through Chiellini's interference but was confiscated by Buffon.

Italy launched a quick counterattack again, and Leo's diagonal pass tore open the German team's defense!

Di Natale got a solo opportunity, but the Udine forward hit the ball on the side net without being marked in the penalty area!

If this goal is scored, Italy will seal the victory in advance!

There will be penalties for squandering opportunities.

In the 87th minute, Bastian Schweinsteiger made a pass from the right, and Khedira shook his head in front of the goal!

Balzaretti accidentally handed the ball while defending Klose in front of him in the penalty area, and the referee decisively pointed to the penalty spot!

Germany gets a penalty kick!

Buffon failed to miraculously save the penalty kick, and Ergo calmly put the ball into the right side of the goal!

Two to one! The German team recovered one point.

This also gave Germany hope, they were only one goal behind!

At the last moment of the game, the German team pressed forward from all fronts, and even goalkeeper Neuer reached near the center circle.

Royce and Muller played a wall-kicking cooperation on the wing, but at this time the Italian penalty area was full of defensive players, and it was difficult for them to find space to pass the ball.

Royce made a pass from the right, and Klose's shovel shot in front of the penalty spot was blocked by Chiellini.

After the corner kick was taken, Cross volleyed high from the outside of the penalty area!

In the 90th minute, Cross hooked a pass from the left side of the penalty area. Hummels stopped the ball with his right foot and shot with his left foot, but Buffon struggled to block it!

Bonucci rushed to make a clearance in front of the German player who shot the supplementary shot!

Leo turned around and quickly moved forward to receive Bonucci's pass near the center circle.

The German team's defensive players probably didn't expect that Leo could rush so fast at this point, as if he still had plenty of energy.

When Leo caught the ball, Neuer was a few steps in front of him, and the corners of his mouth could not help but raise slightly.

It was already the fourth minute of stoppage time, and the game could end at any time, so Leo didn't think about too many issues.

Ignoring Neuer in front of him at all, Leo aimed at the goal and shot a lob!

Under the gaze of nearly 60,000 people in the audience, time seemed to have been slowed down.

The ball drew a moving arc in the sky above the National Stadium in Warsaw!

The ball naturally flies faster than people can run, and Neuer tried his best to chase it back to no avail.

All the German fans could only think silently in their hearts, praying that Leo's goal would miss.

But it's a pity that Leo's footwork is too good.

Even the lob shot that spanned most of the stadium still accurately penetrated the net from the middle of the goal!

Three to one!

At the end of the game, Italy successfully eliminated the German team and advanced to the European Cup finals!

(End of this chapter)