It’s the Derby of the Alps all over again, except this time both Italy and France know even a win might not be enough to stay in Euro 2008.

The rivalry between these two sides has sky-rocketed over the past few years with France’s Golden Goal victory in the Euro 2000 Final and revenge from the penalty spot in Berlin. They have met twice since that World Cup decider, the Azzurri losing 3-1 in Paris and scraping a 0-0 draw at San Siro.

Both teams still have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals, but are equally likely to crash out of the competition. If Romania beat an already-qualified Holland in the other Group C game, then the result in Zurich will be purely academic. However, if the Dutch continue their current form then the winner of this clash will go through to the next phase. Italy have another option, as due to their superior head-to-head record in terms of goals scored, a score draw with France and Romania’s defeat will see Roberto Donadoni through the Group of Death with a grand total of two points.

It’s not quite the situation everyone envisaged when the draw placed France and Italy together for the final match, but Holland have swept both aside with 4-1 and 3-0 scorelines respectively. Romania proved tough nuts to crack too, although the Nazionale can be boosted by a much better performance in Friday’s 1-1 draw. Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo apologised for incorrectly disallowing Luca Toni’s goal, but for all that it was only a Christian Panucci tap-in and late Gianluigi Buffon penalty save from Adrian Mutu that kept them in the competition this far.

It is worrying that Italy’s only goal has been scored by a defender, so Donadoni is tempted to again reshuffle his squad. Having already changed five from the starting XI that lost to Holland, Alessandro Del Piero now finds himself threatened by the on form Antonio Cassano. Alberto Aquilani is also pushing for a midfield spot after Simone Perrotta was fielded in an unusually deep position against Romania. The defence seems to be confirmed now with Panucci and Giorgio Chiellini giving up their usual full-back roles to shore up the central defence between the marauding Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso, the latter facing some of his Olympique Lyonnais teammates.

France boss Raymond Domenech fully lived up to his ‘provocateur’ reputation by musing that “the Romania result is already written” and he might field “the youngsters in this game so they can gain experience.” For all the talk of a futile gesture, he never likes to lose, especially against Italy. “This is like a derby for me now,” grinned the controversial figure.

Inter midfielder Patrick Vieira might be back from injury, though William Gallas is now struggling with an ankle problem. Former Juventus and Parma defender Lilian Thuram admits he had a nightmare against Holland, but is eager to prove he’s still in good shape.

In attack Samir Nasri has been consistently sharp in training and could finally get a start in support of Thierry Henry with both Karim Benzema and Bafetimbi Gomis disappointing so far. If Domenech does indeed go for a younger line-up, then former Under-21 internationals Sidney Govou, Lassana Diarra and the often ignored Manchester United man Patrice Evra could get a look-in.

Key clash: Fabio Grosso v Franck Ribery
It’s a tasty battle down that flank between The Flamingo and Scarface, one that was already seen in 2006. Grosso came out the winner that day and with his current form will be hoping to make it a Double. “Fabio is my great friend, but I am always explaining to my colleagues that they must not let him get to the byeline,” warned goalkeeper and Lyon teammate Gregory Coupet. “We nicknamed him Monsieur Prope (a French Mr Sheen, ndr), as he has a magic left foot and always serves perfectly clean assists. Great scoring opportunities are bound to be sparked from his feet.” With Ribery often France’s strongest attacking threat, it’ll be a real tussle to see them charge up and down that wing covering and pushing in turns.

Italian connection:
There are so many French stars with links to their neighbouring nation, from ex-Juventus figures Lilian Thuram, Jean-Alain Boumsong and Thierry Henry to current Inter midfielder Patrick Vieira and Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey. Even Patrice Evra started his career with Serie C outfit Marsala. Fabio Grosso shared the recent Lyon title with Gregory Coupet, Boumsong, Francois Clerc, Sebastien Squillaci, Jeremy Toulalan, Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou, while Luca Toni celebrated Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga triumph with Franck Ribery and Willy Sagnol.

Did You Know..?
Even with the 2006 victory on penalties, Italy have not beaten France within the 90 minutes since a 2-1 result in the 1978 World Cup. Their latest European Championship encounter was the Euro 2000 Final on July 2, won by David Trezeguet’s Golden Goal. The only survivors from that game are Lilian Thuram, Thierry Henry, Massimo Ambrosini and Alessandro Del Piero.

Referee Lubos Michel was also officiating the most recent meeting, a 0-0 qualifying draw at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The other Group B game was a 3-1 thrashing in Paris, Sidney Govou scoring twice with Thierry Henry and Alberto Gilardino’s lone reply.

Including shoot-outs, the record now stands at 18 Azzurri victories, nine France wins and eight stalemates.

Holland inflicted the heaviest ever European Championship defeat on both these teams in Euro 2008. Italy had never previously lost a tie 3-0 in this tournament, while France were hammered 4-1.

With two games of the competition gone, both World Cup Finalists have an identical record so far – one point, one goal scored and four conceded.

Roberto Donadoni’s men tested out the Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich earlier this year by beating Portugal 3-1 in a 6 February friendly. Luca Toni, Fabio Cannavaro and Fabio Quagliarella were on target.
France (probable): Coupet; Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Evra; Ribery, Makelele, Toulalan, Malouda; Nasri, Henry

Italy (probable): Buffon; Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso; Camoranesi, Pirlo, De Rossi, Aquilani; Cassano, Toni

Ref: Michel (Slk)

Ref From channel4.com

Holland despatched France 4-1 in the match of the tournament so far. The result ensures that they will win Group C regardless of the outcome of their meeting with Romania – a scenario that effectively takes Italy’s fate at Euro 2008 out of their own hands.

It was a game that France simply had to win, and the return of Thierry Henry had boosted their morale. Meanwhile, Holland’s opening display against Italy suggested they could be considered the new favourites for the tournament.

The tone was set for the encounter within the first five minutes as French midfielder Claude Makelele delivered a cynical block on Dutch counterpart Dirk Kuyt. Referee Herbert Fandel chose to keep his cards in his pocket, but it was a decision that lit a fire under the Oranje army.

In the 10th minute the Liverpool midfielder got his revenge as he stole in to head past Gregory Coupet from a Giovanni Van Bronckhorst corner. With Florent Malouda pulling and tugging him all over, the blonde bomber did well to free himself in order to net on the occasion of his 40th Dutch cap.

Holland’s confidence was sky-high and Wesley Sneijder lashed in a fierce shot shortly after which swirled just over the French bar. Raymond Domenech’s men appeared shell-shocked and were struggling to find their shape and rhythm, with the fear of a last day winner-takes-all clash against Italy already beginning to form in their minds.

The passing from Marco Van Basten’s side was sublime and in the 18th minute an intricate maze of triangular passing pin-balled their possession to the verge of the box where only a last ditch block from Lilian Thuram prevented Ruud Van Nistelrooy snatching a shot at goal.

Moments later Thuram inadvertently headed in to the path of Kuyt who somehow managed to redirect the ball with a hooked shot that just evaded the frame of the goal. For the first 20 minutes it was an orange onslaught.

Finally, France began to show some life as Sydney Govou wriggled free from his marker and forced Edwin Van Der Sar to react, before minutes later a quick one-two with Henry threatened to set the Lyon striker free before a burly Dutch interception halted the move.

The match took a twist for the surreal on the half hour mark as the increasingly dirty Makelele flashed a flailing arm in to the face of Rafael Van Der Vaart in the centre of the park. He received a yellow card for his effort but somehow also won the resultant free-kick from the man in black.

Small victories can be pivotal in the bigger picture and in the moments following that incident France twice tested the attention of Van Der Sar, a ‘keeper not averse to spilling long-range efforts. Firstly Govou and then Franck Ribery zipped shots along the turf but the Dutch net-minder was wide awake to both – but Les Bleus engine was finally starting to chug in to life.

On 37 minutes Ribery escaped down the flank, latching on to a Govou pass, and his whipped cross just eluded both Henry and Malouda. At the other end Sneijder let loose with another powerful effort from outside the box, which Coupet dealt with. The ‘end-to-end’ philosophy had not been better demonstrated in the tournament.

However, it was a fleeting flurry of fantasy football and as the half petered out the tempo dropped. It seemed that a crucial spell of play was beginning – where a goal for either side could have swung the match pendulum. Alas, no more net-ripplers emerged and the sides headed down the tunnel with Holland 1-0 up.

France were out of the traps much quicker after the interval, Ribery firing across the goal and then Henry seeing his shot during a penalty area skirmish hit Andre Ooijer’s hand. A penalty was claimed but Mr Fandel waved away French appeals – nevertheless the Cockerels had their dander up and for the first time Holland looked flustered.

Shortly after a tussle between Henry and Ooijer saw the Dutchman enter the book. The finger of fate had truly spun towards France and on 54 minutes Henry found himself clean through on goal, but this is not the Thierry of old and he didn’t have the va-va-voom to finish the job – his chipped shot going far too high.

Just before the hour though the Dutch opened their magic box. Van Nistelrooy pirouetted on the ball on the halfway line to set Arjen Robben free, the Real Madrid winger bursting down the flank before crossing for fellow substitute Robin Van Persie whose sweet connection was palmed by Coupet but still agonisingly squirmed over the line for 2-0.

As France pushed on looking for a way back Holland began to look increasingly dangerous on the counter, but in 90 breathtaking seconds of madness the game took a whirlwind turn. At one end Willy Sagnol overlapped beautifully to create space and cross for Henry to redirect the ball with the slightest of touches beyond a helpless Van Der Sar.

But before the French fans had a chance to sit down after their celebrations Robben had zipped away down the wing at the other end. After a brief dilly-dally in the area to consider his way around William Gallas he unleashed an impossible shot from the tightest angle into the roof of the net – the two-goal margin was restored.

The French were shell-shocked and their efforts became more scrappy and desperate. Holland on the other hand continued to excite and entertain whenever play allowed them to. On 83 minutes a long ball forward to Van Nistelrooy allowed the equine attacker to attempt a lobbed header, only an outstretched Coupet arm managed to flick the bouncing ball around the post.

Shortly after Van Bronckhorst fired a cross-field pass for Van Persie, which forced Coupet to race out to clear the ball. It was going to take a second ‘Miracle of Berne’ for Domenech’s boys to salvage anything from the game.

The miracle never came though and in injury time Sneijder struck a brilliant shot beyond Van Der Sar – meaning that the Netherlands have put seven past the two 2006 World Cup Finalists.

The result ensures that Holland win Group C, and they now have an interesting dilemma. Van Basten holds a sword of Damacles over the heads of both France and Italy going in to the final double-header of matches. If they were to take their foot off the gas against Romania, and lose, they would still go through as group winners but importantly they would also eliminate two deadly rivals by aiding Romania’s path in to the quarter-finals.

Could we be about to see Italy fall victim to another Euro stitch-up?
Holland: Van Der Sar; Boulahrouz, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst; De Jong, Engelaar (Robben 46); Kuyt (Van Persie 55), Van Der Vaart (Bouma 78), Sneijder; Van Nistelrooy

France: Coupet; Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Evra; Makelele, Toulalan; Govou (Anelka 75), Ribery, Malouda (Gomis 60); Henry

Ref: Fandel (Ger)

Ref From channel4.com