Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between Italy and Germany was given extra tension at the last minute when a German midfield stand-out billed to mark Italy's best player was banned from the game.
German midfielder Torsten Frings, set to mark Italy playmaker-striker Francesco Totti, received a one-match FIFA ban for his involvement in a punch-up at the end of the quarter-final against Argentina. Initially FIFA cleared Frings - one of Germany's best players in the tournament so far - but then re-examined the case after video evidence emerged which seemed to show him hit Argentine striker Julio Cruz.
Adding an edge to the incident, the German press reported that the video evidence came from an Italian TV channel.
The Italian Soccer Federation denied pressuring FIFA to reopen the case.
Totti did not comment but sources at Italy's training camp said the Roma star was looking forward to the match as an occasion to shine and had not been affected by the news, "one way or the other". Italy go into the match with the best defence in the tournament, confidence growing and history on their side.
The Azzurri are unbeaten in 23 games and have only conceded one goal so far, a Cristian Zaccardo own-goal in the 1-1 draw with the USA.
What's more, they started to show their attacking potential in the 3-0 quarterfinal win over the Ukraine. Italy has thrashed the Germans once this year - a 4-1 friendly win in March. But observers agree that the supine German side which took the field in Florence bears very little resemblance to the traditional steamroller-like machine that has built up
fearsome momentum during the World Cup.
That said, German star Michael Ballack deliberately chose to depict Germany as the underdog. "The Italians have registered an incredible unbeaten run and we remember that they beat us 4-1 in Florence," the midfield maestro said.
"They're a worse hurdle than Argentina. Everyone has been saying Italy are favourites, and I think this is clearly the case".
The two countries have had some epic World Cup tussles over the years, with the Azzurri coming off the better. Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the 1982 World Cup final and ran out 4-3 victors at the semi-final stage in 1970, in one of soccer's greatest-ever games.
Another good omen for Italy is that this is the first time the semi-finals have been monopolized by European teams since 1982, when Italy went on to be crowned world champions. The Azzurri will have to contend with the passion of a
side performing in front of its home crowd. But some think even this might fire Italy up.
"In 1990 they won the World Cup here on our territory, now it's time to pay them back by winning on theirs," said
Marco Tardelli, a member of the 1982 Azzurri team. Full-back Gianluca Zambrotta rejected claims that Italy are favourites to reach the final.
"Things are perfectly even between us and Germany," said the author of Italy's opening goal against the Ukraine. He is expecting a physical battle: "In soccer the team that runs more, wins. That's what (Juventus coach Fabio) Capello always says and in 95% of cases that is how it is in modern soccer".
Inter stopper Marco Materazzi will probably return from suspension to line up in the middle of the defence alongside
captain Fabio Cannavaro, in place of Andrea Barzagli. Materazzi skipped the Ukraine match after being sent off
against Australia.
AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta, who has missed the last two games with a leg muscle problem, failed a fitness test and will only make his comeback in the July 9 final - if Italy gets there, of course. Otherwise, coach Marcello Lippi is tipped to leave his starting line-up unchanged, after Mauro Camoranesi passed a fitness test.
Lippi will probably stick to a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Totti sitting just behind centre-forward Luca Toni, who found
the Ukraine net twice Friday. The German media may have been unhappy about Italy's alleged part in the Frings case, but the Italian players have been irked by a sarcastic piece in German weekly Der Spiegel.
The magazine described Italian men as "greasy", "parasitic", "cheats" and "mummy's boys".
Nesta countered that the Germans are just jealous of Italian style and food, while Gennaro Gattuso suggested Der Spiegel's editor might have an axe to grind because his wife had cuckolded him with an Italian. The two nations have both won the World Cup three times: Italy in 1934, 1938 and 1982; West Germany in 1954 and 1974, Germany in 1990.
Probable Azzurri formation (4-4-1-1): Gianluigi Buffon; Gianluca Zambrotta, Marco Materazzi, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso; Simone Perrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi; Francesco Totti; Luca Toni. Germany (4-4-2): Jens Lehmann; Arne Friedrich, Christoph Metzelder, Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm; Bernd Schneider,Torsten Frings, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose.
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Linesmen: Jose Ramirez (Mexico), Hector Vergara (Canada)
