France beat Italy on penalties
after 0-0 tie
July 3, 1998
Soccernet
PARIS -- Hosts France sweated
through to the World Cup semifinals on Friday as Italy suffered a penalty
shoot-out nightmare for the third finals in a row.
Luigi Di Biagio handed France
victory by missing the 10th and last penalty, hitting the bar to trigger
wild celebrations among the home fans in the Stade de France. France won
the shoot-out 4-3 after the match ended 0-0 after extra time.
France's Bixente Lizarazu
had seen his attempted shot saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca
while French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez also saved from Demetrio Albertini.
France meet either Germany
or Croatia in the semifinal, again at the Stade de France on Wednesday.
The win was thoroughly deserved by France who should have wrapped up victory
well before the shoot-out.
"The French deserved this
victory after our domination of the match. I feel as I've been through
the wringer," said French coach Aime Jacquet.
"I am very sad because our
players gave it their all," coach Cesare Maldini said.
France dominated the first
90 minutes but failed to make the most of several clear chances and the
mastery of playmaker Zinedine Zidane, who returned from a two-match suspension.
Italy were penned back in
their half for long periods but excellent defence, marshalled by captain
Paolo Maldini, and France's profligacy in front of goal kept the match
scoreless in normal time.
France appeared to tire in
extra time and the game was far more even. Substitute Roberto Baggio could
have won it for Italy late in the first 15 minutes of extra time but his
volley went narrowly wide with Barthez beaten.
Midfielder Youri Djorkaeff
had France's best chance in normal time when he broke clear deep into first
half stoppage time on to a pass from Didier Deschamps.
With only Pagliuca to beat,
Djorkaeff skewed an angled shot wide of the far post. Djorkaeff also had
a clear chance saved by Pagliuca late in extra time.
Christian Karembeu wasted
another great run and pass by Zidane when he shot wide in the 63rd minute.
Jacquet rang the changes
shortly afterwards as France besieged the Italian goal in search of the
winner.
David Trezeguet and Thierry
Henry came on in the 65th for Stephane Guivarch and Karembeu, but the ball
just would not go in for France, who had not lost to Italy in 20 years.
The veteran Pagliuca proved
a big obstacle in both halves, saving Italy early in the first half as
the crowd roared on every French move and whistled the Italians with equal
enthusiasm.
Midfielder Emmanuel Petit,
with his back to goal, had a dipping shot in the fifth minute brilliantly
tipped around the post. A minute earlier, Pagliuca had just got his outstretched
fingers to a shot across goal by Zidane.
Zidane was fundamental and
behind all the best moves of a French side who were masterful until they
came in sight of goal.
Italy, in their familiar
blue strip that forced "Les Bleus" into white shirts, had a sniff of goal
in the eighth when Francesco Moriero cut inside and crossed to Christian
Vieri, the tournament's joint top scorer.
Vieri's header crashed into
the side netting and it was a long wait for his next chance, a 34th minute
ball at the near post that goalkeeper Barthez got to first.
Italy had barely a chance
in the second half as France threatened time and again to settle the match.
Italy had two bookings in
the first half, Alessandro Del Piero for a tackle from behind on Didier
Deschamps in the 26th minute and Giuseppe Bergomi two minutes later.
The out of sorts Del Piero
had another poor game and was replaced in the 67th by Baggio.
Baggio had probably Italy's
best chance of the match late in the first half of extra time when his
volley from a cross from the right flew past Barthez but also past the
far post.
But it came down to penalties
and the heart-stopping moments.
Even French President Jacques
Chirac was held in a spell.
"He was here to show all
of France was behind us," Jacquet said.
.