France add Europe to the world

France 2 Wiltord 90, Trezeguet 103
Italy 1 Delvecchio 54
(aet, France win on golden goal; 1-1 after 90min )

In the end Euro 2000 was won by magic, not method. A marvellous goal by David Trezeguet in sudden-death extra-time beat Italy, the methodists supreme, in the De Kuip stadium last night as France added the European Championship to the World Cup they won two years ago.

Officially this was the golden goal that settled everything. But for the French the really golden moment had come at the end of the third of the four minutes allowed for stoppages when Sylvain Wiltord brought the scores level just as Italian hearts were starting to celebrate.

One of the better tournaments deserved one of the better finals. But finals are about winning or losing; any entertainment that ensues is a welcome side-product which cannot be guaranteed.

At least last night's scenario promised a classic of contrasts. A French team imbued with the spirit of adventure faced an Italian side wary of misadventure, but still one that had survived the semi-finals through summoning up an image of Horatius defending the bridge.

Naturally, football being the perverse game it is, Italy wasted no time last night taking the attack to their opponents, putting early pressure on Bixente Lizarazu on the French left.

Marco Delvecchio and Francesco Totti had been preferred by Dino Zoff to Fillippo Inzaghi and Alessandro del Piero as the men to start up front. With Demetrio Albertini and Gianluca Pessotto, the replacement for the suspended Gianluca Zambrotta, quick to get to grips with the French midfield and hoping to isolate Zinedine Zidane, Italy's football had a more compact look about it.

For France to be able to break down Italy's awesomely efficient defence Zidane obviously had to see a lot of the ball. The Italians, therefore, concentrated on making sure that he did not catch more than the odd glimpse of it.

In these circumstances Patrick Vieira, Youri Djorkaeff and Christophe Dugarry needed to press forward to establish alternative links with Thierry Henry. No easy task when every square metre of space in front of you is being ceded so grudgingly.

Apart from Francesco Toldo dropping a corner under pressure from Marcel Desailly there was little to disturb the equilibrium of Italy's defence in the opening half-hour. At the same time there was now little for Fabien Barthez to do at the other end except watch the game threaten to develop into a midfield stalemate.

The reluctance of both teams to get more players forward to support the man on the ball did not help the spectacle. France in particular were playing too much of their football in front of eight Italians plus the goalkeeper.

For an instant Djorkaeff looked as if he might score the goal the match so desperately needed seven minutes before half-time. Laurent Blanc, pushing up from the back, and Didier Deschamps set up Henry for a 20-yard shot which Djorkaeff stunned near the six-yard line before turning to toe-poke the ball towards goal. The shot did not carry enough power to bother Toldo but the idea was right.

As the half ended, a beautifully disguised pass by Paolo Maldini let in Delvecchio on the left but only for Blanc's effortless interception of the cross to emphasise still further how difficult scoring goals was going to be at either end.

Doing things a bit quicker was one answer and as the second half began the speed with which passes from Zidane and Djorkaeff gave Henry a fleeting chance before he was dispossessed suggested that the tactic had occurred to the French. Within four minutes, moreover, Henry had outpaced and outwitted Fabio Cannavaro on the left before producing a low cross which Zidane, lunging in, just failed to reach.

Italy, too, decided something more positive was needed and after 53 minutes Stefano Fiore was replaced by Del Piero. By the 54th minute France were behind. The movement that led to Italy's goal hinged on an inspired backheel from Totti as he met a ball from Albertini on the right. With the defence momentarily fooled, Pessotto sent in a dipping centre which evaded Desailly, and Delvecchio was behind him to beat Barthez off the side of his left foot.

The goal came just in time to rescue the final from ignominy. Two more might have followed by the 62nd minute. First Del Piero, sent clear by Totti, dragged his shot wide and then Sylvain Wiltord, who had just come on for Dugarry, saw Toldo's legs block his shot after Zidane's pass had beaten the offside trap.

In the 68th minute a floated free-kick from Zidane found Henry making space at the far post. Just as his shot looked like nutmegging Toldo the goalkeeper closed his legs to stop it. Toldo was powerless, though, to prevent Wiltord redeeming a lost cause deep into injury-time.