In this group C where defeat is prohibited, Italy, World Champion title, falling entry. Faced with the sparkling team from the Netherlands, Italians bow 3 to 0. Even if the first goal of the match, signed Ruud Van Nistelrooy, is tainted by an offside, the Dutch were the best on the field.

All the series have an end. And that of Italy face the Netherlands stops in Switzerland. Invaincue past thirty years before the Netherlands (the Dutch had not beaten the Squadra Azzurra, 2-1, since the World Cup in Argentina), Italy receives a correction for its entry into contention in Euro 2008. In Berne, the Netherlands needed 3 to 0 before the world champions title.

The absence of Fabio Cannavaro does not explain everything. Faced with vividness, Dutch, Italian defence has consistently been the sentence. This defence, which had cashed two unfortunate goals at the 2006 World Cup, whose penalty by Zinedine Zidane in the final, took on water. But it is also true that this is a coup fate which made available the match. An error arbitration more accurately. The “Oranje” have been helped by a misjudgement of the referee on the first goal embodied in the 26th minute through Ruud Van Nistelrooy in a position to offside. The second goal will suffer, against, not challenged. In five passes, the Dutch have recovered all the ground to go through the double to a resumption of flight of Wesley Sneijder (31st, 2-0). The head under water, Italy woke up with the entry into play Alessandro Del Piero in the middle of the second period. The attack suddenly found Italian life, forcing Van der Sar has several crucial stops. But at the height of the transalpine domination on a new attack against supersonic, Giovanni van Bronckhorst bringing the score to 3-0 (79e).

The Bataves create the first surprise of the Euro. They settled at the same time a head of the “group of death”, ahead of France and Romania, which had neutralized earlier in the evening (0-0). And it requires especially Italians, the last class to win Friday face the Romanians.