SEMI-FINAL: Germany 1-2 Italy

In stark contrast to the other semi-final, this clash made for great telli.

The star, of course, was Super Mario Balotelli, with a brace of well taken goals that rocked the Germans and shook the football world. The final that most neutrals wanted to see, will now not be seen.

And you have to say the Italians deserved it. Germany looked more like England, lacklustre, out of sorts, uncomfortable on the pitch. Pirlo was, as every English-speaking commentator seems to want to describe him, peerless, a strong candidate for player of the tournament, if there is such an award.

Let's just hope more Italian fans turn up for the final and don't leave the tournament's finale with an embarrassment of empty seats.

SEMI-FINAL: Spain 0-0 Portugal. Spain win 4-2 on penalties.

Like a Rolex made of stone, that was a hard watch.

The game had little to recommend itself, as is the wont of ninety per cent of footballing nil-nils.

The shoot out was, as one hundred per cent of shoot outs are, compelling viewing, another cheeky chippie this time from Ramos the stand out spot kick.

And so Spain reach their third major tournament final on the sp(a)in, and if it's Germany we could be in for a cracker, or a crapper, depending on how good the game is, obviously. Waffling now, tired. Night.

Euro 2012 Semi-Finals. Predicted vs Actual

Way back when (it was June 6th) I predicted that the semi-finalists would be thus, thither, whatever:

RUSSIA v GERMANY
CROATIA v SPAIN

Now, I got it wrong, in that I thought the winners of the first quarter final would play the winners of the second when, in fact it was first versus third and second versus fourth. Schoolboy error, slapped wrist, get to bed without supper etc.

Anyway, the fact remains I got fifty per cent of the semi-finalists right. The other fifty per cent didn't even make it out of the group stage, but here's a fine-haired sable brush, let's gloss over it.

And, OK, anyone with an elementary understanding of the machinations of European football could have predicted that Germany and Spain would get this far. Maybe some would have plumped for the Italians too and a couple the Portuguese.

But this is my blog, and I say 'well done, me' and I hope it's a SPAIN v GERMANY final, but I have a suspicion one of them may fall at the last, and it might well be... SPAIN.