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.

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.

BBC 2-0 ITV. Why no Euro 2012 Semi-Final on ITV?

Aww, something's puzzling me sir, as an American copper once said. And now I've just said it because I've discovered both Euro 2012 semis are being shown on the same channel.

What's going on? Why not the usual split? Did ITV put all its money on red only for it to come up black?

Euro 2012 Semi-Final Predictions

If none of these teams gets anywhere near this stage, remember, I'm sticking my neck out early with these predictions, making them before the tournament starts with knowledge gleaned from sitting on my fat arse in an armchair, and no knowledge of any injuries that may and probably will occur to the teams.

RUSSIA v GERMANY. They've had their run-ins in the past (check Wikipedia if you need a history lesson). In my crystal ball (imaginary), I'm seeing 0-0 at the start, 0-0 after 90 mins and a late goal from... the Germans.

CROATIA v SPAIN. Can Spain win three international tournaments on the spin? No one's done that before, and look what happened to France when they tried it in World Cup 2002. That's Senegal I'm saying about the matter, other than, no, I don't think SPAIN can do it. I think CROATIA are going to the final.

MY PREDICTED EURO 2012 FINAL

GERMANY v CROATIA