意大利3：1胜葡萄牙
吉拉迪诺独中两员，平济进一球。意大利进军欧青赛决赛而且已经可以参加雅典奥运会
德罗西，博沃首发出场，达戈替补出场
U21 Euro Championship Semi-Final - 5/6/04 (20.45)
Italy 3 - 1 Portugal
Gilardino 19, 77 (I), Pinzi 24 (I), Pedro Oliveira 29 (P)
Bochum, Germany (7,700)
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Alberto Gilardino's brace has booked Italy's spot in the U-21 Euro Championship Final and the Athens Olympics after Portugal were despatched.
Claudio Gentile's men had a poor start to the European Championships, but since that opening defeat to Belarus they have squeezed slender victories over Serbia Montenegro and Croatia to top their qualifying Group.
They now go on to face one of their Group opponents, Serbia Montenegro, in the Final after their win on penalties against Sweden in tonight's other Semi.
Italy had played Semi-Final opponents Portugal in a friendly earlier this season and emerged with a 3-1 victory, but this was a very different atmosphere. Reaching the Final was also crucial for the Azzurrini, as only the first three teams go through to the Athens Olympics.
Gentile was forced to do without the suspended Simone Del Nero and injured Giandomenico Mesto, but Alberto Gilardino returned to the starting eleven after a one-match ban. Giuseppe Sculli therefore filled in for Del Nero in a wider role, again leaving Roma man Gaetano D'Agostino on the bench.
Portugal were also forced to do without some star players, as main goalscorers Pedro Oliveira, Lourenço and Carlos Martins were all suspended.
Italy had the first chance after three minutes when Sculli ran on to Daniele De Rossi's through ball and saw his shot well saved, but the linesman had incorrectly raised his flag for offside.
Portugal had a couple of dangerous free kicks, but another promising Sculli move was halted for a very dubious offside decision.
The deadlock was eventually broken after 19 minutes with an all-Parma combination. Daniele Bonera managed to steal the ball off Bruno Alves on the right flank and put in a splendid cross for Gilardino's cushioned header.
It was nearly 2-0 moments later, when a long Marco Donadel free kick took a deflection off Emiliano Moretti, but goalkeeper Moreira performed a crucial one-handed save to palm away the danger.
The second did come from another set-piece soon after with a bizarre move. Gilardino's cheeky back-heel caught the defence by surprise and Giampiero Pinzi's looping header went in off the far post.
Udinese midfielder Pinzi has only ever scored two international goals and both have been against Portugal.
However, Portugal got back into the match with an opportunistic goal, as Pedro Oliveira redirected an off-target effort from Jorge Ribeiro to leave Marco Amelia stranded.
Pinzi saw a shot charged down and there were penalty appeals for a handling offence, but the Portuguese player was clearly protecting his face and therefore it was not a foul.
Sampdoria midfielder Angelo Palombo almost scored by accident, as his wayward cross skimmed the woodwork.
Gilardino was furious when he was flagged offside and was booked for dissent - his third booking in as many games. Pinzi was then shown a yellow card for a late challenge and will miss the final match.
Portugal made two changes, including the introduction of Newcastle United man Hugo Viana, to pour forward in search of an equaliser.
Pinzi was substituted by Giandomenico Mesto, who was expected to miss the rest of the tournament with a thigh strain, but made an extraordinary recovery to feature in this Semi-Final.
Portugal went close to drawing level on 55 minutes when Amelia ran across the face of goal to clear a looping Carlitos chip out of the top corner, but overall Italy were under increasing pressure in the second half.
Gilardino charged into the box on the counter-attack and fell as he was sandwiched between two defenders, but the referee waved play on.
Gentile also made a switch with D'Agostino introduced for the final 17 minutes of play, replacing the exhausted makeshift winger Sculli.
Portugal thought they had scored on 75 minutes when Amelia dropped the ball and Ricardo Costa turned in, but play had already been halted for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Less than a minute later, Italy had sealed their spot in the Final and the Athens Olympics with Alberto Gilardino. The Parma hitman sprung the offside trap on Mesto's through ball by a matter of inches and placed a precise angled drive past Moreira to make it 3-1.
De Rossi really should have made it four soon after when he ran on to another splendid Mesto pass, but his shot was charged down by the desperate goalkeeper.
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Italy U21: Amelia; Bonera, Bovo, Barzagli, Moretti; Pinzi (Mesto 55), Donadel, De Rossi (Brighi 86), Palombo, Sculli (D'Agostino 73); Gilardino
Portugal U21: Moreira; Bruno Alves (Miguel Garcia 49), Joao Paulo, Ricardo Costa; Mario Sergio (Hugo Viana 49), Bosingwa, Jorge Ribeiro, Bruno Aguilar; Carlitos, Pedro Oliveira, Danny (Joao Pereira 62)
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