ã Reuters

France beat Italy 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out here on Friday to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals.

France, who will play the winner of Saturday's Germany-Croatia quarter-final match, won the shoot-out when Luigi Di Biagio fired his attempt off the bar. France lost the last penalty shoot-out they played when the Czech Republic beat them in the 1996 European Championship semi-finals. For Italy it was a repeat of their 1994 World Cup final defeat to Brazil on penalties.

Roberto Baggio, one of the players who missed their penalties in the 1994 final, Alessandro Costacurta and Christian Vieri, the tournament's leading scorer, converted their kicks but Demetrio Albertini and Di Biagio, with the last kick of the shoot-out, missed. Ironically, Di Biaggio had gone narrowly close to winning the game for Italy with a golden goal in extra-time when he put a flashing header just past the far post from a corner. Zinedine Zidane, David Trezeguet, Thierry Henry and Laurent Blanc scored for France after Bixente Lizarazu's kick was saved by Gianluca Pagliuca.

Youri Djorkaeff missed two good chances for France at the end of each half while Roberto Baggio went agonisingly close in extra-time with what would have been the best goal of the tournament. France manager Aime Jacquet said: "It was a very difficult match but we managed to stick to our game plan and France really deserved to win. We kept out nerve in the penalty shootout." 

Italy manger Cesare Maldini said his team could be proud of themselves. "We all came out of this game with our heads up,"   he said. "I can't fault any of my players, they gave it all. The team played really well. When it comes to penalties its a lottery. I really have no regrets, because France are a good team. But it's a real pity and I felt sorry for our team." 

There was little hint that the match would go to a penalty shoot-out when, in a pulsating start, Zidane blazed a half-volley from Emmanuel Petit's corner over the bar and then raked a low drive just wide of Gianluca Pagliuca's far post. Seconds later, Emmanuel Petit sent in an overhead kick which the Italy keeper palmed over at full stretch and lone striker Stephane Guivarc'h volleyed in Didier Deschamps' cross from the narrowest of angles. It was one-way traffic, but Italy nearly stole the lead after eight minutes when Francesco Moriero chipped over a cross for Christian Vieri, only for the tournament's joint top scorer to send his header wide.

France immediately wrested back control, with Zidane and Djorkaeff probing an unsettled Italian defence, while Italy's re-jigged midfield failed to make any progress. Christian Karembeu nearly broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, when he worked a one-two with Djorkaeff but got his legs tangled up and allowed Pagliuca to block in the six-yard box. And Guivarc'h gave Pagliuca another fright seconds later with a searing 25-yard drive which whistled inches over the bar. Italy, who had an ineffective Alessandro Del Piero and a struggling Giuseppe Bergomi booked, got their best chance in the 32nd minute, when Del Piero set up Vieri for a 22-yard left-foot drive which keeper Fabien Barthez was happy just to punch out with both fists. France kept up the pressure and Djorkaeff was put clean through by a deft pass from Deschamps at the whistle, but from a dozen yards skewed his shot well wide of his advancing Inter Milan teammate Pagliuca. France were clearly on top and there was no respite for the Italians after the break as the hosts, sensing that victory was well within reach, sent in wave after wave of attacks.

Giuvarc'h flicked a 53rd minute header just over the top from Djorkaeff's corner, but was booked minutes later for elbowing Italy's best player, defender Fabio Cannavaro, in the face as they went up for aerial challenge. Cannavaro played on until extra time with a gauze mask over his cheeks, looking like a wounded Phantom of the Opera. Deschamps also earned a yellow card for obstructing Del Piero, but France had to wait until the 65th minute for their next chance-when Karembeu cannoned hopelessly wide. Coach Aimé Jacquet had seen enough and threw on two new strikers-David Trezegeuet and Pierre Henry for Karembeu and Guivarc'h-and Henry nearly made a dream start, going close with his first effort. Italy's Cesare Maldini also rung the changes, pulling off Del Piero for Roberto Baggio.

Although France were still ruling the roost in midfield, Baggio soon made his presence felt. He nearly put Vieri through with an exquisite backheel in the 79th minute, but the Italian centre-forward was caught just off-side, and three minutes later floated over a free-kick which Luigi Di Biagio nodded narrowly wide. Baggio almost sneaked a ball through France's back four for Moriero, and in injury time set up a barrelling shot for Pessotto which could have won it.

But neither that, nor a through-ball for Vieri in injury-time, could break a deadlock which sent the tie into nerve-jangling extra time. Cannavaro made a last-ditch tackle which on Bixente Lizarazu, stopping a run which would almost certainly have ended in a Golden Goal, and Pagliuca had to get down minutes later to a low shot from the Frenchman. The biggest fright was for Barthez, in the 13th minute of extra time, when Baggio hooked Albertini's throughball across the face of the goal and inches wide of the far post.

© - AFP - 1998