Italy reap the reward of dubious decision

Italy: 2 - Conte 52, Inzaghi 70 pen

Turkey: 1 - Okan 61

Referee: H Dallas (Scot) Booked: None. Sent Off - None

Even if Italy's 2-1 win over Turkey in Arnhem yesterday ultimately hinged on a highly dubious penalty decision by Scottish referee Hugh Dallas, Italy were nonetheless deserving winners. In a fast, intriguing, open game, Italy lived up to their reputation for delivering the goods on the big occasion when they twice hit the woodwork and when they also had an injury-time third goal overruled.

On a bright sunny afternoon at the Gelredome Stadium, the Italians perhaps took the Turks by surprise opening up with the best 20 minutes of football they have played in two years under Dino Zoff. Three corner kicks for Italy in the first two minutes served as a warning that the "azzurri" meant business.

Zoff had ended months of speculation about his team selection by making the ultimately wise decision to drop Alessandro Del Piero in favour of Francesco Totti alongside "central target" man Filippo Inzaghi. Well served by relative newcomer Stefano Fiore, Inzaghi and Totti were soon moving well, getting behind the Turkish defence with promising ease in the opening exchanges.

After only six minutes, Italy had what turned out to be their best chance of the first half when Totti set up midfielder Antonio Conte for a snap shot inside the area only to be foiled by an excellent save from Turkish goalkeeper Recher Rustu.

For much of the build-up to this game, we had been informed that this Turkish side would prove more adventurous than its predecessor at the Euro '96 finals. A look at the Turkish line-up suggested otherwise since Hakan Sukor was left to plough a relatively lonely furrow, partnered in attack by Yalcin Sergen. Immensely talented though the latter is, he is no striker.

Perhaps the de facto 4-5-1 Turkish lineup partly explained their slow start. However, a splendid combination between Sukor and Sergen set up the latter for arguably the best chance of the first half in the 14th minute.

If the first 20 minutes of the game were dominated by Italy, the next 20 minutes up to half-time saw plenty of Turkey, with the Galatasaray trio of Sukor, Sergen and Okan at the centre of almost everything good.

Expectations of a balanced second half lasted only seven minutes with Juventus captain Conte once again confirming his reputation for scoring important goals with a splendid overhead kick, snapped up following a rebound from a Rustu save off a shot by Inzaghi. Six minutes later, Italy might have wrapped it up when Totti headed against the cross-bar.

The Turks took up their momentum following Conte's goal, scoring a deserved equaliser in the 61st minute when Okan headed home a well-struck Sergen free-kick.

Just when one was beginning to wonder about a draw, there then came the most controversial moment of the match when Albertini sent Inzaghi away. As the Juventus striker raced into the penalty area, he was challenged by Turkish captain, Ogun, who appeared to shoulder charge him fairly. Inzaghi, however, fell over theatrically and referee Dallas pointed to the spot. TV replays suggest this was not a good decision.

Showing admirable cool in the face of a barrage of hostile Turkish fans, Inzaghi slotted away the penalty. Substitute Angelo Di Livio scored a third goal in injury time only to have it overruled because of off-side.

Speaking after the match, Turkish coach Mustafa Denizli claimed that after the penalty decision, his side were too upset to play well, adding:

"I couldn't see the incident very well but it didn't look like a penalty to me." His obviously satisfied opposite number, Dino Zoff, took an opposing view:

"I don't normally discuss the referee's decisions . . . but he blew this one and it looked like a penalty to me . . . We've started well, we produced a lot, scoring two goals, hitting the woodwork twice, having one disallowed . . . Perhaps, if we had wrapped up the game earlier, it would have been better and we might have burned up less energy."

Inzaghi admitted: "This penalty was a lucky one. It was a debatable penalty, but we reacted very well."

However, the controversy over the penalty did not worry Italian coach Dino Zoff, who said: "The team played well, and we hit the woodwork two or three times - and that means we were creating chances.

"We were a bit unlucky at certain moments of the game. But the team moved well, and there were no mistakes to criticise anyone for."

Zoff did admit that the finishing needed to improve, saying: "Let's hope we take them chances later on in the tournament. The important thing is that we managed it, and that's no mean achievement."