Heavyweights set for Helsingborg duel

Two of world football's traditional powerhouses, Italy and Germany have never before crossed paths in a competitive international at this level but the stakes could hardly be higher when they meet in Helsingborg in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals.

• Italy opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Serbia before 2-1 wins against Sweden and Belarus sent Pierluigi Casiraghi's side into the last four as Group A winners. Draws against Spain (0-0) and England (1-1), either side of a 2-0 victory over Finland, ensured Horst Hrubesch's Germany would be their semi-final opponents as Group B runners-up.

• Italy are based in Helsingborg and have made the Oresund port a home from home having played all three of their games so far at the Olympia, where their semi will take place.

• Although they have never before played competitively, these teams met in a friendly international in Osnabruck on 18 November 2008, Germany running out 1-0 winners thanks to a 48th-minute goal from Toni Kroos.

• The teams that night were:
Germany: Ralf Fährmann, Andreas Beck, Daniel Schwaab, Benedikt Höwedes, Dennis Aogo, Gonzalo Castro, Jerome Boateng (Daniel Adlung 78), Markus Steinhöfer (Fabian Johnson 46), Mesut Özil (Chinedu Ede 67), Toni Kroos, Ashkan Dejagah (Sandro Wagner 19).
Italy: Salvatore Sirigu, Marco Motta (Lorenzo De Silvestri 46), Fabiano Santacroce, Marco Andreolli (Salvatore Bocchetti 59), Domenico Criscito (Antonio Candrevà 46), Daniele Dessena (Davide Di Gennaro 80), Francesco Bolzoni (Davide Bottone 64), Paolo De Ceglie, Davide Lanzafame (Alessio Cerci 46), Mario Balotelli (Alberto Paloschi 80), Sebastian Giovinco.

• The sides also crossed paths in a goalless friendly draw in Reutlingen on 21 February 2007.

• On that occasion the teams were:
Germany: Florian Fromlowitz (Thorsten Kirschbaum 46), Andreas Beck, Robert Müller, Torben Joneleit (Mergim Mavraj 67), Mounir Chaftar (Sebastian Boenisch 46), Kai Bülow (Robert Flessers 46), Stephan Fürstner, Jan Rosenthal (Daniel Brinkmann 46), Sören Halfar, Bernd Nehrig, Marcel Heller (Rouwen Hennings 46).
Italy: Daniele Padelli (Andrea Consigli 46), Nicola Belmonte, Michele Canini, Marco Rossi (Salvatore Bocchetti 46), Michele Cremonesi (Cesare Rickler 58), Antonio Candreva (Salvatore Burrai 46), Piermario Morosini, Simone Bentivoglio, Paolo De Ceglie (Andrea Russotto 46), Robert Acquafresca (Riccardo Maniero 58), Gabriele Paonessa (Sebastian Giovinco 58).

• At senior level Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the 1982 FIFA World Cup final – with Hrubesch in the losing side – and also had the better of the sides' meeting in the 2006 semi-finals, running out 2-0 winners after extra time in Dortmund on 4 July. The most epic meeting between Italy and West Germany, though, came in the semi-finals of the 1970 World Cup. The Azzurri won 4-3 after extra time, the opening 90 minutes having finished 1-1. The match is known in Italy as the 'Partita del Secolo' – the game of the century – and has inspired numerous books and films.

• Perhaps the finest moment of Hrubesch's playing career came on Italian soil as – in what was only his fifth international appearance – he headed both goals in West Germany's 2-1 victory against Belgium in the UEFA European Championship final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 22 June 1980.

• In contrast, Casiraghi failed to score in four international appearances against Germany, with the last of those games – a goalless draw at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 19 June 1996 – ending the Azzurri's interest in EURO '96™.

• Overall, the teams have crossed paths on 29 occasions, Italy winning 14 – including the last three – and Germany seven with eight draws.

Player links
• Andrea Poli and Alberto Paloschi were in the Italy side beaten by Hrubesch's Germany in last season's European U19 Championship final in Jablonec, going down 3-1 on 26 July 2008.

• Marco Andreolli, Lino Marzoratti, Piermario Morosini and Domenico Criscito featured as Italy drew 1-1 with Germany in a European U17 Championship Elite round Group 7 game in March 2003, with Andrea Consigli an unused substitute and Ashkan Dejagah in the Germany ranks.

• A number of the Germany squad encountered Italian opposition with their clubs in 2008/09, Sebastian Boenisch and Mesut Özil starting Werder Bremen's 2-1 victory against FC Internazionale Milano on 9 December with Mario Balotelli coming on as a second-half substitute for the visitors. Balotelli and Özil had been in the respective starting lineups as Bremen and Inter drew 1-1 on 1 October, the latter setting up Claudio Pizarro's 62nd-minute equaliser.

• Mats Hummels started BV Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 home defeat against an Udinese Calcio team who included Motta as a late substitute in the UEFA Cup first round first leg on 18 September. Marcel Schmelzer started the return leg on 2 October, where Dortmund won 2-0 but ultimately lost on penalties.

• Dejagah played as VfL Wolfsburg earned a 2-2 draw at AC Milan in the UEFA Cup group stage on 17 December.

• A number of the Germany squad have already experienced semi-finals this season, Gonzalo Castro coming on as 115th-minute substitute in Bayer 04 Leverkusen's 4-1 extra-time win against 1. FSV Mainz at that stage in the German Cup in April. Özil helped Werder Bremen defeat a Hamburger SV team featuring Jerome Boateng and Dennis Aogo in the other semi and then scored the only goal in the final on 30 May. Boenish also played both matches for Bremen.

• All four players played a part in the UEFA Cup semi-finals too, Bremen eliminating Hamburg on away goals after their two-legged tie finished 3-3 on aggregate. Boenisch and Özil could not inspire Bremen to victory in Istanbul, however, as they lost the final 2-1 to FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

• Claudio Marchisio was a second-half substitute as Juventus lost 2-1 at S.S. Lazio in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on 3 March. Marchisio, Paolo De Ceglie and Sebastian Giovinco all played from the start in the return leg in Turin on 22 April, Juve again going down 2-1.

• Daniele Dessena was an unused substitute when UC Sampdoria ran out 3-0 winners against an FC Internazionale Milano featuring Balotelli in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on 4 March. Balotelli played 90 minutes in the return on 23 April, Inter winning 1-0 as Dessena again remained on the bench.

Semi-final records
• Surprisingly this is only Germany's second U21 semi-final, although they won their previous last-four tie:
21.04.1982, West Germany 5-0 USSR, Aachen
30.04.1982, USSR 3-4 West Germany, Kharkov

• Italy, on the other hand, are old hands at this level having won five of their previous eight semi-finals, and also reached the 2000 final direct from the group stage. The full breakdown of results is:
05.06.2004, Italy 3-1 Portugal, Bochum
25.05.2002, Czech Republic 3-2 Italy, Zurich
28.05.1996, Italy 1-0 France, Barcelona
15.04.1994, France 0-0 Italy (3-5 penalties), Montpellier
09.04.1992, Denmark 0-1 Italy, Aalborg
22.04.1992, Italy 2-0 Denmark, Perugia
11.04.1990, Yugoslavia 0-0 Italy, Zagreb
09.05.1990, Italy 2-2 Yugoslavia, Parma
09.04.1986, Italy 2-0 England, Pisa
23.04.1986, England 1-1 Italy, Swindon
18.04.1984, England 3-1 Italy, Manchester
02.05.1984, Italy 1-0 England, Florence

• Germany got the better of Italy in the European U17 Championship semi-finals in May, late goals from Reinhold Yabo and Bienvenue Basala-Mazana giving the hosts a 2-0 victory in Dessau en route to lifting the trophy.

Squad news
Italy
• Mario Balotelli is available again after serving a one-match ban for his dismissal against Sweden. Pierluigi Casiraghi will, however, be without central midfielder Claudio Marchisio who is suspended after picking up his second booking of the tournament against Belarus.

• Salvatore Bocchetti was also booked against Belarus and he, Marco Motta, Andrea Consigli, Francesco Pisano and Balotelli would miss the final should Italy get there if they are cautioned again against Germany. Balotelli's booking in the first match against Serbia still stands.

• Paolo De Ceglie will play no further part in the finals as he has returned to Italy after twisting his left ankle against Belarus. He was replaced by Daniele Dessena on 14 minutes.

• Casiraghi had been forced into one change from the team that had beaten Sweden 2-1, with Ignazio Abate replacing the suspended Balotelli on the right side of a three-man front line.

• Two Azzurrini players made their tournament debuts against Belarus, Piermario Morosini and Antonio Candreva. Candreva replaced Abate on 62 minutes and played a key role in Italy's winner, pulling the ball across goal for Acquafresca to tap in. Morosini came on for Luca Cigarini with five minutes left.

• Italy dominated possession against Belarus with 63 per cent of the ball and had 24 shots to Belarus's seven, but were made to wait until the 75th minute before Acquafresca settled their nerves. With Sweden leading Serbia in the other match in Group A, had Belarus defeated Italy the Azzurrini would have been eliminated.

• On Wednesday Marco Motta sealed a permanent switch to AS Roma from Udinese Calcio for €3.5m. The Italy captain spent the second half of last season on loan with the Giallorossi.

• Ignazio Abate has sealed a return to AC Milan, the Rossoneri paying €2.2m to re-sign a player they sold to Torino FC on a co-ownership deal 12 months ago.

Germany
• Hrubesch made two changes to Germany side that had beaten Finland, Patrick Ebert replacing Dennis Aogo in central midfield, while Änis Ben-Hatira came in for Marko Marin's on the left. Gonzalo Castro overcame a slight strain to his right thigh to open the scoring after five minutes.

• Marcel Schmelzer again deputised for the injured Sebastian Boenisch at full-back. Boenisch pulled ligaments in his right ankle in Germany's opening game against Spain.

• Seven Germany players would miss any final if they pick up yellow cards against Italy: Ashkan Dejagah, Andreas Beck, Sami Khedira, Marko Marin, Mesut Özil, Patrick Ebert and Schmelzer. "It is no time for a cautious approach," Hrubesch warned. "If someone has the misfortune of being suspended then someone else will take over."

• Having won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship last July and claimed the U17 continental crown last month, Germany are on course for an unprecedented clean sweep of UEFA age-group competitions.

• On Wednesday Marin agreed a four-year deal with Werder Bremen, sealing his switch from VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach for an undisclosed fee. Bremen's Boenisch and Özil are also in the U21 party.

• The draw against England attracted a television audience of 6.1 million, just a million fewer than for the senior side's last outing, a 7-2 friendly victory against the United Arab Emirates on 2 June.