First-half goals from Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi booked Dino Zoff's side a place in Thursday's Amsterdam semi-final after Romania had looked good enough in the opening half hour to test their more illustrious opponents.

Italy coach Dino Zoff kept faith with the side that beat hosts Belgium ten days ago with Inzaghi and Totti in attack and Alessandro Del Piero returning to the bench. Mark Iuliano came in for Gianluca Pessotto.

Romania welcomed back Hagi from suspension but Adrian Ilie, Cosmin Contra and Dan Petrescu were serving their one-match bans. Gica Popescu failed to shake off the knock he picked up against England.

Inzaghi enjoyed the first genuine chance after a cagey opening but the Juventus man dragged his shot from ten yards wide after a lay-off from Totti.

Totti tested Bogdan Stelea with a fiercely driven cross and Constantin Galca saw his long-range effort over the crossbar in a muted opening half hour.

The lively Adrian Mutu let rip from 30 yards and his effort went narrowly over Francesco Toldo's bar as the Romanians refused to be overawed by their more illustrious opponents.

Inspired by Mutu's pace, the Romanians took the game to the Italians whose defence held firm.

Inzaghi made his best run of the game on 27 minutes and his cut-back fell well for Stefano Fiore but the Udinese man ballooned his half-volley over the bar.

But Totti broke the deadlock on 31 minutes when he beat the offside trap from Iuliano's looped pass and the Roma striker fired past the helpless Stelea from ten yards.

Romania hit back instantly though and Hagi was desperately unlucky not to get his side on level pegging when he looped the ball over the advancing Toldo and his effort rebounded agonizingly off the post before it was cleared to safety.

Then with the clock ticking down to half-time, Inzaghi broke clear of the Romanian defence and he tucked the ball casually inside Stelea's near post to make it 2-0.

Romania struggled to make the breakthrough after the interval although substitute Ioan Ganea forced a terrific last-gasp block from Albertini as he bore down on goal.

Then came Hagi's moment of shame. Having already been booked, the Romanian's international career almost certainly came to an end when he received a second yellow for falling to the floor in search of a penalty as he ran past Gianluca Zambrotta.

Replays confirmed there had been minimal contact and that Hagi had made the most of the situation.

Italy then went at a canter. Ganea again went close for the Romanians before Inzaghi struck the post in response for the Italians but the match as a contest was over and Italy await either France or Spain next week in fine fettle
s nenhum com gravidade.

Courtesy  Sportsline.com