France v Italy: Head to head

Di Biagio is consoled after missing from the spot in 98

There is more than a fair bit of history in the background when France meet Italy in Sunday's Euro 2000 final.

In total France have met Italy on 29 official international occasions and it is the Italians who have a significant advantage with 16 victories compared to five by the French and eight draws.

However Italy haven't beaten France since the two nations met in Argentina in the 1978 World Cup (2-1) and in the last five meetings France have recorded three victories.

Add to that the quarter-final penalty shoot-out victory at the last World Cup and France most definitely have the psychological edge.

That game ended in a goalless draw before France held their nerve better than Cesare Maldini's side to record a 4-3 penalty victory.

Platini helped France to victory in 1986

While the French line-up is almost unchanged since that game two years ago, the Italian XI has changed quite significantly.

Perhaps more importantly though from an Italian perspective, the man who missed the crucial spot-kick when the two sides last met, Luigi di Biagio, exorcised that memory by scoring from the spot against Holland in the semi-final.

Demitrio Albertini and Bixente Lizarazu were the other two players to miss from the spot on that occasion.

A friendly meeting in June 1997 ended in a 2-2 draw, while the French were successful in another friendly in February 1994 with Youri Djorkaeff scoring the only goal of the game.

And France, inspired by Michel Platini, were also the victors in 1986 at the World Cup in Mexico with a 2-0 win.

The teams from the last meeting at France 98 were:

France: Barthez, Lizarazu, Blanc, Desailly, Thuram, Djorkaeff, Deschamps, Zidane, Petit, Karembeu (Henry), Guivarc'h, (Trezeguet).

Italy: Pagliuca, Bergomi, Maldini, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Pessotto (Di Livio), D. Baggio (Albertini), Di Biagio, Moriero, Del Piero (R. Baggio), Vieri.