Your opinion Vic (shared by some international journalists)
Italy played much better in the first half, with 70% ball possession. France played much better in the second half. So, I think they could be considered even if only France had been able to score a single goal during normal gameplay against Italy. On the other hand, Italy scored one goal, and another one that was very close to be valid. Then why was France better? France might have played the soccer that looked cooler, but they really weren't the best team on the field. And I didn't even mention the attitude of the two teams - Italians were enthusiast and joyful during the game; as much as I liked them (and their wonderful country), French were rather "macabre".