The drama ignited in the 7th minute when France were awarded a controversial penalty. Zidane, with ice in his veins, stepped up to face Gianluigi Buffon. His chip clipped the underside of the crossbar and bounced down over the line, a delicate start to a brutal evening. Yet, Italy, resilient and defiant, refused to buckle. In the 19th minute, Marco Materazzi, the man who had conceded the penalty, rose highest to meet an Andrea Pirlo corner, thumping a header home to restore parity and set the stage for a grinding war of attrition.
