Italy once again proved to be Germany's nemesis after Mario Balotelli struck two first-half

goals to set up a UEFA EURO 2012 final against Spain on Sunday.

  Germany reacted as expected for a team who had won a world-record 15 straight competitive

games. Özil made Buffon work, and Federico Balzaretti just cleared Jérôme Boateng's dangerous

centre. Prandelli has urged his team to resist sitting on a lead on all tournament, and the

second duly came – although it was a classic Azzurri counterattack.

  Buffon had just made a flying save from Sami Khedira, and batted away the resulting corner

which Montolivo picked up. The new AC Milan recruit looked for Balotelli straight away, his ball

over the top evading Philipp Lahm, and the striker sped away to rifle a shot into the top corner

for a finish every bit as emphatic as his first.

  Löw had proved in his starting XI he was not scared to tinker with his personnel, and made

changes at half-time, Marco Reus and Miroslav Klose coming on. Reus's first involvement was a

effort on goal and then Lahm could only lift his shot over when well placed. Özil got to the

byline, but Khedira got in a tangle.

  Buffon's fingertips just did enough to send a Reus free-kick on to the bar and away to safety,

yet Balotelli was still a menace at the other end and Claudio Marchisio nearly made it three on

two occasions. As German belief ebbed away, Antonio Di Natale had a clean run on goal only to

fire wide.

  Balzaretti handled in his own area with time running out and Özil finally beat Buffon, but it

merely offered forlorn hope. Löw's side may have been the tournament's great entertainers, but

it is Italy who are in Sunday's final after once again being Germany's bogey team.

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