Italy 3 Ukraine 0: Toni at double to set up semi-final clash with hosts

Italy's mercurial Francesco Totti, sent off in 2002 and sent home for spitting two years ago, owed the Azzurri something. So did hitherto goal-less striker Luca Toni, who claimed a brace. Defender Gianluca Zambrotta was in no one's debt, least of all Marcello Lippi's, but exhibited just why he is so favoured by the Italy coach, with crucial contributions at both ends.

This was a night for so many in blue, but crucially it demonstrated that Italy, from modest beginnings - notably, that failure to defeat a 9-man US - and so maligned after their elimination of Australia, are approaching their zenith. They are performing as a team, one blessed with cohesion and resourcefulness at the back and menace in attack.

Ukraine had already achieved the best result of a former Soviet state since the fall of the USSR in 1991. This always appeared an examination too far, particularly for a team whose fortunes are founded on one man, Andrei Shevchenko.

Their coach Oleg Blokhin had suggested beforehand, with the remark "this is football, it's not the Bolshoi Ballet", that his team would lack nothing in competitive zest, and, though physically they competed, for skill, power and pace, they were second best.

It was an emotional night for Shevchenko, the man in transit from Milan to Chelsea, where he will be looking to pick up £110,000 a week. He was faced by two of his former club team-mates, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo.

The more important question, though, was how Italy would react to the turmoil in which their football is currently embroiled. This game was being staged to a backdrop of the match-fixing trial and Juventus sporting director Gianluca Pessotto's apparent suicide attempt. Four of his players were in last night's starting line-up - goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, captain Fabio Cannavaro, Mauro Camoranesi, and Gianluca Zambrotta - and Alessandro Del Pierro was on the bench.

The response was evident from the three-time World Cup winners and 1994 runners-up, after just six minutes. Camoranesi had already dissected the Ukraine midfield contemptuously and despatched a venomous drive which goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy was relieved to watch drift wide, when Zambrotta attempted something similar.

The dependable right back, one of Lippi's first names on the team sheet, exchanged passes with Francesco Totti before driving the ball low, just inside the goalkeeper's left-hand post, from 25 yards. Although Shovkovskiy got a hand to it, he was powerless to prevent the opening goal. It was only Zambrotta's second goal in 55 internationals, but one to cherish

At least there would be no repeat of Ukraine's dismal goalless draw with Switzerland. Lippi's men were clearly determined to kill off their opponents swiftly. Ukraine's response was poor. Artem Milevskiy, the Dynamo Kiev forward who before this game, had played only 18 minutes as a substitute in three matches, but scored in the penalty shoot-out against Switzerland, had replaced Andrei Voronin, who is out of the tournament, injured. Though he strived to provide an effective link with Shevchenko, the impressive Italian rearguard were resolute.

In truth, Ukraine were ponderous in their build-up. It was past the half hour before Anatoliy Tymoschuk unleashed their first effort, but it was well wide. By half-time, Blokhin had made two substitutions in an attempt to provide Italy with more to think about, Andrei Vorobey and Vladislav Vashchuk replacing Vyacheslav Sviderskiy and Andrei Rusol, respectively, although to little avail.

Andrei Gusin forced a splendid save from Buffon with a header, and Vorobey's cross created danger, although again there was no finishing presence. But Ukraine were clearly in the ascendancy. It was Buffon who maintained his side's lead with a superb block when the impressive Gusin cut in from an angle, and then Zambrotta cleared the follow-up by Milevskiy off the line. It was the defining moment.

Two minutes later, Italy broke, and a sublime cross from Totti offered the opportunity for Toni to head home his first World Cup goal. His hunger far from sated, he forced home a second when Zambrotta laid on a simple chance with a run and low cross. In between Toni's double, Blokhin's men demonstrated they were not quite done, Gusin heading against the bar.

Lippi's men meet the hosts in Dortmund on Tuesday, and if Germany were able to break off from their own celebrations to witness this, they were duly warned.