Unexpected then, but what a match in prospect — the old Gallic musketeers called up for one last hurrah against a vibrant Italian team enjoying (and providing) a breath of fresh air away from the Augean stables of domestic corruption.

For those inclined to personalise these things, the two most accomplished attackers at this tournament, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, will be endeavouring to get the better of the two most assiduous destroyers, Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso.

Italy must be favourites to win the World Cup for the fourth time. France are easily the oldest team of the 32 that started here and there is a danger that senior citizens such as Zidane and Lilian Thuram (both 34) and Claude Makelele (33) won’t last the distance. Beating Spain and Brazil took a lot out of them and they were nowhere near as impressive in the semi-final against Portugal.

Italy, on the other hand, are growing stronger. Their second-round win against Australia may have been streaky but they crushed Ukraine 3-0 in the quarter-finals and deservedly beat the hosts 2-0 in the match of the tournament so far.

Younger and fitter than the French, they are also stronger all round. There are no weaknesses in Marcello Lippi’s team, who don’t concede goals (one own goal in six games), have no problems scoring (11 in six), and have world-class players in every position.

They have no weak links, unlike the French. Would you stake next month’s mortgage on Fabien Barthez, who nearly gifted Luis Figo the equaliser in midweek, or Eric Abidal, the left-back who was given the run-around by Portugal’s wingers? There are no guarantees, either, about the inexperienced Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda on the flanks. The heart says France, if only because it is the wonderful Zidane’s farewell, but the head insists on the Azzurri.

So much for personal opinion, what do the gladiators have to say? It is more worthwhile than “first half good, second half not so good”, followed by a litany of mea culpas.

First up is Raymond Domenech, 54, who took over from Jacques Santini after Euro 2004. As defending champions, Les Bleus were knocked out of the 2002 World Cup in the first round without scoring a goal and 11 months ago they were in danger of failing to qualify for Germany. Domenech was in trouble and knew what he had to do. His younger generation were not up to the task so he persuaded Zidane and Makelele, who retired after Euro 2004, to return.

Then he got them to talk Thuram into coming back. The old guard was reunited in time for the qualifying match in Dublin, when Henry’s goal sealed qualification.

France were poor in drawing their first two games here against Switzerland and South Korea. Toward the end of the Korea match Domenech substituted Zidane, who has refused to speak to him since, but the coach denied talk of a significant rift. Improvement was forthcoming in a routine 2-0 win over Togo, and Zidane and company rolled back the years with a galvanising second-round 3-1 win over Spain. Brazil were next, the peerless “Zizou” orchestrating France’s finest display since Euro 2000. Beating Portugal was a case of after the lord mayor’s show.

Italy have a near-perfect blend of experience, staying power and guile and had the look of champions when they overpowered Germany.

Lippi, like Domenech, favours a 4-5-1 formation, but any similarity with the benighted system England employed is strictly arithmetical. From the full-backs, who operate more like wing-backs, to the five-man midfield that features Francesco Totti, who is a striker by inclination, Italy are set up to attack. The dead hand of catenaccio is no more than a disagreeable memory. Chiding gently at a press briefing, Lippi said: “Some foreign critics have too negative a view of Italian football. None of our top clubs play the old man-marking way, our game has evolved.”

Cannavaro, who rivals Zidane as player of the tournament and who wins his 100th cap tonight, took up the theme. “This team is the best example of how things changed in Italian football,” he said. “We play an attacking game which calls for the whole team to be involved all the time. We are a bit like Lippi’s Juventus, aggressive and assertive. Our strongest point is Lippi himself. He has put together his own team, bringing in new players and building a unit that plays for one another. He insists we do our best to talk as little as possible about our clubs when we’re on international duty.”

That last sentence brought a knowing smile or two, with four of Italy’s top teams charged with “sporting fraud” over claims of match-fixing and threatened with demotion.

Lippi said he had not spoken to his players about the scandal but added: “It has provoked a reaction. It has made us stronger. Before we came here I warned the squad that we might face a bad atmosphere but that hasn’t happened and we have shown the world that Italian football is alive and beautiful.”

Forza Italia. Their time is at hand.

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