Italy victory seals qualification

GLASGOW, Scotland -- World champions Italy clinched qualification for Euro 2008 after goals in the first and last minutes gave them a pulsating 2-1 victory at Hampden Park -- killing off Scotland's hopes of reaching the finals.

Luca Toni shot Italy in front but Scotland recovered to dominate and Barry Ferguson bundled home a 65th-minute leveller.

However, Christian Panucci headed an injury-time winner after a controversial decision to award Italy a free-kick.

The result also means France have sealed qualification, along with Italy, from Group B without playing a game.

In a match played in torrential rain, Italy enjoyed the best possible start by taking the lead after just 70 seconds.

Gianluca Zambrotta spotted Antonio Di Natale unmarked in the box, and picked him out with a throw-in as Scotland were caught napping. Di Natale swept the ball into the path of Toni who delicately flicked into the top left corner from six meters out.

The home side almost conceded a second goal 60 seconds later. This time, Toni turned provider and his cut-back was met by Mauro Camoranesi who fired over from close-range.

Toni then shrugged off two challenges before drawing a decent save from Craig Gordon with a well-struck effort that the goalkeeper did well to block at the near post.

At the other end, Scotland were denied the opportunity to haul themselves back into the match when a thunderous drive from Lee McCulloch appeared to be handled by Zambrotta inside the area but penalty claims were ignored.

Spurred on by a sense of injustice, the hosts cranked up the pressure on their visitors. Ferguson fired over from a James McFadden corner, before Alan Hutton nodded agonisingly wide of the upright following another perfect delivery from the Everton man.

Scotland then produced some wonderful passing football, which culminated in a tight-angled drive from Ferguson, but Gianluigi Buffon dived low to smother.

Then came another scare for the home side. Gordon was forced to pull a save out of the top drawer to deny a point-blank effort from Massimo Ambrosini, before Di Natale rifled the rebound into the back of the net.

The assistant referee raised his flag for offside but television replays suggested the official may have called it wrong.

Only last-gasp defending from the Italians prevented the Scots from grabbing a morale-boosting leveller on the stroke of half-time.

David Weir rose above everyone else in a packed box to meet Ferguson's corner and his header appeared to be heading for the top corner before Andrea Pirlo somehow managed to nod off the line.

A free-kick in a dangerous area provided Italy with the chance to start the second half as emphatically as they had started the first when Paul Hartley hauled down Camoranesi just outside the box.

Pirlo seized on the chance and looped the ball over the wall but, despite a reputation as a dead-ball specialist, his effort was easily dealt with by Gordon.

Instead, it was Scotland who found the back of the net as Hampden erupted with 65 minutes gone. McFadden's free-kick deflected into the path of McCulloch in front of goal.

He was denied by Buffon, but the rebound fell kindly to Ferguson and the captain gratefully rifled home from close-range.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Scott Brown was withdrawn for Kenny Miller as Scotland went for broke. The Derby striker quickly began to cause the Italians problems and delivered a wonderful diagonal cross to the feet of McFadden but he fired wide when it looked easier score.

Scotland's impossible dream ended in the cruellest possible way when Italy snatched a last minute goal to secure their own qualification for Euro 2008.

Hutton appeared to be barged over in front of the corner flag but the referee inexplicably awarded the free-kick the other way and Panucci rose to meet Pirlo's cross and nod home the winner.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni said: "We knew it was going to be a physical match given the atmosphere.

"But through their character and desire, the lads were fantastic. They worked so hard, they deserve this. Qualifying for Euro 2008 is amazing. It's something positive after all that happened last week (the death of the Lazio fan)."

Captain Fabio Cannavaro: "This was a victory won with the heart. It was difficult to play in this stadium, with that atmosphere it was like a cauldron.

"We played really well and managed to win. We showed once again that we are a strong and compact team and when we need to win we do everything to show that we are the world champions.

"In Italy we play a high level of football, we've won the Champions League and the World Cup but unfortunately at this moment we are being noticed for something else." E-mail to a friend