Italy have taken a 1-0 lead into half-time against Czech Republic in their World Cup Group E match on Thursday in Hamburg after a goal from substitute Marco Materazzi.

The Czech’s started the game the stronger team having a few half-chances on goal and knowing that they must win the game to be guaranteed a place in the last sixteen.

But their attacks hardly tested the Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon, with Milan Baros and Pavel Nedved both having shots off-target, with Karel Poborsky and Tomas Rosicky tamely shooting.

Alessandro Nesta was forced-off with a groin strain and was replaced by Marco Materazzi, who turned the game round within ten minutes of coming on, latching on to a corner from Francesco Totti and heading past the Czech keeper Petr Cech.

The substitute saved the day for the Azzurri later on in the half, blocking a goal-bound shot from Poborsky after the Czechs continued their pressure.

It all went horribly wrong for the Czech’s in injury-time when Jan Polak was sent-off for his second yellow-card of the match after a tackle on Totti.

The game went into half-time 1-0, with the Azzurri looking very happy to sit on their one goal advantage.

The Czech Republic's sending-off in injury-time has severely dented their chances, but they may as well throw everything at Italy, because they know that if they manage a win then they are guaranteed a place, with a draw maybe being enough if Ghana’s Black Stars fail win against The USA.

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