Pirlo put Italy in front at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, with a penalty in the first half after Abidal was sent off for a foul against Luca Toni. It was Daniele De Rossi who made it 2-0 with a deflected free kick in the second half. Italy will now face Group D winner Spain in Vienna, on Sunday. But the team is depleted as midfielders Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso would miss the match, after the pair got their second yellow cards in Euro 2008.

It was Italy’s first win over France without the help of a penalty shootout in 30 years, the previous occasion being a 2-1 win in the 1978 World Cup.

In the other Group C match, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made sure a makeshift Netherlands sent Romania out of the European Championship with a 2-0 win in Berne. Huntelaar, replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy, scored the first goal of the match in the second half. A little later, in the second half, Robin van Persie added the other when he took a deep cross, shook off a defender and rifled past Bogdan Lobont.

The Netherlands, which had already won Group C with a game to spare, finished with a perfect nine points.