Stuttgart, Aug 21: Italy beat Germany 1-0 in a friendly international in Stuttgart on Wednesday (August 20) thanks to a brilliant goal by Christian Vieri and some sharp goalkeeping from Gianluigi Buffon. Italy tore the German defence apart in the 17th minute with a great passing move involving Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Vieri, who ran on to the final pass to shoot past Kahn. The three strikers combined to beat the defence again six minutes later, but the assistant referee ruled Del Piero offside. Germany came back strongly in the second half and Miroslav Klose was played onside by Christian Panucci, who then made amends by clearing Klose's trickling shot off theline. Klose saw Buffon make a reflex save and Jens Jeremies long range effort cannoned off the post before Buffon again denied Klose, sharly diving to his left to beat away a point blank header, leaving German coach Rudi Voeller frustrated and the Italian fans cheering their goalkeeper.


Germany: 1-Oliver Kahn; 2-Andreas Hinkel, 6-Frank Baumann, 4-Christian Woerns, 7-Paul Freier, 5-Carsten Ramelow, 16-Jens Jeremies, 3-Tobias Rau, 10-Bernd Schneider, 8-Oliver Neuville, 9-Fredi Bobic


Italy: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 2-Christian Panucci, 6-NicolaLegrottaglie, 3-Gianluca Zambrotta, 4-Alessio Tacchinardi, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 8-Simone Perrotta, 11-Mauro Camoranesi, 7-Alessandro Del Piero, 10-Francesco Totti, 9-Christian Vieri.


Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)


Bureau Report