Destiny awaits Azzurri in the final
With the fairytale growing sweeter by the day, does anyone dare bet against France and maestro Zidane? Can anyone stop Les Bleus from clinching their second, and probably more remarkable, World Cup title? If any side can, surely it’s Marcello Lippi’s men, who also have momentum, tradition and history on their side – only Brazil have more titles (five) than Italy’s three. Intriguing personal battles may decide the clash on the day: Cannavaro v Henry, Zidane v Totti, Vieira v Gattuso, Toni v Thuram, etc. The French have been superb, but I suspect the Azzurri’s superior finals record will give them the edge ... but only just.

Italy haven’t shown their hand yet
It has been a French fairy tale thus far. Wins against Spain, Brazil and Portugal have brought Les Bleus to the brink of repeating their glorious 1998 triumph. With five players over the age of 30 in the first team, the final may be one step too far for the French. Against Portugal, Zidane and company hung on by the slimmest of margins. Like France, Italy have grown as geniune contenders. They looked phenomenal, hungry and all the off-thefield happenings have galvanised the Azzurri camp. While the French have hit top gear, Italy seem to have another to spare.