DORTMUND, Germany -- Fabio Grosso and Alessandro del Piero scored the goals that broke the hearts of the host nation and sent Italy into the World Cup final.

News photo Italy forward Alessandro Del Piero (right) celebrates with teammate Vincenzo Iaquinta after scoring in the 121st minute of their World Cup semifinal match against Germany in Dortmund. KYODO PHOTO

Grosso found space in the German area with just a minute left in extra-time and curled the ball around Jens Lehmann, and seconds later Del Piero collected the ball on the left side of the area and curled an exquisite shot into the roof of the net with what was the last kick of the match.

The Germans fell to their knees, distraught at such a cruel end to the semifinal, but it was a deserved victory for the Italians. The game may have been goal-less for 118 minutes, but in added time Italy twice hit the woodwork, through Alberto Gilardino and Gianluca Zambrotta.

"I'm very happy with the performance of my team. We played very well and in my opinion deserved the victory because we controlled the match," said Italy coach Marcello Lippi. "I am happy with the effort of my players. Because after all, we also played against 50,000 German fans, who were fantastic, and we scored two excellent goals and avoided penalties which you know is a lottery."

A lottery perhaps but one which the Italians were keen to avoid. Germany has a knack with shootouts in the World Cup, while the Azzuri has lost its last last three. Lippi's desperation not to see a shootout meant Italy finished the match with four strikers on the pitch.

It was a gamble that paid off.

Penalties may have haunted Italy, but it was the specter of the '82 World Cup final, in which Italy triumphed 3-1, that loomed large over the fixture for the Germans, as well as the Azzuri's epic 4-3 semifinal win in the 1970 semifinal.

This was not only Italy vs. Germany but the Bundesliga vs. Serie A as well, with only Jens Lehmann of Arsenal not playing for a club in his native country.

If the showdown needed more of an edge then the tit-for-tat battles in the respective countries' media made sure of it.

Germany weekly Der Speigel had called the Italians "slimy, parasitic mummy's boys," while the domestic media blamed its counterparts for digging up television footage that made sure Torsten Frings was suspended for the semifinal.

As a backdrop to the fixture was the ongoing match-fixing scandal in Italy that threatens the immediate futures of Juventus and AC Milan, which provided six of Italy's starting XI.

Germans dominated the Westfalenstadion on a warm Tuesday night in the gray mining town of Dortmund, with only a small corner of the ground taken over by the visitors. The phenomenal noise generated by the fans was still unexpected, their heartfelt rendition of the German national anthem bringing the stadium to fever pitch.

The Italians knew better than to be intimidated by the crowd and weren't scared to upset the braying locals with some testy challenges. The first real chance, though, fell for Germany when Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose linked up well and released Bernd Schneider on the right, but with only 'keeper Gianluigi Buffon standing in his way he failed to keep his fizzing shot under the crossbar.

Play was going back and forth, much to the credit of referee Benito Archundia, who was letting the game flow, and to the players who in general were avoiding the theatrics when tackled. Archundia's interpretation was perhaps a little too liberal for Klinsmann. The coach was kicking water bottles in disgust when play was finally halted after Tim Borowski was yellow carded for a challenge on Totti.

The cacophony of whistles that rained down on the referee suggested Klinsmann wasn't in a minority.

Early in the second period, Michael Ballack started to dominate the midfield, with Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo unable to keep up with his driving runs forward.

Lippi had to act but, at first, did so in an overly cautious way. Hulking striker Luca Toni was replaced by Alberto Gilardino -- like for like -- and Italy looked even less likely to score.

But then came extra-time and the Italians emerged a more menacing proposition. Gilardino wriggled free of Ballack in the first minute of added time and saw his scuffed shot hit Lehmann's inside post and roll torturously across the goalmouth before Zambrotta saw his shot from the edge of the area cannon off the bar.

The Germans' efforts in trying to kill the game in normal time were now coming back to haunt them. It was Ballack's turn to be the spectator in midfield and Lippi's turn for an adventurous substitution, forward Del Piero entering the fray. Another forward, Vincenzo Iaquinta had come on even earlier.

The Germans kept a little back for the breakaway attack. Once such move forward presented Podolski with a free header after a cross from David Odonkor, but his header lacked the angle it so desperately needed. Klinsmann, such an accomplished header of the ball in his day, was off the bench once more in dismay. Buffon then beat away a shot from Podolski destined for the roof of the net.

Then came the breakthrough. Pirlo's fierce drive was beaten away by Lehmann for a corner before the AC Milan schemer found himself again in possession on the edge of the area. He slipped a pass inside to Grosso who curled a pinpoint shot beyond Lehmann with 119 minutes on the clock.

Seconds later it was 2-0 as Gilardino broke, his reverse pass finding Del Piero who guided a beautiful shot high beyond Lehmann just before the final whistle blew.