Andrea Pirlo swept in their first, a neat penalty after Eric Abidal hauled down Luca Toni and was dismissed. Daniele de Rossi, who showed all the midfield drive France lacked, set the scene for the world champions' second when he drilled in a free-kick that clipped Thierry Henry on its way in.
So all those Italian fears of a biscotto (fix) between Holland and Romania proved unfounded. It was Domenech's tactics that really took the biscuit yesterday.
An opening half of pure horror had engulfed the French. They lost a key player, Franck Ribery, to injury. They lost Abidal to a red card as he conceded a penalty. They fell behind to Pirlo's ensuing spot-kick and could have been three goals adrift by the break as Domenech's tactics, and response to adversity, shredded sound managerial practice.
When Henry's left foot deflected in De Rossi's free-kick midway through the second period, the French nightmare intensified. Domenech's substitutions continued to confound onlookers as France bade a meek adieu to Euro 2008. Donadoni and Italy march on, deservedly so, because they were far more positive than Domenech and his passionless side.
The mood of Donadoni's men had been more determined from the start. Even during the anthems, the Italians' defiant demeanour contrasted with the nervy nature of the French. And even before Abidal's moment of misery, the Barcelona defender had been caught out, failing to deal with a routine through ball, losing possession to Luca Toni, who dragged his shot just wide.
France did not heed the warning. Italy clearly targeted Abidal, a good full-back asked by Domenech to move across because Lilian Thuram was not deemed ready for such a strenuous confrontation. Domenech could have whistled up more experienced centre-halves from the stands, where Marcel Desailly and Franck Leboeuf, both looking lean and ready for action, cast their concerned eye over proceedings.
If the redeployment of Abidal appeared ill-conceived and costly, Domenech's decision to field two midfield sentries, Claude Makelele and Jeremy Toulalan, appeared over-cautious. France's coach gambled in the wrong positions.
France offered the polo formation - nothing in the middle. Domenech, in fairness, was unfortunate to be deprived of his one shining light as the darkness gathered. Challenged fairly by Gianluca Zambrotta, Ribery fell awkwardly and stayed down, clearly in pain, clutching his left leg, his evening over.
The body-buggy soon arrived to cart poor Ribery away. As France's No?22 departed to widespread sympathetic applause, Domenech sent on Samir Nasri, whose appearance was so brief it bordered on a humiliation.
When Toni, suddenly flying through the air like Rudolf Nureyev, elegantly plucked a long ball out of the air, France's untried defence dissolved. Abidal panicked, pushing Toni from behind, sending the tall Bayern Munich striker crashing to the ground.
With so much at stake in this tense repeat of the 2006 World Cup final, it had been little surprise to find Uefa entrusting proceedings to arguably their best referee and Lubos Michel had no hesitation in correctly pointing to the spot.
The Slovakian pulled out his red card and gestured to Abidal to make the long, lonely walk to the tunnel. Scarcely had the defender reached the touchline than Pirlo was stepping up to drive the penalty past Gregory Coupet.
As Italy celebrated, as Gianluigi Buffon almost ripped his net from its stanchion in joy, Domenech made another inexplicable decision. He had to win, yet he withdrew Nasri, who had hardly got warm, and sent on a centre-half in Jean-Alain Boumsong. One could hear the laughter from Newcastle.
So all those Italian fears of a biscotto (fix) between Holland and Romania proved unfounded. It was Domenech's tactics that really took the biscuit yesterday.
An opening half of pure horror had engulfed the French. They lost a key player, Franck Ribery, to injury. They lost Abidal to a red card as he conceded a penalty. They fell behind to Pirlo's ensuing spot-kick and could have been three goals adrift by the break as Domenech's tactics, and response to adversity, shredded sound managerial practice.
When Henry's left foot deflected in De Rossi's free-kick midway through the second period, the French nightmare intensified. Domenech's substitutions continued to confound onlookers as France bade a meek adieu to Euro 2008. Donadoni and Italy march on, deservedly so, because they were far more positive than Domenech and his passionless side.
The mood of Donadoni's men had been more determined from the start. Even during the anthems, the Italians' defiant demeanour contrasted with the nervy nature of the French. And even before Abidal's moment of misery, the Barcelona defender had been caught out, failing to deal with a routine through ball, losing possession to Luca Toni, who dragged his shot just wide.
France did not heed the warning. Italy clearly targeted Abidal, a good full-back asked by Domenech to move across because Lilian Thuram was not deemed ready for such a strenuous confrontation. Domenech could have whistled up more experienced centre-halves from the stands, where Marcel Desailly and Franck Leboeuf, both looking lean and ready for action, cast their concerned eye over proceedings.
If the redeployment of Abidal appeared ill-conceived and costly, Domenech's decision to field two midfield sentries, Claude Makelele and Jeremy Toulalan, appeared over-cautious. France's coach gambled in the wrong positions.
France offered the polo formation - nothing in the middle. Domenech, in fairness, was unfortunate to be deprived of his one shining light as the darkness gathered. Challenged fairly by Gianluca Zambrotta, Ribery fell awkwardly and stayed down, clearly in pain, clutching his left leg, his evening over.
The body-buggy soon arrived to cart poor Ribery away. As France's No?22 departed to widespread sympathetic applause, Domenech sent on Samir Nasri, whose appearance was so brief it bordered on a humiliation.
When Toni, suddenly flying through the air like Rudolf Nureyev, elegantly plucked a long ball out of the air, France's untried defence dissolved. Abidal panicked, pushing Toni from behind, sending the tall Bayern Munich striker crashing to the ground.
With so much at stake in this tense repeat of the 2006 World Cup final, it had been little surprise to find Uefa entrusting proceedings to arguably their best referee and Lubos Michel had no hesitation in correctly pointing to the spot.
The Slovakian pulled out his red card and gestured to Abidal to make the long, lonely walk to the tunnel. Scarcely had the defender reached the touchline than Pirlo was stepping up to drive the penalty past Gregory Coupet.
As Italy celebrated, as Gianluigi Buffon almost ripped his net from its stanchion in joy, Domenech made another inexplicable decision. He had to win, yet he withdrew Nasri, who had hardly got warm, and sent on a centre-half in Jean-Alain Boumsong. One could hear the laughter from Newcastle.
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