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Mario Balotelli was the star for Italy as he scored twice in a 2-1 win over Germany in their Euro 2012 semi-final at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw.

The mercurial Manchester City striker doubled his international goal tally with two first-half strikes that eliminated the joint-favourites for the title and booked his own side’s place in the final against Spain in Kiev on Sunday.

Mesut Ozil pulled one goal back from the penalty spot in the second minute of injury time, but it was too late for Germany to complete a comeback and salvage their hopes of winning a first tournament since 1996.

The victory extends Italy’s unbeaten record against Germany in competitive games to eight matches, and it was a performance fit to sit alongside some of the other classic instalments of this fixture between Europe’s two most successful teams.

Reaching the final is made all the more remarkable for Italy when taking into account that they finished bottom of their group at the last World Cup below Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand.

The evening began in nervy manner for the Azzurri. In the first 15 minutes Andrea Pirlo had to clear Mats Hummels’s instinctive effort from a corner off the line and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon spilled a low strike from Toni Kroos that rebounded off Andrea Barzagli and trickled wide of the goal.

Gradually Cesare Prandelli’s side became more enterprising. Antonio Cassano and the half-German Riccardo Montolivo both tested Manuel Neuer from range, but it was Balotelli who broke the deadlock with 20 minutes played.

Cassano managed to roll his way through two Germany players on the left wing after good build-up from Pirlo and Giorgio Chiellini and his dinked cross was headed past Neuer by Balotelli, who celebrated in uncharacteristically joyful fashion. That goal, only the striker’s third senior international strike for his country, was Italy’s first ever in a European Championship semi-final.

Germany responded well after going behind for the first time in a competitive game since their third place play-off at the 2010 World Cup. Ozil’s attempt to pass the ball past Buffon from 20 yards was unsuccessful, before Lukas Podolski was only denied a free shot at goal by an excellent tackle from Federico Balzaretti.

Sami Khedira connected well with his half-volley from range and Buffon conceded a corner from his save, but it was from that Germany set piece that Italy broke to score the killer second.

After defending and clearing the set piece, Montolivo sent Balotelli away with a pinpoint ball over the top. The striker’s control set the ball up perfectly for him to fire an unerring strike into the top corner just as Philipp Lahm made a despairing lunge in vain.

Balotelli was booked for removing his shirt in another celebratory outpouring of emotion, but nothing could dampen his or Italy’s spirits at that moment.

Germany made significant changes at the break, introducing Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus in place of Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski. Reus made an immediate impact, having a shot saved before playing his part in the move which culminated with Lahm firing over the bar.

Prandelli methodically made substitutions at regular intervals throughout the second half, including removing the indefatigable Montolivo, and by the 70th minute both sides had made all three of their allotted changes.

As Germany pushed harder for a goal that would get them back into the game, the game really began to open up. Reus forced a good save from Buffon with a wickedly dipping free-kick soon after Balotelli had fired low across the face of goal. Claudio Marchisio spurned two great chances to give Italy an unassailable 3-0 lead, while Balzaretti denied Reus a clear shot at goal with a wonderfully-timed tackle that he celebrated as though he had scored at the other end.

However, Balzaretti was culpable for giving away a spot-kick that gave Germany just a sliver of hope after he handled inside the area. Buffon guessed the right way from Ozil’s kick, but the playmaker’s shot was hit out of his reach.

It proved to be too little, too late for Germany, and even Neuer’s repeated forays forward for set pieces were not enough to avert yet another defeat to their bogey team.

England were knocked out of Euro 2012 in all too familiar circumstances, losing 4-2 on penalties against Italy following a goalless draw in Kiev.

Riccardo Montolivo missed Italy's second penalty but then Ashley Young and Ashley Cole failed to score before Alessandro Diamanti stroked home the winning spot-kick.

It was England's sixth exit in penalty shoot-outs at European Championships and World Cups in the last 22 years.

Roy Hodgson's side had rode their luck to stay on level terms after 120 minutes as Italy were far the better side with 35 attempts on goal, to England's nine, but failed to break the deadlock thanks to their own profligacy and some dogged English defending.

However their greater nerve from 12 yards means it will be the Azzurri who will face Germany in Thursday's second semi-final at the same ground and Hodgson's side go home.

There were chances aplenty in an open first-half.

The tone was set as early as the fourth minute when the ball was pulled back from the right to Daniele De Rossi who hit across his effort from 30 yards and was so unlucky to see the ball hit the woodwork with Joe Hart beaten.

England's best chance of the opening period came almost immediately when James Milner's square pass was poked towards goal by Glen Johnson from seven yards but Gianluigi Buffon clawed the effort away.

Johnson then produced a superb cross but Wayne Rooney could not direct his diving header on target from eight yards, under pressure from covering right-back Ignazio Abate.

That was after 15 minutes but from then on it was Italy who dominated with Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in midfield and Mario Balotelli spurned a hat-trick of first-half chances.

He beat the offside trap but dallied which allowed John Terry to get back to make a crucial block and he failed to get much power on a scissors kick after a defence splitting pass from Montolivo.

But his best chance came five minutes before the break when Pirlo's cross to the back post was headed across goal by Antonio Cassano and somehow the Manchester City forward stabbed over the top from four yards albeit under pressure from club-mate Joleon Lescott.

Danny Welbeck did spurn a chance to test Buffon from 18 yards after a good link-up with Rooney but Italy continued to be in the ascendancy and were totally dominant in the second.

De Rossi missed a sitter four minutes after the break after Hart punched a corner only as far as Montolivo whose header was volleyed wide from seven yards by the unmarked veteran.

England's goal continued to lead a charmed life as a 30-yard blast from De Rossi was parried by Hart straight into the path of Balotelli who was denied from close range by the legs of his Eastlands team-mate before Montolivo volleyed over under pressure from Johnson.

Theo Walcott and Andy Carroll were brought on after an hour as England struggled to maintain possession and they carved out a rare chance as the Arsenal winger's cross intended for the big Liverpool striker fell to Young whose shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Hart made a sharp shot from Italian sub Diamanti before Johnson made a superb block after Marchisio's superb pass found another sub Antonio Nocerino.

England did have a chance to steal it in injury-time but Rooney's bicycle kick was over the top.

They failed to create a single chance in extra-time as they spent most of the 30 minutes camped in their own half as Italy continued to pile on the pressure.

Hart was grateful to see Diamanti's mis-hit cross strike the outside of the post and the former West Ham man was off target from 10 yards after Federico Balzaretti fizzed a ball across the area.

Italy finally found the net after 115 minutes when Nocerino headed home from close range but he was correctly ruled offside.

Although Italy have won a World Cup final in a shoot-out they had also lost five of their other six encounters and would have feared the worst when, after Balotelli and Gerrard had scored the opening efforts, Montolivo dragged his effort well past the left post.

Rooney smashed his penalty into the left corner before Pirlo had the audacity to produce a 'Panenka' chip down the middle to level at 2-2.

The disappointing Young then smashed his effort against the crossbar before Nocerino calmly placed his shot into the left corner.

Cole's effort was then saved, low to his left by Buffon, and it was left to Upton Park reject Diamanti to condemn England to their eighth quarter-final defeat in nine attempts at major tournaments away from Wembley.

It was eight years to the day since England were knocked out by Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 and Three Lions fans can add Italy to Argentina, Germany (twice) and Portugal (twice) as nations who have held their nerve to beat their side in shoot-outs.

Goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli sent Italy into the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 with a 2-0 win against Republic of Ireland at Stadion Miejski in Poznan.

Cassano headed home from an Andrea Pirlo corner on 35 minutes, before Balotelli volleyed a brilliant second on 90 minutes.

The Azzurri qualified second from Group C after Spain beat Croatia 1-0 in the other Group C match. There was a nervous wait at the end as the final seconds ticked down in Gdansk, where a Croatian equaliser would have sent Italy home.

Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland produced their best performance of the tournament, but were still well beaten and exit the tournament with three defeats from as many games. Keith Andrews was sent off late on, picking up a second yellow card for dissent.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli made a radical tactical shift, abandoning his three-man defence and reverting to a more familiar back four - thereby returning Daniele De Rossi to his preferred midfield station.

Balotelli, still nursing a minor ankle injury, was left on the bench and his replacement Antonio Di Natale had a fine game, linking instinctively with Cassano and looking a constant goal threat.

Trapattoni made a single change, restoring Kevin Doyle at Simon Cox's expense, while making Damien Duff captain to mark his 100th cap.

Despite enduring a miserable tournament on the pitch, the Irish fans were in terrific voice, belting out both nations' anthems and frequently indulging in a geographically accurate version of 'the Poznan'.

And early on, the boys in green fared showed signs of the fine form that saw them qualify in the first place.

Doyle seized on an errant Andrea Pirlo pass and nearly got a shot away, while the Italian box was bombarded with balls in from the flanks.

But Italy established a foothold and became increasingly dominant as the first half progressed.

Cassano crossed low for Di Natale whose low shot was charged down by Richard Dunne, before Sean St Ledger's block of a Di Natale shot brought fervent - though unsuccessful - penalty appeals.

Italy won a cheap corner after Shay Given spilled a Cassano shot, and the Azzurri duly took the lead. Cassano glanced Pirlo's delivery goalwards, Given made half a save and Duff hooked it away from his position on the far post.

However, the officials rightly adjudged the ball to have crossed the line.

That goal moved Italy provisionally top of the group, but they knew events in the other Group C match in Gdansk could take matters out of their hands.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, as Cassano and Di Natale were denied by some heroic Irish blocks. Di Natale went off on 75 minutes having racked up seven shots, six on target.

Italy suffered a potentially crucial injury when their best defender Giorgio Chiellini went down just before the hour mark - the Italians' body language suggested the Juventus man will not play again in this tournament.

Ireland threatened to break Italian hearts as the second half went on and the Azzurri became nervous. Countless set piece chances came and went, while Andrews tested Gianluigi Buffon with a long shot.

It took the substitute Balotelli to put the result beyond doubt. He met a corner from the Italian right with a sweetly-struck volley on the turn, and Given had no chance.

Balotelli dusted off his customary no-celebration celebration, and Leandro Bonucci put his hand over the striker's mouth as he unleashed a tirade of abuse at someone or something.

As news of the Croatian defeat came through, Italian celebrations began in earnest and they can look forward to a last-eight tie against the winners of Group D - France, England or Ukraine.

Italy and Croatia must wait until the final round of Group C matches to learn their Euro 2012 fate after a 1-1 draw at Poznan's Stadion Miejski.

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo gave Italy the lead on 39 minutes after a spell of dominant play when he swept a delightful free-kick over the Croatian wall and into the net with goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa beaten low to his right-hand post.

Croatia emerged a lot brighter in the second period and earned a merited point when Mario Mandzukic controlled Ivan Strinic's cross on 72 minutes and smashed the ball high into the goal from close range after central defender Giorgio Chiellini somehow missed the high ball in the heart of his box.

It was Mandzukic's third goal of the finals and leaves him alongside Mario Gomez of Germany and Russia's Alan Dzagoev as the top goalscorer at the tournament.

Croatia top Group C with four points from two games while Italy have two points after two draws, but the Italians will be quietly confident of progressing to the quarter-finals.

If world champions Spain win their final two games of the section against Republic of Ireland tonight and Croatia on Monday, they would go through as group winners with Italy needing a win over Republic of Ireland in their final match to join them.

Croatia remain unbeaten in all four competitive matches against Italy: 2-1 at 2002 World Cup, 2-1 and 1-1 in qualifying for Euro 1996 and now 1-1 at Euro 2012.

Italy have also failed to win any of their past six matches at the European and World Cup finals, but they will not be too displeased with their form having followed up a 1-1 draw against Spain with a diligent performance against a dangerous Croatia side.

Italy certainly enjoyed the better moments in the first period, starting when Mario Balotelli swivelled in the box to slip a shot wide of goal on three minutes before Antonio Cassano screwed an effort past a post ten minutes before half-time.

Pirlo scored the first goal direct from a free-kick at the European Championship finals since 2004 when he struck moments before half-time after Pletikosa made a commendable double save to keep out Claudio Marchisio.

The second period was disrupted by a series of silly fouls while Croatian fans sporadically interrupted the play by throwing on flares, but Croatia - convincing 3-1 winners over Ireland on Sunday evening - were good for their equaliser when it came.

The one worrying incident for manager Slaven Bilic - who departs his post to take over Lokomotiv Moscow after these finals - was the sight of Mandzukic being forced off injured in stoppage time after a strong challenge involving Chiellini.

Croatia will need all of their assets close at hand when they are confronting a Spanish side who will need a win from that match to continue their defence of the tournament they won in 2008.

Italy and Croatia must wait until the final round of Group C matches to learn their Euro 2012 fate after a 1-1 draw in Poznan.

Fernando Torres was guilty of spurning two golden chances as Italy unearthed a performance of real character to hold Spain to a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2012 opener at the PGE Arena in Gdansk.

World and European champions Spain went into the Group C opener as warm favourites, but were met by an Italian side who were every bit as dangerous going forward as their feted opponents in front of 43,615 good-natured fans in the Polish city.

Italy went ahead on 60 minutes after a tight first period, Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale bounding on to an exquisite pass from Andrea Pirlo to lift the ball over goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Italy fans were still celebrating when Spain equalised courtesy of Cesc Fabregas four minutes later.

The Barcelona midfielder evaded the attentions of Emanuele Giaccherini to slip the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon in levelling at 1-1 from David Silva's pass, but there remained plenty of time for Chelsea forward Torres to win it for Spain.

In keeping with the way it has been for him since he left Liverpool for Chelsea 18 months ago, Torres failed miserably.

The £50 million striker did little to suggest he is back to anything close to the form that saw him rise to prominence during his days at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool after replacing Fabregas, as he failed to take the ball beyond Buffon on 74 minutes with the Italian keeper racing from his line to make the sort of tackle a central defender would have been proud of.

Torres scored the winning goal from a similar situation when Spain beat Germany in the Euro 2008 final, but this is a figure clearly short of confidence four years on as hesitancy and lack of purpose infiltrates his movements.

He hoisted the ball over the bar with only Buffon to beat on 85 minutes when he could have played in fellow substitute Jesus Navas, opting to go for goal only to knock his effort well off target.

To encapsulate a fairly miserable 19-minute cameo, Torres was also lucky to only be booked for elbowing Daniele De Rossi in the throat as he jumped for a high ball. Another referee may well have sent off Torres.

It justified Spain manager Vicente del Bosque's decision to start the match without any recognised forwards as Torres, Alvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente were all left on the bench.

The latter two forwards may expect to see some action against Republic of Ireland in Gdansk on Thursday, when Spain continue their quest to defend the title they won four years ago in Austria and Switzerland.

Spain's best chance in the first period saw Andres Iniesta lift a shot over the bar from Xavi's pass while Casillas was forced to repel Thiago Motta's header second before half-time.

Torres was not the only Premier League forward found wanting in the moment as Manchester City's Mario Balotelli squandered an opportunity to give Italy the lead early in the second period when he robbed Sergio Ramos of the ball out wide.

He seemed to dither for an eternity with only Casillas to overcome, but his hesitancy enabled Ramos to make a fabulous recovery tackle.

Having been booked in the first half for a late tackle on Jordi Alba - one of seven men booked in a fiercely contested match - he was replaced by Di Natale, who had scored within four minutes of his introduction.