Italy have qualified for Euro 2012 after a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Florence. Giampaolo Pazzini's late finish at his substitute.

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Though La Nazionale had the majority of
possession throughout the
match, but had no goals to show
for their efforts. The first minute was early for them to make goals, but Giuseppe
Rossi could only manage the legs
of Jasmin Handanovic, after bursting into the box from the
right-hand side. squirming a number of opportunities in the Slovenian area, in.
Cesare Prandelli's men also had a credible penalty shout waved
away midway through the opening 45, after Cassano
expertly scooped the ball over the visitors' backline, with Thiago
Motta through one-on-one, but the Inter man appeared to have
been pulled down as he was about to pull the trigger.
However, it was not all plain- sailing for the hosts, as Slovenia's frequent long-range shooting
posed a potential problem.
Andraz Kirm and Robert Koren had the best opportunities for
their neighbours with stinging attempts, but Gianluigi Buffon
inspired confidence between the sticks by being equal each and
every time.
The second half begun less frantically, but it proved to be a
rather scrappy first part of the 45, with no team coming out on top in the midfield battle that ensued. Suddenly though, the
match was thrust back into life after Italy were denied twice off the Slovenian goal-line, as Daniele De Rossi failed to force his
header into the net, and Giampaolo Pazzini didn't fare
much better with his tap-in.
Prandelli threw on Claudio Marchisio, Giampaolo Pazzini and Mario Balotelli, along with a
tactical change to a 4-3-3 system,
in one last attempt to salvage the elusive goal to fire them to
Poland and Ukraine next year.
Fortunately for the hosts, it came up trumps after Marchisio's floated ball into the box
ricocheted off Balotelli at the far
post, and Pazzini swiftly struck the ball with conviction to qualify Italy for Euro 2012 as group
winners of Group C.