Italy 0 Denmark 0In the end, the contrasting reactions of the two sets of fans at the final whistle told its own story. Whilst the Italian contingent packed up their bags and headed for the nearest restaurant, the Danes gathered to applaud their side, giving defender Martin Laursen a mighty roar of approval as he booted a ball into their midst.

For the Danes, this was more than a half-victory. For the Italians, with their ever exorbitant expectations, this was perhaps more than a half-defeat. In reality, though, all options remain open for both sides and it may well be that these will be the two teams to come out of Group C.

What we can say with some degree of certainty is that Italy, one of the tournament favourites, got off to a less than convincing start against a Danish side which, until the 30 degree-plus heat got the better of them, had given Italy a rare old run for their money. What we can also say is the Italian standard bearer, Francesco Totti, one of the most hyped players in the tournament, failed to deliver, perhaps partly because of a good marking job by Denmark's Christian Poulsen.

Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni had better be right, as far as his countrymen are concerned, when saying after the match that this game would have done his side a lot of good, both mentally and physically.

Even if Trapattoni put a brave face on the 0-0 draw, arguing that nothing was compromised, there was a striking difference in tone and attitude between him and his Danish counterpart Morten Olsen after the game.

Olsen was positively bubbling with delight, commenting: "For all teams, it is important to get something out of the opening game and we did that. In the first half, we were the better side, whilst in the second half they got back into it and were the better team. In the end, though, we've matched one of the best teams in the tournament."

Even though Olsen argued that Denmark deserved to win, largely thanks to their more attacking attitude, it was not without significance that UEFA's technical team singled out Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen of Aston Villa as man of the match.

There are 0-0s and 0-0s, yet this was one of the more entertaining ones, a game full of guile and tactical nuance, played at a reasonable pace, notwithstanding the heat, and in which both goalkeepers earned their match fees.

By the end of an intriguing first half, one was tempted to conclude that both FIFA and UEFA should offer an automatic place in any finals competition to Denmark. Not only do the Danes play consistently bright, attacking football but they do so with an infectious enthusiasm, backed by some of the most cheerful, always singing fans in the business.

Perhaps predictably, Italy had started slowly, surrendering the initiative to a Danish side in which Dennis Rommedahl on the right, Martin Joergensen on the left and Jon Dahl Tomasson in the centre were putting themselves about to good effect.

After winning a couple of corners, the Danes went close to capitalising on their superiority in the 16th minute when veteran defender Thomas Helveg cut inside from the right wing to hit a fierce left-foot shot that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon did well to block.

As wave after wave of Danish attacks made ground into Italian territory, a German colleague pronounced, not without reason, that it would soon be time for the Italians to cut out the siesta business and start playing. In their all too predictable way, the Italians did stir from their slumbers, riding out the Danish storm to come up with the clearest chance of the first half in the 44th minute when first Allesandro Del Piero and then Christian Vieri were denied at close range by Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Notwithstanding a brave Danish flurry in time added on at the end of the first half when their consistent pressure won three consecutive corner kicks, one had the sensation during the break that the "Azzurri" would come out to play and to sting in the second half.

When first Gianluca Zambrotta, sent through by Totti, and then Vieri, with a splendid header, were again denied by good goalkeeping from Sorensen early in the half, it seemed as things were finally going according to Italy's best-laid plans. Yet, it was not to be and in the end those two chances were the best they could muster.

With the game still scoreless, Trapattoni even made the three substitutions all Italy has been urging on him for the last month, namely bringing on in quick succession Gennaro Gattuso for Cristiano Zanetti, Antonio Cassano for Del Piero and Stefano Fiore for Mauro Camoranesi.

Those changes did not bring about the desired effect and it was Gigi Buffon who was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the final minutes, first denying Tomasson in the 76th minute and then making a brilliant stop from Daniel Jensen in the 84th minute.

By the end, one could agree with what coach Trapattoni would tell us after the game.

"In the first half, there was only Denmark in the game. In the second half, we played better, created our chances and were much more in control than them. In all honesty, though, I would have to say that Denmark did not deserve to lose" In all honesty, too, Italy did not deserve to win.