COACH Arrigo Sacchi left a nation in anger last night after 10 man Italy crashed to a shock Euro 96 defeat against a resurgent Czech Republic at Anfield.
The result blasted the so called group of death wide open - and it means Sacchi's side almost certainly will need to beat Germany in their final game to reach the quarter finals.
Defender Luigi Apolloni was the man shown the red card by Spanish referee Antonio Lopez Nieto after 29 minutes for a lunging challenge from behind on striker Pavel Kuka.
Apolloni had already been booked for a foul on the same player - and six minutes later the Czechs regained a lead they were never to lose.
Defeat was a massive blow to Italian morale and it left Sacchi with egg on his face after his decision to make a staggering five changes from the side that opened with a 2-1 triumph over Russia.
Two goal Pierluigi Casiraghi and fellow striker Gianfranco Zola were among those dropped as Sacchi gave Fabrizo Ravanelli and Enrico Chiesa their share of front line action.
But whereas on Tuesday night it was the Italians who stormed ahead after four minutes, this time it was the Czechs who struck at that very same point in the game.
The 1994 World Cup runners up were exposed - just as Czech coach Dusan Uhrin had forecast they would be - when the exciting Karel Poborski crossed from the right.
Pavel Nedved - a 40-1 shot with Ladbrokes to open the scoring was played on side by Roberto Mussi and he confidently tucked his shot between keeper Angelo Peruzzi and his left hand upright for his first international goal.
The Italians could not believe it but they recovered to level after 17 minutes.
The Czechs, however, thought they should have had a penalty for handball against Apolloni, who slipped as he attempted toe clear another cross from Poborski.
While the Czechs stood still, Chiesa sent Diego Fuser racing clear on the right - and then the Parma striker rushed into the box for the return to shoot past Petr Kouba.
Then came the double disaster, with Apolloni's dismissal - he automatically misses the German clash - swiftly followed by a second Czech goal.
