Neil

Pogrebnyak's apparently going to Reading instead of staying at Fulham. Money talks.

I don't think anyone is Look closer.

I'm quite confident any money I may win on this will be lost fairly quickly.

It's likely though I'll have roughly similar players to you. It's a bit of a quandary, I'm the same distance I think behind you as I am ahead of 3rd. Do I play it "safe" and likely secure 2nd but give myself little chance of catching you, or do I go for it, maybe through a couple of less common transfers/eccentric captain choice, rolling the dice but leaving myself open to being caught? I'll probably try to be safe and get caught anyway. And true re: Ozil - had him as captain so that penalty was big for me.

Looks like Anderson has it in the bag barring some major things going my way in the final, well played sir. In the same breath, I'd be gutted if I finished below 2nd now. £19.50? Too fucking right I want that.

I'd be green with envy if they even brought one of them in. I'm not sure which colour could descibe my envy if they brought in all 3. They would still have money left to pay for Heskey's wages as well Don't be silly, creative midfielders always demand top dollar.

For a second, I thought you'd somehow had a treble on.

Thought you had Jelavic in a four fold? I did, the treble itself was good value.

Fair play Anderson, didn't think Balotelli would do it tonight but I was very wrong. Need a hell of a final to win this, not sure how Ocho or even others have done but could well be out the top 2, we'll see. All or nothing now.

Lewandowski/Gomez/Ronaldo treble will now be settled which is good. However Germany getting knocked out is of course a blow. Got a £30 free bet (I think) with Betfred to use so I'll plump for whatever I fancy on Sunday and hopefully turn a decent-ish tournament into a very good one.

Thought he was decent.. Agreed, one of the few who looked like he was going to do something. He may not have been great by his high standards but he was better than most in that team. I really don't think Germany played that badly. They obviously never expected to be 2-0 down and didn't know how to coherently get back into it, which resulted in fairly desperate efforts in the 2nd half, but they did have a fairly good go IMO, hardly a spineless effort. I think all the credit tonight has to go to Italy.

Well played Italy.

See.

Buffon'll save this.

PEL!

I'll forgive him since he's class but if I had a big stake on this or I had Hummels last score in a 2-1 defeat I would be fucking fuming.

You wouldn't be trying to exaggerate how bad Germany have been to try to forget your own country's utterly shambolic effort, would you? They've not been that good but they've hardly been awful. Italy have their number. Holland were worse of course, but after the expectation built up, the press will be having them, especially Low and his weird "tactical adjustments".. OK, their press will have them then. They've not been "beyond shite"; they've not been shite.

You wouldn't be trying to exaggerate how bad Germany have been to try to forget your own country's utterly shambolic effort, would you? They've not been that good but they've hardly been awful. Italy have their number.

Great chance that.

Actually, yeah, forgot how bad Podolski's been for a second.

Reus y Klose coming on, presumably for Kroos y Gomez.

Certainly could have. I remember drooling when he and Totti played together. Shame about the the injuries and what ever other problems he's had. I seem to remember reading something about him when he was at Real, discussing how he would "go have sex with beautiful ladies then eat many pastries."

Cassano should have never been allowed to cross for that first goal, though. Against 3 players - Boateng, Hummels and Khedira. Poor defending. It was, but it wasn't even that in particular. Just his control, the way he moves with the ball. That one where he controlled a 60 yard high ball with one little touch, man.

Despite Balotelli's goals, loved watching Cassano. Insanely talented player, just wonder if he could have achieved more.