Buffon keeps Italy alive as Mutu misses chance to put Romania in driving seat

When Adrian Mutu unleashed his penalty in the 81st minute of a breathless match, there appeared to be no way back for Gianluigi Buffon or the Italy team he captains with distinction.

Mutu, it seemed, had scored, given that the ball had been hit down the middle and Buffon had opted to dive left. Somehow, from somewhere, Buffon suddenly discovered the ability to suspend himself in mid-air - in much the same way Michael Jordan once did above a basketball hoop; in much the same way, without wishing to sound too ridiculous, they do in those Matrix movies.

Spot on: Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon keeps his team in the tournament with a superb penalty save from Romania's Adrian Mutu

It enabled the giant of a goalkeeper to first get his right glove, then his right boot to the ball and make a save that was simply breathtaking in its execution.

That saved the world champions from what would have been an embarrassingly premature exit and gave them a chance to progress to the quarter-finals via what promises to be an almighty contest against France at the Letzigrund Stadium on Tuesday.

Not quite another World Cup final but, for Roberto Donadoni, not far off, given that there is a release clause in his contract with the Italian FA if he fails to guide his side to the last four.

Had it all ended last night, he would have blamed what remained an extraordinary decision in the first half when an assistant referee's flag denied them a perfectly good goal by Luca Toni, and even now he is left to bemoan his team's obvious misfortune.

Victims of a mysterious rule change during that opening group game against Holland, they were victims of an official's incompetence on this occasion.

How the Italians must now think the footballing gods too often conspire against them. Remember those South Korean goals in the 2002 World Cup? Remember that match between Sweden and Denmark during Euro 2004? A 2-2 draw would send the Italians out and 2-2 it finished. Extraordinary.

The Romanians might argue that their luck returned when it instead deserted Mutu, but players like Buffon make their own luck.

He reserves his finest moments for the most important matches - the save that denied Zinedine Zidane 104 minutes into the last World Cup final; the saves that denied Mutu and Gabriel Tamas in the first half last night.

Hero and villain: Adrian Mutu celebrates after scoring the opening goal, but the smiles would soon turn to tears for the Romanian striker.

His opposite number, Bogdan Lobont, was nowhere near Toni's header in first-half stoppage time; a perfectly executed close-range header that made the most of a super ball from the right from Gianluca Zambrotta.

But Jan Petter Randen made the mistake of thinking both Toni and Alessandro Del Piero were offside and raised his flag, much to the amazement of Toni and an incredulous Donadoni.

It was made all the more painful by what followed 10 minutes into the second half. A moment's indecision from Zambrotta and the Italian full-back had guided a defensive header, intended for Buffon, straight into the path of Mutu. Not even Buffon could stop that one - 1-0 to Romania.

Another former Chelsea player equalised for Italy a minute later. Christian Panucci was the player who stayed on the ground and off the pitch when Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrated that controversial goal in Berne, but he made some amends when he scored from the excellent Andrea Pirlo's corner.

First Giorgio Chiellini headed the ball back across the face of the Romanian goal, then Panucci struck at the near post.

It was Panucci, however, who then attempted to strangle Daniel Niculae and Panucci who had Buffon to thank for saving the subsequent penalty.

Not that Donadoni would have directed his venom at the 35-yearold. His wrath was directed only at the match officials and particularly the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo.

"I'm not used to discussing certain things," said the coach. "But I think the referee's performance was not at the highest level. It did not match the players. Perhaps it has not been his finest day."

Thanks to the five changes Donadoni made to his side, this was much better from the Italians.

"We played well, we were determined and we pushed forward," he said. "Romania is a team to be reckoned with and drew with France. But I think we played well in every way. We are sorry for not taking the three points that we deserved tonight.

"I don't see it as bad luck. During the game with Holland we saw a player off the pitch and tonight another gross mistake was made.

"If it hadn't happened in such a gross way it would be easier to qualify, but these are facts."

And the fact now is that they need to beat France. What a tournament this has already turned out to be.

ITALY (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso; Pirlo, De Rossi; Camoranesi (Ambrosini 85min), Perrotta (Cassano 58), Del Piero (Quagliarella 77); Toni. Booked: Pirlo, De Rossi.

ROMANIA (4-1-3-2): Lobont; Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat; Radoi (Dica 25); Petre (Nicolita 59), Codrea, Chivu; Mutu (Cocis 88), Niculae. Booked: Mutu, Goian, Chivu.

Man of the match: Gianluigi Buffon.

Referee: Tom Henning Ovrebo (Norway).