Fabio Cannavaro warned his strikers to expect a tough examination against a top-class French defence in the Euro 2000 final.

	Canna: Rarely caught with pants down (GMPrior/Allsport)

Italy's defence won acclaim for their heroic shut-out with ten men against Holland in the semi-final.

But Cannavaro knows France must be strong because his talented Parma team-mate Lilian Thuram can't command a place in his favoured central defensive position.

The pair team up in Serie A but in Rotterdam today they will be bitter rivals for the European crown.

Cannavaro, 26, has developed a fine understanding at international level with Lazio defender Alessandro Nesta but he believes Thuram, who plays right-back for his country, is even more gifted.

He said: 'Both Thuram and Nesta are great players but Thuram is the one whose talents are simply from another planet.

'It's unfortunate that for France he ends up playing at right-back instead of in the centre.'

Italy, who played almost 90 minutes with ten men against Holland in the semi-final, produced a memorable defensive display to keep the co-hosts at bay.

Nesta and Cannavaro, who learned his trade man-marking Diego Maradona in training at his first club Napoli, barely put a foot wrong as Dino Zoff's team clung on to win in a penalty shoot-out.

Cannavaro said: 'Nesta makes very few mistakes, he is always there to help out and he is used to winning under pressure.

'We have got great players and we've got the right experience but I would say that our best defenders are our midfielders. They make us look good.'

Italy also rode their luck in Amsterdam. Frank de Boer and Patrick Kluivert both missed penalties in normal time before Jaap Stam, Paul Bosvelt and de Boer, again, missed in the shoot-out.

Ronald de Boer, who missed the crucial penalty when Holland lost in the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, was not impressed by the Italian team.

He said: 'We had four, five or six open chances and didn't score. That's our fault, not because they are great defenders.

'They played with ten men behind the ball and that's easy to do. Who deserved to be in the final? The Dutch.'

Italy's giant keeper, 6ft 5in tall Francesco Toldo, is hoping to cap his belated rise to the top with a winner's medal today.

Toldo has had a long and arduous career, which started with Verona ten years ago.

He graduated through the Italian leagues, making his debut in Serie C2 with Trento in the 1991-92 season before he progressed to Ravenna in Serie C1 the following season.

His big break came in 1993 when he joined his present club Fiorentina and he helped them win promotion to Serie A in 1994.

His career continued on an upward curve and he made his first appearance for the Azzurri against Croatia in 1995.

However, since then he has largely been frustrated.

First Arrigo Saachi and then Cesare Maldini did not rate him as their first-choice goalkeeper and he spent the next few years picking up the odd cap here and there.

It seemed the 28-year-old was destined to forever be the bridesmaid of Italian football when current boss Dino Zoff made Parma's young goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon his No.1. Toldo kept chipping away and after Buffon's injury on the eve of Euro 2000 his reward has come at last.

He has played in all five matches in Italy's march to the final, and his confidence has visibly grown.

The excellent shot stopper, who has only conceded two goals in the five games, has probably been the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

His high point so far came in the semi-final against Holland when he saved Frank de Boer's penalty in normal time before he kept out two more Dutch spot- kicks in the shoot-out.

He more than any other Italian is the main reason why Zoff's side are facing France in the final.