Italy v Brazil: 1982 World Cup, second round Group C – live! | Sport

7 min Zico tries to score straight from the kick-off. A lively conceit at the best of times, even more so against the great Dino Zoff. Zico miskicks and Zoff claims it somewhere near the corner flag.

6 min The last team to stir the beast by taking the lead against Brazil, poor old Scotland, were dismantled 4-1. The kick off has been delayed because an Italian fan has lobbed a firecracker into the Brazilian penalty area in celebration. The delay is over a minute until, with the camera lingering on the firecracker, a shoe appears from out of shot to hoof it straight back towards the Italian fans! Have some of that!

Precisely 60 seconds after that miss, Rossi has given Italy the lead! It was a beautifully worked goal. Bruno Conti circled lazily away from Cerezo near the halfway line, made 15 yards, swerved away from Eder’s token challenge and then swept a regal outside-of-the-foot crossfield pass to the onrushing Cabrini on the left.

He coaxed an excellent cross to the far post where Rossi, given far too much space between Luizinho and Junior, planted a decisive header back across Waldir Peres from six yards. Could we have a major shock on here? As things stand, Italy will be playing Poland in the semi-final!

4 min “So much of Brazil’s mythology has grown from their 1958 win,” sniffs Matt Dony. “And that was only because they didn’t face John Charles in the quarter finals. (In the end, some young Brazilian fella hogged the headlines in that match instead of Il Gigante Buono.) In memory of his time at Juve, I hope Italy pull this off. Can’t see it, though. The proverbial snowball’s chance against a beautiful Brazil side.”

4 min: What a chance for Paolo Rossi! A patient move from Italy ended with Antonio Cabrini lofting a fine pass down the left for Marco Tardelli, who fizzed a superb cut-back to Rossi, in a bit of space 12 yards out. He completely missed his kick, beaten by the pace of Tardelli’s cut-back, and then as he attempted a second go he fell on his backside after running into Toninho Cerezo.

He made a rare old mess of that chance. That’s Rossi tournament in miniature. We know he is a class act, but he is having a miserable time. His last goal for Italy was 1,118 days ago, and he looks so rusty after his two-year ban for his involvement in the Totonero betting scandal.

3 min It’s a very open start, this, at both ends. Whisper it, but Italy may have come to play.

2 min The good news for Zico is that he was passed fit to play today. The bad news for Zico is that he was passed fit to play today: he’s going to be marked by Claudio Gentile. For an attacker that invariably means pain in the post, and usually by special delivery.

1 min Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Brazil kick off from left to right to the distinctive peep of caxirolas that have been such a part of this tournament. The pitch markings look like they have been done by Jackson Pollock’s marginally more methodical brother. There are straight lines along one part, angled lines across another and little white circles dotted all around the pitch. It’s a seriously hot afternoon at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, the kind we are contractually obliged to describe as either sultry or steamy.

Zico and Serginho look very relaxed as they wait to kick off. Wouldn’t you if you were playing in this team?

Team news You know what they say: if it’s perfect, don’t fix it: Brazil are unchanged from the team that humiliated Argentina 3-1 on this ground three days ago.

This is the fourth consecutive match in which they have named the same XI. It includes Roma’s Falcao, the only man on either side who plays his football overseas. Falcao wasn’t guaranteed a place a month ago but he has been the player of the tournament so far.

There was talk that the veteran Franco Causio might replace Paolo Rossi, whose last goal for Italy came over three years ago, but they are also unchanged.

Italy (5-3-2) Zoff; Orialli, Collovati, Scirea, Gentile, Cabrini; Conti, Tardelli, Antognoni; Rossi, Graziani.

Brazil (4-4-1-1ish) Waldir Peres; Leandro, Oscar, Luizinho, Junior; Falcao, Cerezo, Socrates, Eder; Zico; Serginho.

Referee Abraham Klein (Israel)

If today’s match were on a movie poster, the tagline might be: Brazil v Italy. Attack v defence. Jogo bonito v Catenaccio. Good v evil. Brazil are, depending on your preferred metaphor, playing football from the future or playing a different sport altogether. Of the 12 goals they have scored in four consecutive wins, nine have been genuine belters. They have soundtracked España 82 with the unfettered joy of samba beats. (Literally, as their fans give it plenty.) The world has fallen hopelessly in love, our hearts beating to every jazzy syncopation.

Italy have engaged one of the other senses. Thus far their clunking, ersatz form of catenaccio has stunk the place out. They were lucky to get through the group stage without winning a single game. And although they were better in beating Argentina 2-1 six days ago, only their third win in the last 15 games, would you believe, that victory was down to well-rationed counter-attacks and Claudio Gentile’s man-marking job on Diego Maradona – not so much a case of persistent fouling as occasional non-fouling. There has been no great attacking fluency. And yet, for all that, in two hours’ time, Italy could be in the semi-finals ahead of Brazil.

The scenario is simple: Italy need a win, Brazil a draw. It is a nicely contradictory state of affairs – the attacking side need the draw, the defensive side the win – but you would still expect both sides to assume their usual roles. Not least because of the performances of both teams so far have been like extreme archetypes. Most people feel that Italy have two chances today – and slim is unavailable through suspension.

If they do pull it off, the childhood discoveries about Santa and the Tooth Fairy will have nothing on the distress that will envelop the watching world of football. I wouldn’t worry too much. Based on everything we’ve seen so far, this movie is surely going to have a happy ending

Kick off is at 5.15pm in Barcelona on 5 July 1982, 8pm in London on 21 April 2020.