Italy coach Cesare Prandelli hailed a "sensational" performance by his side after they beat Germany 2-1 to advance to the final of Euro 2012.
Mario Balotelli netted a first-half double to fire the Azzurri through, with Germany's goal coming from the penalty spot late on from Mesut Ozil.
Prandelli's men produced an assured display and the coach was delighted by the result but feels they could have had more goals in the second half.
He told Rai tv: "We have had a sensational match. It's a shame because we failed to score a third goal on two occasions in the second half."
The coach was particularly pleased with the heroics of Manchester City frontman Balotelli but hailed his entire team for a superb all-round display.
"He (Balotelli) was excellent, just like the entire team were," he added..
"I really believe that a team needs to have an idea in the way they play and he really subscribed to this playing style. He was high up the pitch and available and I think he put in a very good performance."
The Azzurri will now go up against holders and world champions Spain in Sunday's final in Kiev and while Vicente del Bosque's men are tipped to lift the trophy, Prandelli believes his side can match them.
The coach added: "For their experience and continuity they are the favourites, but we are there too."
Captain Philipp Lahm admitted Germany felt "very bitter" after exiting the tournament.
The full-back said: "It's very, very bitter. We made mistakes that led to those two goals. We worked hard in the first half and we had chances but you can't give up goals like that.
"Every defeat is bitter, especially after getting so far in the tournament. The most bitter part is that this team has so much potential for more than this, but we weren't clever enough."
Head coach Joachim Low felt huge disappointment after defeat at the National Stadium in Warsaw, but felt his side must now bounce back.
"We had two goals against us in the first half and it was difficult. The team showed a lot of heart after that," he said.
"We had our chances in the second half, if we had got the goal sooner it would have been a different match.
"It's very difficult against a team like Italy to fall behind 2-0. They defend with everything they have.
"The disappointment is huge for everyone but we shouldn't make the mistake and question everything. We've got to see how we can do better in the future."
