Stjepan Tomas, who plays for Italian side Vicenza, set up Italy’s first chance after the Croatia defender was adjudged by England’s Graham Poll to have brought down Cristiano Doni just outside the area.

Totti wasted the fourth-minute free-kick opportunity, though, driving his 20-yard shot against the outside edge of the wall before Croatia then cleared their lines.

Croatia were not content to sit back. After weathering an opening 10 minutes of Azzurri pressure which produced nothing of note, they then pushed forward themselves.

But chances were rare for either side in the opening exchanges, with neither Stipe Pletikosa nor Gianluigi Buffon tested.

That was until the 15th minute when a deep throw led to a mistake in the Croatian defence, in particular by Robert Kovac, and one which Doni should have capitalised on.

As Doni fended off Kovac’s challenge, with the Bayern Munich defender attempting to make amends for his error, he was able to fire in a close-range left-foot shot which Pletikosa saved with his legs.

Niko Kovac then needed treatment on the sidelines for a bloodied nose after being caught by the elbow of Damiano Tommasi as both players jumped for an aerial ball.

Buffon was finally called upon in the 22nd minute as Davor Vugrinec, another Croatia player plying his trade in Italy with Lecce, sweetly caught a 25-yard, right-foot half-volley, only for the Juventus keeper to be firmly behind the ball.

Trapattoni eventually had to make a change to his defence anyway when Alessandro Nesta limped out of the game with an injury to his right foot, with Marco Materazzi his replacement in the 24th minute.

Materazzi’s first touch was not a good one, failing to control a high ball as it dropped on the egde of the area, leading to Croatia working the ball until Vugrinec set up Zvonimir Soldo for a 20-yard curler just wide of Buffon’s right-hand post.

Italy were looking all at sea as Croatia grew in confidence and they should have taken the lead in the 27th minute when Vugrinec and Milan Rapaic played a one-two on the edge of the area which opened up the Italian defence.

Vugrinec’s shot was brilliantly saved by Buffon, only for him to see the ball bounce off Materazzi and head goalwards until the Inter Milan defender then hacked it almost off the goal-line.

With Italy finally weathering the storm, Poll then issued his first yellow card of the game in the 39th minute when Totti was cut down from behind by Kovac.

Croatia, though, were still the more dangerous side as one cutting move just before the interval testified, with Vugrinec setting up an overlapping Rapaic for an angled drive which Buffon saved low to his left.