Italy secured a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2000 after easing past 10-man Romania, despite seeing very little of the ball throughout their clash in Brussels.

Romania stroked the ball between one another with consummate ease, yet were never in the game after Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi gave Italy the advantage in the first-half.

The match is almost certain to mark the end of Gheorghe Hagi’s career after the mercurial midfielder was sent off on 58 minutes for a second bookable offence, an Oscar-nominated dive in the penalty area.

Although Romania had the majority of play during the quarter-final clash, it was the Azzurri that created most of the chances and should have wrapped the game up long before they did.

Inzaghi was the chief culprit in the Italians profligacy, missing a golden opportunity just seven minutes into the match. Stefano Fiore laid a perfect cross to the Juventus striker, yet he could not direct his sliding shot on target.

Their positions were reversed soon after as Inzaghi’s chipped cross fell to Fiore. However, the ball bounced nastily for the Udinese star and his shot was high and wide.

However, as it looked as though they would struggle to find the target, let alone the net, Totti stepped up to volley home Fiore’s neat chip as the Romanians played for offside.

Hagi, returning after being suspended for their clash with England, came within a whisker of an immediate equaliser as he lobbed the onrushing goalkeeper Francesco Toldo. It looked in all the way but the spin of the ball saw it hit the inside of the post and bounce out again.

It proved a big miss as Inzaghi soon doubled the lead. Demetrio Albertini, whose appearance took him into the top 10 capped players in Italy, delivered a delightful throughball and Inzaghi simply had to slot the ball past Bogdan Stelea.

That was the 26-year-old’s first international goal from open play for over a year, but his second of Euro 2000. He may need a number of chances to score, but he is constantly in the right place which is surely half the job of a striker. Just ask Andy Cole.

Romania continued to dominate after the break but, like so many teams in history, could not find a way through the massed lycra ranks of the Italian defence.

When defender Liviu Ciobotariu looked certain to haul his side back into the game with a volley from eight yards, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro threw themselves in the way to block.

Romanian stopper Stelea, who has hardly had the best tournament gifting his opponent's goals in two of his four matches, made a fabulous second-half save to prevent Italy running away with the game. Inzaghi latched onto another Albertini pass and unleashed a ferocious low shot, which Stelea did superbly to touch onto his left post.