The 2006 World Cup champions are out to defend their title.

Italy started well, playing fast and direct; maybe helped by the wet surface in Cape Town.

Even with a double corner in the 20th minute, Paraguay kept three players half-way up the pitch and were nearly caught out by an Italian break.

Both teams started losing possession far too easy and then Paraguay earned a seemingly harmless free-kick, out on the right, six minutes before half-time.

There didn't seem to be any urgency in the Paraguay camp, then Aureliano Torres curled the ball high into the rain and Antolín Alcaraz rose above the blue shirts to head the ball across Gianluigi Buffon and put the South Americans in front.

The Italians, who pride themselves on defence, found themselves a goal down.

Half-time: 0:1

A surprising substitution at half-time was Federico Marchetti coming on for Gianluigi Buffon.

When Paraguay started to sit back on their lead, Italy picked themselves up, brought on Mauro Camoranesi for Claudio Marchisio and earned a corner that Justo Villar totally missed. Daniele De Rossi was on hand at the back post to pull the world champions level.

And true to form, the whole Italian bench celebrated as if they'd just won the World Cup Final again.

Italy 1 Paraguay 1