As the two most successful teams in world football prepare to line up against each other in north London, Goal.com's Gil Gillespie looks over his shoulder at the most memorable historical encounters between the nations...
1. Italy 2 - 1 Brazil
Stade Velodrome, Marseilles, 16 June 1938
The third FIFA World Cup took place in an atmosphere of doom, discord and disharmony. Hitler was putting the finishing touches to his flawed master plan, Spain was in the grip of civil war and Austria, Uruguay and Argentina were all absent. Amidst all this darkness, Brazil, playing on European soil for the first time, proved to be a blast of raw sunshine with striker Leonidas living up to his nickname 'Rubber Man' and netting seven acrobatic goals. Amazingly, Brazil coach Ademar Pimenta left the tournaments' top scorer out of the semi-final against World Champions Italy and paid the price as the strong, knowing Azzurri used the considerable physical presence of Silvio Piola and the pace of Colaussi to carve out a comfortable 2-1 victory.
2. Brazil 4-1 Italy
Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, 21 June 1970
A case of an irresistible force beating an immovable object. Brazil, eventually, were as scintillating as Italy were stubborn. With attacking talents like Mazzola, Rivera, Boninsegna and Riva at their disposal, the Azzurri had the better of the early exchanges - but conceded against the run of play in the 18th minute. And yet, Mazzola's fluid dribbling kept undoing the Brazil defence and by half-time Italy were level with Roberto Boninsegna pouncing on an ill-advised back-heel. What happened next is the stuff of football folklore. As the Italians sat back, Brazil came out for the second-half with magic in their boots. They passed and poked and prodded and purred their way to permanent ownership of the original World Cup trophy. First Gerson hit a perfect strike from 20 yards. 2-1. Then Gerson found Pele with an inch-perfect cross to the far post with Jairzinho waiting in the box. 3-1. And finally and most poetically, Carlos Alberto finished off one of the most perfect team goals the game has ever seen to make it 4-1.
3. Brazil 2-1 Italy
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, 24 June 1978Â
The day before the Buenos Aires sky poured ticker-tape all over Holland's total football parade, there was the small matter of this third place play-off to contend with. And what a cracking game it was.
The Italians had the nucleus of the team that would go on to win the World Cup four years later, with Dino Zoff, Paolo Rossi, Antonio Cabrini, Gaetano Scirea and Claudio Gentile all starting. The Brazilians, meanwhile, had stuttered through the tournament with a mish-mash of a side most usually remembered for the extraordinarily bendy free-kicks of their full-back Nelinho.
Italy took the lead when Franco Causio ghosted into the box and headed home seven minutes before the interval. But it was the spectacular Nelinho who would change the game with a gravity-defying right-footed drive that curled inside Dino Zoff's post on 64 minutes.
In a pulsating, occasionally ill-tempered last third, both sides had their chances to win the game but it was Dirceu's perfectly placed volley that clinched it for the South Americans with 18 minutes left on the clock.
4. Italy 3-2 Brazil
Sarria Stadium, Barcelona, 05 July 1982Â
One of the most memorable games in World Cup history exploded into life after just five minutes when Paolo Rossi stole into the six-yard box to give Italy the lead.
But Brazil captain Socrates, marshalling the midfield with the air of a monarch out for a Sunday afternoon stroll, then played a superb one-two with the Gentile-shadowed Zico and scored a brilliant equaliser. In a pulsating, almost deafening atmosphere, the game ebbed and flowed with both sides playing football of the highest quality. If anything it was the sharpness of Paolo Rossi and the slow-wittedness of the Brazilian defence that would eventually decide the game.
Rossi made it 2-1 at half-time. But just when Italy seemed to have wrapped up the contest, back came the boys in gold with Roma's midfield maestro Falcao somehow finding space and puncturing the seemingly impassable Azzurri defence.
It was 2-2 but Rossi was not finished. With a little over ten minutes remaining the little Juventus striker latched onto Marco Tardelli's scuffed shot and hit the perfect poacher's finish to complete his hat-trick and give his side the sweetest of victories.
5. Brazil 0-0 Italy
3:2 after penalties
Pasadena Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, 17 July 1994Â
Although it's usually referred to as a sterile and disappointing game, the final of USA '94 was actually a fascinating clash between the weary and the battle scarred.
Caution, of course, played a part but somehow it added to the gravity of the occasion. Italy had scrapped, limped and sucker-punched their way through to the final and Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi were all carrying significant injuries. Brazil had been patchy, reliant on Romario and Bebeto to get them out of jail.
A war of thoughtful and highly technical attrition was eventually decided by a penalty shoot-out and one penalty in particular stands out in the history books.
"I don't want to brag but I've only ever missed a couple of penalties in my career," said Roberto Baggio, a couple of years after his infamous miss.
It had taken steel and grit as well as skill but Brazil lifted their fourth World Cup as the unfortunate genius with the pony-tail hung his head in shame.Â
