We have waited - i would like to say patiently bit I can't - for the 2008 European Championships to put on a show. After the drip and drab affair of Romania v France it was the turn of the other two big guns in Group C.
Holland v Italy. It sounds appetising doesn't it. It was everything you could hope for...and more!
The early signs were good as the workmanlike Dutch midfield pairing of Orlando Engelaar and Nigel De Jong secured possession for the men in orange, but despite their pressure the Italians were dangerous on the break with Antonio Di Natale flashing a couple of half volleys just over Edwin van der Sar's cross bar.
However, concerns were mounting that the game needed a goal while both teams were going for it.
A quick browse through the two sides and the most obvious man to break the deaadlock was the arch-poacher himself - Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Real Madrid striker is famous for scoring inside the six yard box and he was on hand to do just that tonight.
The World Cup winners failed to clear a corner from the right hand side and Wesley Sneijder struck a low left foot shot goalwards and van Nistelrooy was in the right place at the right time to tuck it home. The Italians were angry as he was miles offside but the assistant kept his flag down - somehow.
Just minutes later Italy looked to be level but Giovanni van Bronckhorst hooked a Luca Toni header off the line. What the Italians did not see coming was the blistering counter from the men in orange.
The impressive Rafael van der Vaart fed a buccaneering van Bronckhorst down the left and, with the Italians more than a little lost, the former Arsenal man searched out Dirk Kuyt on the right side. The Liverpool man cooly nodded down to the oncoming Sneijder and the Real Madrid midfielder finished delicately round Gianluigi Buffon.
With Italy shellshocked van Nistelrooy had a glorious chance to put the game beyond doubt after a superb through ball from van der Vaart but fired straight at the legs of Buffon.
Roberto Donadoni threw Alessandro Del Piero and Antonio Cassano on in an attempt to create something and the latter forged a wonderful opening for Toni but the Bayern Munich man panicked and lobbed over.
The Dutch then rounded off proceedings with another deadly counter attack.
Andrea Pirlo looked to have got one back for the Italians but his free-kick was brilliantly palmed out by van der Sar. Within a matter of seconds that man van Bronckhorst was heading Kuyt's cross into Buffon's net.
Substitute Ibrahim Afellay was given a chance to show what he can do and he almost scored a contender for goal of the tournament after bemusing Fabio Grosso before unleashing a rasping effort that beat Buffon but not the bar.
Everybody had been waiting for this tournament to come alive and tonight - at long, long last - it did. No doubt everyone will be writing off the Italians and hailing the Dutch as runaway champions but as long as the remaining games follow on in this pattern I, for one, will be happy.
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