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 France favored for Azzurri meeting
 Zidane (left) has kept the opposition at full stretch with superb performances in Germany. SPECIAL REPORTMUNICH, Germany -- France go into Wednesday night's World Cup semifinal in Munich as favorites having won their seven previous meetings with Portugal, including a controversial victory at the same stage of Euro 2000. France have recovered their poise after a shaky start to beat Spain and reigning champions Brazil, while Portugal have scored just one goal in dispatching the Netherlands and England on penalties. Zinedine Zidane has inspired Les Blues with peerless performances, but Portugal will welcome back their own playmaker Deco who was suspended for the England match. With the return of fellow midfielder Costinha, who also served a one-match ban, Portugal are better equipped to reverse the pattern of recent history, with revenge for the 2000 defeat a powerful motivator. A disputed penalty gave the French, who went on to take the European title, a 2-1 'golden goal' victory and the semifinal ended in an unpleasant fracas. "The 2000 game has stuck in our throats a bit," said striker Helder Postiga. The way we lost was frustrating. We started well and thought we would win. I hope the story is different this time." France, the 1998 World Cup winners, also beat the Portuguese in the semifinals of the 1984 European championships, but despite the positive omens coach Raymond Domenech is warning his men to forget the past to earn the right to play Italy on Sunday in Berlin. "We've already beaten Portugal but I'm not into statistics, that's history, this is 2006, the reality is on Wednesday night," he said. Emerging midfielder Franck Ribery is also warning against complacency after the high of beating Brazil 1-0 in the quarterfinals. "I think it will be tougher against Portugal. They have talented players like Brazil and they are better organized as a team." Domenech is expected to name an unchanged side for the third successive game, a preferred 4-2-3-1 formation with Zidane pulling the strings and Arsenal's Thierry Henry alone up front. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari prefers a combative 4-5-1 system with Pauleta as the lone striker. Midfielder Armando Petit is suspended for one game, while he is waiting on the fitness of Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. Facing technically superior teams in the last two rounds, Portugal have been criticized for rough play and using gamesmanship to unsettle their opponents but Scolari is unabashed. "The spirit of this team is remarkable," Scolari said. "This is a new Portugal team and it's a new spirit. It's a warrior spirit. This is what we were missing in the past. "We had great technical players but now we have added a warrior spirit." 
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