The second half lacked the you-score, we-score, theatre of the opening 45 minutes but as the match moved into the final 20 minutes of normal time, the players started to tire in the heat and there was an increasing sense of anxiety emanating from the stands.

BBC: Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff

But the FF, inching through the stultifying heat for hour after hour, behaved impeccably: no glitches, no coughs, no smell of burning flesh emanating from the vents.

BBC: Cruising around northern Italy