Italy were embarrassing for 76 minutes, but Alberto Gilardino's hat-trick fought back from 2-0 down to beat Cyprus 3-2!

The Azzurri were already qualified for the World Cup, so Marcello Lippi performed some experiments in an all-new line-up for the final match. Fabio Cannavaro returned from suspension, while Alberto Gilardino got a start after coming off the bench to net the decisive goal in Dublin on Saturday night. The squad was completely revamped and saw Simone Pepe fielded in an unusual midfield role.

Cyprus ended Bulgaria's qualifying hopes at the weekend with a 4-1 hammering and were only beaten 2-1 in the September 2008 first round thanks to Antonio Di Natale's stoppage-time winner. In fact, the visitors got off to a very aggressive start, forcing a corner and then Ioannis Okkas firing over in the opening 90 seconds.

At the other end, Gennaro Gattuso won back the ball to spark Gila's counter, pulled back for Fabio Quagliarella to test the goalkeeper.

But it was no real surprise when Cyprus took the lead with a well-worked move. It started down the left as Konstantinos Makridis dribbled between two players and his slide-rule pass found Okkas at full stretch to toe-poke past Marchetti. Italy had also gone behind in the early stages in Dublin.

Okkas sprung the offside trap soon after to go clear on goal and drilled wide. Santon created a great chance when he skipped past three defenders and rolled back to a totally unmarked Pepe in the D, but the Udinese man ballooned well over.

Gaetano D'Agostino threaded through to send Gilardino one-on-one, but goalkeeper Sofronis Avgousti plucked the ball off his feet. Giuseppe Rossi's angled drive was deflected into the arms of Avgousti after Salvatore Bocchetti's cross was left by both Gila and Quagliarella.

Quagliarella was lining up a shot just outside the box when he was hacked down with a studs on the ankle challenge, but the referee opted not to wave the yellow card. D'Agostino took the free kick, which whipped inches past the near post.

Pepe wasted his second golden opportunity of the match, as a perfect counter saw Rossi flick the ball up for the Udinese player to scuff his volley from 10 yards.

Cyprus were forced into a substitution, as Paraskevas Christou picked up an injury and made way for Marinos Satsias. Italy made a tactical change, moving Pepe and Quagliarella to the wings of a 4-4-1-1.

Makridis needed a crucial defensive header to prevent Gilardino getting on the end of a Bocchetti cross from the left. Marios Ilia's header from a corner was comfortably held by Marchetti.

Gattuso was booked on the stroke of half-time for a late tackle on Andreas Avraam. Gilardino knocked down a long Cannavaro pass for Quagliarella's shot on the bounce to fly over. The Azzurri go into the second half hoping to defend their unbeaten record in qualifying, but were jeered off mercilessly by the Tardini crowd at the break.

Lippi made two changes, introducing Antonio Di Natale and Mauro Camoranesi in place of Rossi and Pepe, who were both particularly disappointing in the first 45 minutes.

However, it was Cyprus who went 2-0 up! A Gamberini header flicked on Makridis' cross and Chrysostomos Michail lined up the volley perfectly from eight yards. It flashed past Bocchetti and across the face of goal and the Tardini fans chanted for Antonio Cassano to be recalled to the squad.

It said something of Italy's form on this evening that Gattuso had their best chance of the game so far. Cannavaro sparked the counter from midfield and the Milan midfielder smashed a powerful effort that stung Avgousti's palms.

Di Natale was twice flagged offside, but Cyprus held the ball well. Di Natale tried to dribble through a wall of defenders after Gattuso again started the move and the final substitution saw D'Agostino replaced by Daniele De Rossi.

Di Natale nutmegged Sinisa Dobrasinovic only to hit the weak finish straight at the goalkeeper.

There was a fine opportunity on 73 minutes, as De Rossi rose above the crowd for a header into the ground from Di Natale's cross, which Avgousti did very well to parry.

The substitutions livened the Azzurri up, as first Avgosti came flying off his line to prod the ball off Quagliarella's feet, then the move continued with a Di Natale screamer swerving inches past the post.

They finally hit the back of the net with Gilardino's second goal in as many games, a trademark glancing header from Camoranesi's cross that slotted into the far bottom corner.

Incredibly, Italy completed the comeback from 2-0 down to 2-2 in the space of three minutes! Quagliarella crossed from the right byline and again Gilardino was there to pounce, volleying in from six yards! It was the Fiorentina hitman's 15th goal for his country.

However, Marchetti had to perform a spectacular one-handed save to palm Konstantis Charalampidis' snapshot round the far post.

Di Natale almost scored one of the goals of the season, as he kept his volley so low from practically the byline that it squirmed between the goalkeeper's legs and hit the upright! Santon had provided the cross and went for goal himself soon after with a powerful blockbuster.

Cyprus had lost 2-1 to Italy at the 92nd in stoppages and they were punished again! Gilardino wanted to claim the hat-trick, but by the time he got the final touch to Quagliarella's angled drive, it was already on the line. It remains to be seen who will get that goal, but so far FIFA have credited it to Gilardino.

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