The penalty shootout might have been sub-par but the 120 minutes that preceded them between Germany and Italy was one for the tactical purists.
Both sides used the 3-5-2 formation, with Germany doing so to counter the formation which had served Italy well under Antonio Conte at Euro 2016.
The Azzurri manager has really impressed observers with his tactical take on the game and also with the way he has passionately transmitted his message to his squad.
With Conte now moving to Chelsea, he has drawn comparisons to an intense ex-Blues tactician in the shape of Jose Mourinho, which may not be entirely accurate.
"Certainly in his three years at Juventus, while they were very successful, it's not lost on everybody that after he left, the guy who replaced him [Massimiliano Allegri] did even better and was 90 minutes away from the treble [in 2015]," said The Times and ESPN football writer Gabriele Marcotti on the subject when he spoke to Off The Ball.
"Some people attributed that to the fact that Conte over time, especially with the veteran players that were there at Juve, they got a little bit tired of that continuous intensity. And I think in that sense, Mourinho is someone who's been better, he can drive people hard and before last season anyway, probably a better individual man-manager over the long run than Conte."
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