Germany booked their place in the semi-finals of Euro 2008 with a thrilling 3-2 win over Portugal.






GERMANY

Lehmann: 6.5 - Was blameless on both goals and in truth did not put a foot wrong all night. Commanded his area well.

Friedrich: 6 - Had a nervy 20 minute spell before half time, and struggled against Nani after his introduction. Can be exposed.

Mertesacker: 6 - Won everything in the air as is to be expected, but still looks suspect when being run at by players.

Metzelder: 6 - His fitness is improving but he still resembles something of a blithering idiot. Is lucky that there are no outstanding forwards on Germany’s side of the draw.

Lahm: 7.5 - Has been outstanding at Euro 2008 and was again excellent tonight, despite facing up against the dangerous Bosingwa. The contest between the two was a fascinating duel.

Schweinsteiger: 9 - Electric tonight, crucifying Ferreira at times. Scored the first goal, and created the second and third. What more can you ask for?

Ballack: 9 - A mountain in the middle of the park. Bullied the Portugal midfield, involved in the first goal, and scored Germany’s third. A real leader.

Rolfes: 6.5 - Filled in well for the injured Frings. Nothing spectacular but was disciplined and kept things ticking over in the middle-of-the-park.

Hitzlsperger: 6 - Offered balance down the left, even if he was not too involved in the action before being substituted.

Klose: 7.5 - Had been under-par in the group stages, but tonight was his best performance of the tournament so far. Held the ball up well, linked the play and took his goal well.

Podolski: 7 - Drifted in and out of the game, but had some excellent moments, creating Schweinsteiger’s opener, and also firing inches wide with a left foot rocket.

Subs:

Borowski: 6 – Came on for the final 15 minutes to add some defensive stability into the midfield.

Fritz: N/A-

Jansen- N/A


PORTUGAL

Ricardo: 4 – Has been shaky throughout these Euros and he made a suicidal decision to race off his line on Ballack’s goal.

Bosingwa: 7.5 – Outstanding going forward, bombing down the flank at every opportunity. His crossing was excellent too, creating a fine chance for Moutinho at 0-0.

Pepe: 5.5 – A powerful defender who coped physically with the German attack, even if he was dragged out of position on a few too many occasions. Missed a sitter to equalise at 1-2.

Carvalho: 5.5 – Relatively sound at the back, but not the dominant presence he has been for Chelsea this season. Should have been organizing the defence at set-pieces.

Ferreira: 3 – A horror-show from Ferreira, who was always going to be a weak link. Troubled by Schweinsteiger, and at fault on both the first and third goals.

Moutinho: 5 – Had a poor first half-hour before he was forced off with injury. Missed a sitter at 0-0, and was completely over-run in midfield.

Petit: 6 – In the side to protect the back four but in large failed to do so, particularly in the first half when Germany broke past him at will.

Simao: 5 – Started brightly and missed an early chance but ultimately was a disappointment. Most of what he attempted failed to come off, and he wasted the ball on too many occasions.

Deco: 8 – A class act, and easily his side’s best player. At the centre of every Portugal move. Elegant, inventive, he helped create Nuno Gomes’ goal, and also set-up chances for Simao and Pepe.

Ronaldo: 6 – Had an excellent 20 minute spell at the end of the first half when he was involved in Nuno Gomes’ goal, and then shot just wide himself. However he went missing for spells of the game.

Nuno Gomes: 6 – Scored Portugal’s goal to bring them back into the game but did not make any other contribution before he was substituted.

Substitutes

Raul Meireles: 6 – Helped the Portuguese backline more than Moutinho, but did not offer too much.

Nani: 7 – A bright spark after coming on, going on one excellent run, and providing the cross for Postiga’s goal.

Postiga: 6 – Set up a grandstand finish by heading home on 86 minutes.

German midfielder Bastian returned to the German line-up looking to make amends for his red card against Croatia. He scored the opener once again showed his best form as Germany made it through to the semi final.



Germany have become the first side through to the semi finals after defeating Portugal 3-2 in Basel. Without trainer Joachim Löw, they took a 2-0 lead through goals from Schweinsteiger and Klose.

Nuno Gomes pulled one back shortly before half time only for Michael Ballack to restore their two-goal lead with a header.

A late goal from Postiga set up a grandstand finish but the Germans prevailed to make it into the last four.

“I am extremely happy that we won the game” Schweinsteiger said after the game.

“We are now amongst the top four and have knocked one of the best teams out of the tournament.

“We played for the trainer tonight. I knew that I made a mistake against Croatia, so I wanted to help the team as much as I possibly could.

“In football anything is possible and tonight we showed the German character” he added.

ITALY

Buffon: 8 – Confirmed his status as the best goalkeeper in the world with a simply magnificent fingertip save from Benzema.

Zambrotta: 7.5 – Bombed up and down the right flank, particularly in the first half. Back to something near his best following his mistake against Romania.

Panucci: 6.5 – A calming influence in defence. Offered some tactical organisation in the absence of Cannavaro. Almost scored with a header too.

Chiellini: 6.5 – Another committed display from Chiellini, who showed his typical leadership qualities. Made one mistake in letting Henry through but he was not made to pay.

Grosso: 7 – Not as impressive as in his first two games, but still did very well, and almost scored when his free kick crashed off the post.

Gattuso: 7 – Surprisingly good in the first half, he was simply more up for the game than the French. Tired as the match wore on. Booked and will miss the quarter final against Spain.

Pirlo: 8 – Simply on another planet in the first half. Scored the penalty, dictated the play, and one through ball to Perrotta was pure genius. Also got booked and will be a big miss against Spain.

De Rossi: 9 – An absolute colossus in the centre of midfield. This was the De Rossi who was the best player in Serie A last season. Scored a fortuitous goal, but he deserved this luck. A beast.

Perrotta: 6 – A little off the pace, but once again he provided some much needed balance to the Italian midfield.

Cassano: 7 – Drifted in an out of the game, but had his moments, including one stunning back heeled through ball to Zambrotta. Will need to bring some more effectiveness into his game, even if he is clearly a better choice than Del Piero.

Toni: 6.5 – Held the ball up well, and won the penalty, but he could have had a double hat-trick tonight so awful was his finishing. I have never seen a striker scuff so many shots in one game. Looked exhausted at the end - could the long season have taken its toll?

Substitutes

Ambrosini: 6 – Slightly bemusing decision by Donadoni to bring him on for Pirlo, but it seemed to work in quelling France's strong start to the second half.

Camoranesi: 6 – Never really got into the game during his limited time on the field, although he had one shot deflected wide.

Aquilani: N/A – No time to make an impact.


FRANCE

Coupet: 8 – Has been criticised this tournament but tonight he was superb, helping to keep the score down with a brilliant tip onto the post from Grosso, and another save onto the woodwork from Toni in injury time.

Clerc: 6 – Not too bad defensively, and did not disgrace himself against Cassano. Provided nothing going forward though.

Abidal: 4 – Shocking decision by Domenech to play him at centre back. The game was lost when he gave away a penalty and got himself sent off. I wonder what Philippe Mexes must be thinking sitting on his settee in Rome.

Gallas: 5 – Struggled to cope with Toni’s strength, and was only let off by the striker’s dreadful finishing. A bad example to his team-mates also. How he is captain of Arsenal I do not know.

Evra: 5.5 – Certainly not the same outstanding player for country that he is for his club. Seemed disinterested at times. Was he playing for his manager?

Makelele: 5.5 – One of the greatest holding midfielders of all time, but at the age of 35 his time is now up. It is time to pass over the baton.

Toulalan: 7.5 – Excellent. Did virtually everything in midfield for France, and created the team’s best chance for Henry. One of the few French players who was really up for the game.

Ribery: N/A – Started brightly before picking up what looked a serious injury after just eight minutes. His departure was a massive blow.

Govou: 4 – Virtually anonymous. Govou shouldn’t have even made the French squad, let alone the team. Simply a disgrace that David Trezeguet was left at home.

Henry: 6.5 – Tried his best, and caused the Italians some problems at times. However he missed a fine chance to equalise at 0-1, and had the misfortune of deflecting De Rossi’s free kick into his own net.

Benzema: 7 – A bright spark up-front for France. Always looked the most likely player to score, and would have hit the back of the net if it wasn’t for a world class save from Buffon.

Substitutes

Nasri: N/A – Replaced the injured Ribery but only lasted 16 minutes before he was withdrawn for Boumsong following Abidal’s sending off.

Boumsong: 6 – Had a nervy first five minutes after coming on, but in truth he didn’t do too bad given the circumstances.

Anelka: 6 –Made no impact on the game following his late introduction.

Despite making no fewer than nine changes to their side, the Dutch maintained their 100% record with an easy win over a Romanian side that simply was not up to it on such a crucial night. The Tricolorii go home, while the Dutch prepare to meet Russia or Sweden

The World Champions of Italy might have so nearly been humbled, and France may also have left with their tails between their legs, but the fairytale of Romania's advancement through the 'Group of Death' concluded before the final chapter was written.

For it was the jubilant Dutch that left with all three points in Bern, Marco van Basten's all-changed line-up doing more than enough to sink their opponents on what was a largely uninspiring occasion.

First Half

Very little occurred to excite the largely Dutch crowd in the stadium in the opening stages. The Netherlands, perhaps finding their feet with an unfamiliar line-up, were content to work through slow buildup. Romania, meanwhile, offered little.

Bit after the quarter hour mark the Tricolorii began to apply a little bit of pressure with their possession, mainly through Adrian Mutu. The striker, though, was to endure a luckless evening from a wide position behind Marius Niculae, hit his first real chance off Wilfred Bouma 20 minutes in.

At the other end, the Holland side sprung into life. First Afellay cut the ball back wonderfully into the box only for Chivu to clear at full stretch as the danger mounted.

The game took on something of an end-to-end quality for a while after that, but neither side looked particularly coherent. The Dutch, though, marginally had the better of it, not least after Huntelaar flicked the ball on to an unmarked Robben 35 minutes in only for the Real Madrid man to drag his shot just wide when he shohld have scored.

Codrea passed up a similarly positive opportunity at the other end, albeit from longer range, as half time approached, and although the Romanians had made them sweat on occasion the Dutch seemed to be on top.

Second Half

Still, the Romanians had everything to play for in the second period and came out with all due enthusiasm. After some pressure in the final third, though, a wasted free-kick was all that the Tricolorii had to show for their efforts.

The Oranje, then, took the initiative once more. Van Persie, getting on the end of a lovely long ball, was let down by a weak shot on the turn, but soon enough it was to be 1-0 to the Oranje.

It was a well-worked team effort, and it came on the break. Romania surrendered the ball, and the Dutch brought it down the right. Afellay crossed it in low, and with Engelaar stepping over it, there was Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to decisively side-foot it into the back of the net.

Romania had to do something, and Daniel Niculae came on for namesake Marius to reply to Melchiot's coming on for Boulahrouz. The Dutch, not to be outdone, then raised the stakes by replacing Robben with Kuyt.

Kuyt was to see plenty of the ball over the next ten minutes, although there were to be relatively few chances. Afellay had the best of it 20 minutes from time after being put through by Van Persie, but a sliding challenge from Tamas did for that.

Romania, despite still having it all to play for, were exhausted and presumably demoralised by news of Italy's 2-0 lead, and it showed as the jubilant Dutch finished strongly. Indeed, they were to find a second goal: atoning for his earlier miss, Robin Van Persie getting on the end of a cross from the right before beating Lobont with a wonderful effort into the roof of the net.

The Tricolorii heads, then, were well and truly down, and the Dutch held theirs high as they take their 100% record to the next round to meet Sweden or Russia. Romania, who started so well and shocked the world champions and France, leave empty-handed.

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo believes his side’s Group A closer against Switzerland will give fringe players the perfect opportunity to stake their claim for the first-team



Portugal have already secured their passage to the EURO 2008 quarterfinals after collecting a maximum six points from their clashes against Turkey and the Czech Republic.

Their co-hosts have already been eliminated, and Luiz Felipe Scolari is expected to make a number of changes to his starting line-up for Tuesday’s outing in Basel.

But Ronaldo was quick to insist that the encounter is far from meaningless, as it will give squad players the chance to prove their worth and possibly earn a starting role during the knockout stages.

"Players who have not played yet will get a chance," said the Manchester United superstar.

"They'll want to show the coach they want to be in the team in future."

Surprises

Ronaldo is one of the big names expected to be rested by Scolari, along with Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, while the likes of Ricardo Quaresma and Miguel Veloso are expected to start.

But the 23-year-old is adamant that his team-mates must not become complacent, insisting every bit of preparation will prove vital going into the latter stages of the tournament.

"We have to expect that, as the tournament goes on, it's going to be more difficult with each game," said Ronaldo.

"There have already been surprises. A lot of people thought Germany would win their group but they lost to Croatia."

Spain Vs Sweden Highlights : Euro 2008 Highlights
UEFA EURO 2008 GROUP D:
Spain Vs Sweden Highlights
Date: Sat 14 June
Kick-off: 1700 BST
Venue: Stadion Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck



Video Highlights Sweden Vs Spain

France

Coupet: 5 - Made a couple of good stops and was powerless to stop the first and last goal. He would have done extremely well to stop the second, but ultimately should have been able to keep out the third from Robben, which went over his head at the near post.

Sagnol: 7 - Got up and down his flank to decent effect. Was better than against Romania, but did not win his duel with Sneijder in the Dutch half or his own. Provided a smart ball across goal for Henry to touch home.

Thuram: 3 - Had a nightmare and looked every one of his 36 years. Was not quick or sharp enough and was even out-muscled and caught out of position from time to time. With no Mexes to step in, it's likely he will nevertheless retain his place in the side against Italy..

Gallas: 6.5 - Was strong at the back and, unlike Thuram, had the athleticism to keep pace with the Dutch forwards. Could have done little to stop the goals that punished his side on the break.

Evra: 7 - Looked a great fit in the side. Not afforded as much offensive freedom as usual but his defensive discipline was a testament to his all-round ability as a full-back.

Govou: 7.5 - A great addition to the team down the right wing and worked tremendously hard for his side. Had a few half chances and the Dutch a number of problems.

Toulalan: 7 - Grew into the game and was solid defensively, also playing neat and tidy passes throughout. Became overrun towards the end of the game.

Makelele: 6 - Made some horrible challenges but otherwise played quite well, full of energy and not allowing the Dutch too much freedom. Did not give up until the end.

Ribery: 7 - Lively and full of running but too selfish at crucial moments. Has not yet provided the magic spark he did for Bayern this season.

Malouda: 5 - Barring a few moments where he showed the skill we all know him to have, Malouda had a poor game. He gave the ball away far too often and was not incisive enough with his running or passing.

Henry: 6.5 - Some good movement but ultimately was kept out of the game for far too long, which is hardly his own fault. Had a big miss with the score at 1-0, but did pull back a smart goal to make it 2-1, only for the Dutch to add another less than a minute later.

Substitutes

Gomis: 5

Anelka: n/a.


Holland

Van der Sar: 7 - Made some solid stops, particularly midway through the first half, and looked dependable throughout.

Boulahrouz: 9 - Brilliant! Made several perfect challenges and gave Malouda no joy down the left hand side, or Evra, or even Ribery when he came over to that side as well. An incredible showing from the Chelsea man. Will Scolari be interested in hanging onto him now?

Ooijer: 8 - The player of the first half. Very quick to close down any French attacks and stayed tight to his man. His overcommitment occasionally almost left him exposed, but his was a performance tailor-made for the day.

Mathijsen: 5.5 - A little off the pace on the odd occasion and was caught out regularly when the French roved forward.

Van Bronckhorst: 7 - Had a stern test up against the vibrant Sidney Govou and often Franck Ribery doubling up as well, but he coped very well with a tenacious performance.

De Jong: 7 - Stuck in there to his credit, but could not impose himself on the game as he would have liked.

Engelaar: 5 - Surprisingly off-colour after a very good first game against Italy. Misplaced passes and was not as big a presence in stopping the dynamic Franck Ribery. Was substituted at half time.

Kuyt: 7.5 - Tenacious as ever playing down the right hand side. A well-taken header, in the right place at the right time from close range from a corner kick.

Van der Vaart: 7 - Smart passing as usual, not quite as expansive and marked tighter than he was against Italy.

Sneijder: 8.5 - Like Kuyt, worked tremendously hard down his flank, doubling up to assist van Bronckhorst on defensive duty brilliantly. Good pace when breaking forward and scored an absolute beauty in the dying seconds.

Van Nistelrooy: 8 - Moved very freely and held the ball up brilliantly for his side all over the pitch. Did not get into the box as much as he would have liked against a very disciplined French rearguard. Amazingly, he didn't score, but he showed several touches of pure class, including two 360-spins that would have made Cruyff himself proud.

Substitutes

Robben: 8.5 - A magnificent performance off the bench. His devastating pace put the French to the sword and his tight-angle blast gave the Dutch the initiative back after having just conceded.

Van Persie: 8 - Full of energy and was in the right place at the right time to thump home the second goal. An ambitious substitution that paid off.

Bouma: 6.5

ROMANIA

Labont 9 – A series of stunning saves to deny the Italians. The stops from Toni and De Rossi headers were world class.

Contra 6.5 – Sound down the right flank, even if he was left exposed in the first half to Grosso’s forward thrusts.

Tamas 8 – Outstanding. A rock in defence. Also good in possession, and went close with a long range free kick.

Goian 7 – Continued his solid partnership with Tamas, as the pair impressed for the second game running.

Rat 6.5 – Did really well going forward, but was caused a few problems defensively by Camoranesi in the first half.

Petre 4.5 – Very poor. Torn apart by Grosso, and also missed a fine chance at 1-1 to put his side back ahead.

Chivu 7 – A class act once again in the middle of the park. Took control in the second half after Perrotta went off the field. Hit post with a deflected free kick.

Radoi 6 – Made a steady start to the game until he was substituted after just 20 minutes due to a facial injury.

Codrea 6 – Lots of quantity in midfield but not too much quality. Made one goal saving tackle on Perrotta.

Mutu 7.5 – A quiet first half, but outstanding after the break. Put Romania ahead, created a one-on-one chance for Petre, but unfortunately missed a penalty. However it wasn’t really a miss, it was a wonder-save from Buffon.

Niculae 6 – Busy and industrious throughout although he maybe should have been more involved.

Subs

Dica 6.5 - Replaced Radoi early on, and largely did well. Inventive, intricate and tricky in possession.

Nicolita 6 - Did much better than the player he replaced, and contributed to Romania's sound final third to the game.

Cocis N/A - Brought on to run down the clock.


ITALY

Buffon 9 – His penalty save was worth this rating alone, a stop that will go down as one of the great saves in European Championships history.

Zambrotta 5 – Shocking mistake for Mutu’s goal, and struggled at times to get the better of Rat.

Panucci 7.5 – Excellent at the back. Organised the defence, and scored Italy’s equaliser. Conceded the penalty, but it was a very poor decision by the referee, and that is being kind and diplomatic.

Chiellini 6.5 – Won everything in the air, and formed a decent partnership with Panucci. Created his partner’s goal with header towards the far post.

Grosso 8 – Outstanding again, particularly in the first half when he bombarded forward at will, and whipped in some great crosses.

De Rossi 6 – Slightly disappointing, but still much better than the players he replaced Ambrosini and Gattuso. Would have scored with a header if it wasn’t for a magnificent Lobont save.

Pirlo 6.5 – Kept Italy ticking in the middle of the park, but did not find any killer passes. His set-pieces were generally poor.

Perrotta 6.5 – Nothing eye-catching but he was crucial to Italy’s balance, which was the key to Italy’s fine first half. Donadoni blundered again by taking him off, thus completely unbalancing the side.

Camoranesi 7.5 – Italy’s best final-third player, he was involved in everything in the first half. Tired after the break.

Del Piero 5 – A massive disappointment. Missed an excellent early chance, and then never made an impact, leading to his eventual substitution.

Toni 7 – All that was missing from his performance was a goal, and in truth he did find the back of the net but was denied by a simply shocking decision from the linesman. Could have had a hat-trick today. Unlucky.

Subs

Cassano 7 – A bright spark after coming on, but Donadoni replaced him for the wrong player, meaning he was playing in an unbalanced team. Once again Donadoni got it all wrong.

Quagliarella 6 – Did not get enough touched to make an impact in the game.

Ambrosini N/A – Only played a few minutes at the end.

Germany Vs Croatia Highlights and Video Euro 2008 on June 12, 2008.

Germany Vs Croatia Euro 2008 Highlights :

Stage: Group B
Venue: Wortherseestadion
Date: June 12, 2008


Germany Vs Croatia Starting Lineup/Eleven :


Germany Probable Starting Lineup :

Coach: Joachim Loew
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence: Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Metzelder, Marcell Jansen
Midfield: Clemens Fritz, Torsten Frings, Ballack, Podolski
Forwards: Klose, Gomez

Croatia Probable Starting Lineup :

Coach: Slaven Bilic
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence: Dario Simic, Robert Kovac, Simunic, Vedran Corluka
Midfield: Niko Kovac, Luka Modric, Darijo Srna, Niko Kranjcar
Forwards: Ivan Rakitic, Ivica Olic


First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

Goals

Portugal ace Cristiano Ronaldo was pleased with his side's win over the Czech Republic and believes they're now in with a good chance of winning the whole competition


Ronaldo played a big part in all three of his side's goals, racing in with an intelligent run beyond the defence to commit Petr Cech before seeing the ball bounce out to Deco, who could not miss at the second time of asking. He then scored the second just after the hour mark, with his side having been pulled back to 1-1, rifling home from the edge of the area. The third was scored right at the death, with the Czechs fully committed to grabbing an equaliser, Ronaldo dashed onto Deco's pin-point through ball before unselfishly playing in substitute Ricardo Quaresma for a tap-in.




"It's a very good feeling," said Ronaldo after the game. "We have almost reached our aim, which was to get out of this phase and reach the next. I was very happy to help my team-mates win.

"We played really well even though the Czech Republic played very well in the first half and we found it difficult to penetrate their defence. We played as a team and know how to sacrifice everything for the team.

"We have a good chance [to win the competition] but we must respect our opponents who want to win as much as we do."

He dedicated his goal to the Score for Red Cross campaign, a humanitarian project started by UEFA and Red Cross, of which he is the ambassador."My goal goes to the Red Cross which makes me very proud." Every goal not scored in a penalty shootout will result in a €4,000 donation to the campaign.

György Mezey, one of the UEFA Technical Team who awarded Ronaldo Man of the Match, shed light on his decision: "You do not need to explain why he is Man of the Match. He scores goals and sets them up and did very well throughout the game.

"It was a very good game, a football festival played between two very well-prepared teams with fantastic individual performances. In one-v-one situations they were not able to mark Ronaldo, he was always dangerous."

Czech Republic coach Karel Brückner also gave his thoughts on the 23-year-old: "Ronaldo is one of the best players. He is a very dangerous weapon but the Portugal team is not only about Ronaldo. They have other very good players, but Ronaldo might be the best at EURO 2008."

Croatia stunned Germany by beating them 2-1 in their Group B fixture.

GERMANY

Lehmann: 6- Beaten twice but not at fault for either goal. Let down by Jansen for the first and beaten by a wicked deflection for the second. He pulled off a top reflex save in the first half to deny Kranjcar.

Lahm: 6- Another quiet game from Lahm. We didn’t see him getting forward as much as he does with Bayern, and he had to switch to left back in the second half as Löw switched things around.

Mertesacker: 6.5- Began the game very well blocking and intercepting everything the Croats threw forward, but was helpless to stop them scoring twice.

Metzelder: 6- Metzelder still looked a long way off the pace at times, but is getting through on defensive ability and cleverness. Lost possession cheaply at times, but did get back late on to deny Modric a goal scoring chance.

Jansen: 4.5- Jansen had a bit of a nightmare. Looked good going forward but hopeless defensively. Lost Srna in the box for Croatia’s opener and was hauled off by Joachim Löw at half time

Frings: 6.5- Solid enough but not his dynamic best.

Ballack: 6.5- Captain Ballack did his best to drive the team forward in the second half after going 2-0 down. His header ultimately lead to Podolski’s goals late on.

Fritz: 6- Had a better game than last time out against Poland, but not much of a threat going forward. Had to drop back to full back at half time with Jansen going off and Lahm switching flanks.

Podolski: 7- Another goal for the Bayern striker but it wasn’t enough to spare the Germans defeat. Seems to be enjoying his new role out on the left of midfield.

Klose: 5- A rather anonymous game from the German striker. Difficult to remember any threatening chances on goal.

Gomez: 6- The number one German striker had another quiet game and failed to really threaten the Croat goal. Substituted in the second half for Schweinsteiger.

Subs:

Odonkor: 5- Didn’t really have the desired impact after being brought on at half time

Schweinsteiger: 5- Did inject a little skill and direction after coming on, but blotted his copy book by becoming the first player sent off at this summer’s finals

Kuranyi- n/a


CROATIA

Pletikosa: 6.5- Not too busy overall but did produce a fine save from Ballack in the first half. Helpless to stop Podolski’s goal in the second period.

Corluka: 6.5- A good overall display from the Manchester City full back. Didn’t venture forward as much as Panic on the other flank.

R. Kovac: 7.0- A solid defensive performance from Kovac although the danger from Klose and Gomez wasn’t as great as he may have feared prior to the game. His weak header set-up Podolski for the German goal.

Simunic: 7.0- A fine display from the Hertha Berlin defender alongside Kovac at the heart of the Croatian defence.

Pranjic: 7.5- The Heerenveen full back made plenty of forays forward and looked secure at the back. Secure in defence and a threat going forward.

Srna: 8.0- The Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder had a very good game running himself into the ground before being substituted in the second half. He scored the first goal and was a constant threat with his deliveries from corners and free kicks.

N.Kovac: 7.0- There was some tough tackling from the Salzburg midfielder, and while unspectacular, he performed an important job for Croatia in the heart f the midfield allowing the likes of Modric and Kranjcar forward

Kranjcar: 7.0- A fine display from the Portsmouth midfielder. He was pushed a little further forward to support the lone striker Olic. He wasted a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the first half after firing straight at Lehmann. Used possession well.

Modric: 8- Ever busy and always looking to create. He kept going right to the end and very nearly got on the end of a good counter attack only to be denied by the stronger Metzelder.

Rakitic: 7.0- The Schalke midfielder had a fine game and linked play up well. It was his cross that was deflected onto the post leading to the second goal from Olic.

Olic: 7.5- The Croat lone striker ran himself into the ground before being replaced in the second half by the fresher Petric. He was rewarded for his efforts with the second goal of the evening.

Subs:

Petric: 6- Did well when brought on to provide fresher legs after Olic had tired.

Leko: 5- The main talking point will be the incident that led to the sending off of Schweinsteiger. He was pushed but he went down rather theatrically.

Knezevic: n/a

Portugal and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has dropped a bombshell as he insists he likes wearing a white football kit.

The midfield magician looked back on his performance following his side’s 3-1 win over the Czech Republic as they book their place in the quarter finals.

He believes his side can go on and win the tournament and he revealed he likes playing in white as he drops an ironic hint to Real Madrid.

“I really like playing in a white football kit, the white national kit that is,” Ronaldo told Marca.

“I am really happy with my goal, when you score against Cech it makes you feel even better.

"I am in good shape and training well but the best is yet to come.”

Ronaldo also spoke about his side’s chances

“Our main aim was to get to next phase. I'm very happy to have helped my team-mates to win,” said Ronaldo

"We played very well, although the Czech Republic played very well in the first half.

"It was very difficult to penetrate their defence. Portugal have played well in the first match and well again in this match as a team.

"We know how to sacrifice everything for the good of the team. We have now got a big chance but must respect our opponents because they too have a mission - they want to win as we do.”

Portugal will play Switzerland in their last group A game on Sunday and then they will play the group B runner up which is likely to be Croatia.

Portugal produced a strong display to overcome a much improved Czech Republic side and secure qualification from Group A..

Portugal

Ricardo: 6 - Not tested all that often, but had a couple of shaky moments, flapping at one corner in particular which, fortunately for him, did not cost his side a goal. Made one great save from Sionko which helped his rating.

Bosingwa: 7 - His pace was an asset in making a number of saving tackles. Wasn't prolific enough in possession going forward.

Pepe: 8 - A commanding presence as usual. Tremendously strong and fast which made him very hard to beat.

Carvalho: 7.5 - Swept up routinely at the back and rarely looked troubled. Did well to keep pace with Milan Baros on the most part.

Ferreira: 7 - Certainly gets an A for effort, particularly going forward and supplying crosses on his left foot despite being a right-back. Was not entirely comfortable with Sionko running at him, but hung in there to his credit.

Simao: 6 - Had a poor first half but became more involved in the second. Still seemed too hesitant in possession to make the difference; allowed himself to be closed down too easily.

Petit: 5 - Was poor, which will disappoint him after a good start in the previous game. Gave away careless fouls as he got tired towards the end of the game. Will be hoping he will keep his place in the side as he is playing his last tournament for his country.

Deco: 8.5 - Continued his good form from the first game and looked fitter as well. Played well in the build-up to the first and ensured the ball eventually got over the line. Also provided a smart assist for the match-winner and a great through-pass that eventually resulted in the third.

Moutinho: 6.5 - A little lost in today's game, but kept things moving and did the simple things well. Lacked the physical presence to impose himself against the Czechs' midfield.

Ronaldo : 8.5 - A consistent menace. Took his goal brilliantly, made a good run to eventually play a vital part in the opener as well and was selfless when playing in Quaresma for the third at the death when he could have scored himself.

Nuno Gomes: 7.5 - Understated but crucial. Played a smart reverse pass in the build-up to the opening goal for Ronaldo. Had a couple of decent efforts himself. Kept the defenders busy.

Substitutes

Meira: 6.5 - Defensively solid.

Almeida: 5 - Poor first touch, gave the ball away too often.

Quaresma: 6.5 - In the right place at the right time to tap in the third.



Czech Republic

Cech: 7 - Did his utmost to keep the goals out but was given very little chance. Made some good saves and was as reliable as ever.

Grygera: 6 - Somewhat positionally suspect for the first goal, but otherwise fairly solid down the right hand side.

Ujfalusi: 7 - A strong performance from the skipper, who stayed tight to Nuno Gomes and organised the defence well.

Rozehnal: 6.5 - His physical presence was an asset and he was a threat from set-pieces as well, but was positionally suspect now and again.

Jankulovsky: 7 - Stood firm on his flank and was thoroughly superior to Simao in the first half. However, he lost his legs slightly in the second, as Portugal were able to exploit the right as well as the left flank.

Sionko: 7.5 - A real threat down the right hand side. Took his goal very well and his running gave Paulo Ferreira a fair few problems. Got into several great positions and had some good efforts on goal; slightly unlucky not to score a second.

Matejovsky: 7 - Picked a few good passes and was better than Jarolim - the man he replaced in the side - but did n't get on the ball enough.

Galasek: 7.5 - Definitely the Czechs' best player, even though he was withdrawn towards the end when his side were chasing the game. Worked tirelessly, closed down spaces and doubled up with his defenders, making several saving challenges throughout. A performance reminiscent of him in his prime after a slightly laboured first game against Switzerland.

Polak: 7 - Not quite as impressive as in the first game, but a solid presence in midfield, though his influence waned in the first half.

Plasil: 7.5 - A solid creative force. Took good set-pieces and always looked capable of causing Portugal a problem when on the ball, but he didn't see enough of it.

Baros: 7.5 - Worked extremely hard for the team. Ran tirelessly and looked like the Baros of 2004, who finished top scorer of the previous edition of this competition.

Substitutes

Vlcek: 6

Koller: 6

Jarolim: n/a

As impressive as it seems, almost 88 years have gone by since the first – and only – time these two sides came up against each other in a competitive match. Sweden had won that August 28, 1920 game by nine goals to nil (!) in the Antwerp summer Olympics men’s football tournament, as Herbert Karlsson stole the show with five goals. But arguably a lot has changed since then…

Past the group stage

There is however a similarity. Even though that historic encounter was a knock-out match, it sent the Swedes into the quarter-finals. And reaching the same round of this European Championship looks like their target again, a goal they share with defending champions Greece. Should one – or even both – of these teams make the last eight, then anything’s possible. Otto Rehhagel may assure you of that.

While perhaps half of the teams still in contention have a chance of actually clinching the Henri Delaunay trophy, one of the clear favourites to do it are Spain, also drawn in group D. And even though it all comes down to what you do on the pitch, both Greece and Sweden could be forgiven for believing that it will be the clashes between them as well as against Russia which will determine which of the three follow La Furia Roja to the next round.

No fluke

Greece caused the biggest upset in football history when they won the European Championship in Portugal four years ago, starting the final phase as 100 to 1 outsiders. However, no one can deny the fact they had won a qualifying group which also included the Ukraine and Spain, whom they also knocked out in the last 16 before famously beating the likes of France, the Czech Republic and Portugal, all three by a single goal, to claim the biggest prize in the European game.

They did fail to shine in the last Confederations Cup and were knocked out in the qualifying phase of the previous World Cup, finishing fourth in a group also including Ukraine, Turkey and Denmark. But that made German boss Rehhagel even more motivated. He extended his contract by another two years, until the end of the running World Cup and his revived side took the continent by storm once again in the run-up to Tuesday’s clash.

Despite being thrashed at home by fierce rivals Turkey 4-1, Greece won 10 of their other 11 qualifiers and drew 2-2 in Norway, Swiss referee Massimo Busacca, also in charge in Wals-Siezenheim on Tuesday night, leaving them with many complaints. They conjured up as many as 31 points out of a maximum 36, a number not even Poland or Portugal could match in 14 games.

Past and present

But what is perhaps more striking it the fact that Rehhagel’s troops did it thanks to a whole different recipe. Forget the 4-5-1 formation of 2004; the Greeks play 4-3-3 these days.

No, Rehhagel, the man credited with lifting Greece a stunning 60 places up to eighth in the FIFA world ranking, did not suddenly decide to change his ways at 69. It’s just that he has to work with a largely different set of players now. Compared to four years ago, mastermind Vasilis Tsiartas has hung up his boots, striker Demis Nikolaidis is now the president of AEK and Euro 2004 MVP Thodoris Zagorakis his PAOK counterpart. Forwards Yorgos Georgiadis and Zisis Vryzas recently withdrew too to take up new duties with the Thessaloniki club, while eight more of that legendary squad, including centre-back Mihalis Kapsis, are not around this time.

The remaining 10 are still here however and seven of them are poised to line-up on Tuesday, along with fresh faces such as Fanis Gekas of Bayer Leverkusen, the Eintracht Frankfurt duo of Sotiris Kyrgiakos and Yannis Amanatidis, as well as Vasilis Torosidis of Olympiakos Pirea.

Friendly woes

Neither team has looked particularly sharp in their latest warm-up games, but Greece may take heart by the fact that they were not beaten a single time by Sweden in the friendy matches which complete their all-time head-to-head record, all five of them in the past 27 years or so.

But Tuesday’s clash will be the real thing and Sweden will fancy their chances of ending that streak. Even though they’re only ranked 30th in the world, they have been there at the final phase of either the World Cup or the European Championship almost every time in the last two decades – they only missed out twice, in 1996 and ’98.

And they have certainly been a force to be reckoned with throughout their footballing history. World Cup beaten finalists on home soil in ’58, they also finished third in ’50 and ’94, whereas in the European Championship they were quarter-finalists last time out, 12 years after making home advantage count again, at least until the last four.

The 1948 gold Olympic medal could be considered as their biggest achievement to date, but Swedish fans and media are now hungry for more, putting pressure on Lasse Lagerbäck, their coach since 2000.

Ten years younger than his opposite number, Lagerbäck started a solo career at the helm after the previous European Championship, when Tommy Söderberg withdrew to take over at the U-21 national team. And despite criticism, he did well to see Sweden through to Austria and Switzerland behind… Spain, whom they play again on Saturday, but above rivals Denmark and surprise package Northern Ireland.

The Greek connection

While nine of Greece’s 23 are plying their trade abroad, Sweden’s squad only includes six home-based players. The rest have set off in pursue of an international career and in fact two of them are under contract with Greek clubs. Micke Nilsson has played for Panathinaikos for the past three years and Daniel Majstorović, a Swede of Serbian descent, only signed for AEK last month.

The world’s best paid footballer, Internazionale’s 12-million-euros-man Zlatan Ibrahimović, is no doubt the star of the team. But while at 26 he still has a lot to give and expect, his probable striking partner will be keen to add some European Championship glory to an illustrious career, which has seen him win almost everything else. After all, this is why 36-year-old Henrik Larsson decided to rejoin the national side.

FORM GUIDE

Greece

21/11/2007 (EC) Hungary 2-1 (A)

6/2/’08 (Fr.) Finland 2-1 (N)

26/3/’08 (Fr.) Portugal 2-1 (N)

19/5/’08 (Fr.) Cyprus 2-0 (H)

24/5/’08 (Fr.) Hungary 2-3 (A)

1/6/’08 (Fr.) Armenia 0-0 (N)

Sweden

13/1/’08 (Fr.) Costa Rica 1-0 (A)

19/1/’08 (Fr.) USA 0-2 (A)

6/2/’08 (Fr.) Turkey 0-0 (A)

26/3/’08 (Fr.) Brazil 0-1 (N)

26/5/’08 (Fr.) Slovenia 1-0 (H)

1/6/’08 (Fr.) Ukraine 0-1 (H)

TEAM NEWS

Greece

In contrast to several other teams still in the tournament, the defending champions are injury-free ahead of their last 16 opener on the outskirts of Salzburg. As many as 10,000 of their fans are expected to attend the Sweden game, which Yorgos Karagounis will start, despite not training for a few days due to a knee injury.

The Panathinaikos central midfielder is one of Rehhagel’s key players, alongside captain Angelos Basinas of Mallorca. However, the German coach is widely tipped to hand Benfica’s Kostas Katsouranis the task of switching from defensive midfield to Henrik Larsson’s man-marker, while Kyrgiakos, who - like Katsouranis – recorded his first ever cap against Sweden, will keep a close eye on Ibrahimović.

Right back Torosidis will play on the left, ahead of Nikos Spyropoulos, whereas 2004 hero Angelos Haristeas is expected to get the nod ahead of Dimitris Salpiggidis on the right of attack.

Possible line-up (4-3-3): Antonis Nikopolidis – Yourkas Seitaridis, Kyrgiakos, Traianos Dellas, Torosidis – Katsouranis, Basinas, Karagounis – Haristeas, Gekas, Amanatidis.

Sweden

Lagerbäck has revealed that he’s already chosen his starting XI, although it remains to be seen whether Ibrahimović will be included. The boss insists that he will, despite a knee problem.

Much like their opponents, Sweden are short on left-footed footballers, with the exception of Olympique Lyonnais’ Kim Källström, who may lose his place to Anders Svensson, scorer of the Swedes’ last goal against the Greeks in a 2003 friendly 2-1 home defeat. Torosidis and Amanatidis are right-footed, and so are Micke Nilsson and Swedish captain Freddie Ljungberg, who’s fit to play in a competitive match for the first time since April 26.

But unlike Greece, Lagerbäck will most probably stick to his favourite 4-4-2, especially given a wealth of options down the right flank. Henrik Larsson is expected to support Ibrahimović up front.

Possible line-up (4-4-2): Andreas Isaksson – Niclas Alexandersson (Fredrik Stoor), Olof Mellberg, Petter Hansson, Micke Nilsson – Tobias Linderoth (Källström), Anders Svensson, Sebastian Larsson, Freddie Ljungberg – Henke Larsson, Ibrahimović.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Greece – Sotiris Kyrgiakos

In 2004 it was the now absent Kapsis who partnered Dellas in the heart of a watertight defense. While the “Colossus” is still going strong, he’s now playing alongside Kyrgiakos, who’s transformed into one of Europe’s best central defenders while at Glasgow Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt. Tall and commanding, he scored against Turkey and twice against Norway in the qualifying phase. His contract runs out at the end of the month and should he impress enough with Greece he will certainly move to a bigger club. What better chance to do it than against Ibrahimović?

Sweden – Zlatan Ibrahimović

With an annual salary of 12 million euros he’s the best-paid footballer on the planet and arguably one of the very best. Despite his exploits with the Milan giants (22 goals and 10 Serie A assists in a total of 33 appearances this season), he did not score a single goal for his country in the qualifying phase of this tournament, a stat which will no doubt give him some extra motivation against Greece. He could certainly prove to be one of the tournament’s biggest stars.

PREDICTION

The Swedes always seem to get there, but their last major breakthrough dates 14 years back, when they finished third in the World Cup. Strong defense, experienced squad, some great players building a career abroad, especially up front. Sounds a bit like Greece, doesn’t it? Despite their 2004 heroics, too few regard them even as dark horses. But count Rehhagel’s men out at your peril.

Greece – Sweden 2-1

Luis Aragonés and Guus Hiddink have both placed the emphasis of their pre-match build-up to this tantalising opener on not losing, so caution could be the order of the day in Innsbruck on Tuesday afternoon.

The two sides met in the opening game of Euro 2004 with Spanish edging a very tight encounter with a solitary goal from Juan Carlos Valerón and it could take just a single effort to separate the two sides here.

For Spain the pressure is as intense as ever with all kinds of baggage being taken into a major tournament with them once again along with the high expectations of public that believes success should be theirs, but inevitably will not be.

During his tenure Aragonés has been pilloried and derided and rarely praised with chapters like his outburst against Thierry Henry, his omission of Raúl and his arguments and rants at the media all having seen him earn more and more critics.

Then there is the performance of his team who have been accused of passing far too much while lacking the penetration to be able to play a major role in the tournament this summer.

Spain had relied on a steadfast defence, but even that is being picked at after Carlos Marchena weak clearance allowed Peru to score against Iker Casillas last week in a friendly.

While the media revel in highlighting and dissecting Spain's mistakes, all this may well be creating something of a siege mentality within the camp because all the players are certainly singing from the same songsheet in front of the media.

In the game against the United States and Peru recently, the team looked like a unit, but it is not look effective or incisive and that is an old problem that Aragonés is going to have to solve.

When a free-scoring striker at club level like Fernando Torres claims that the system is hampering him, then maybe it is time to consider a change.

Defensive Challenge

Against Russia, the Spanish will come up against a team that will defend in numbers and pose the kind of problem that has caused them so many problems throughout the qualifying period.

Guus Hiddink has unashamedly seen his side through to Austria and Switzerland utilising the counter-attacking system as well as being able to rely on England to fall at every hurdle to let them through.

After missing out on the World Cup Finals two years ago, the Russians have gone back to the drawing board under their Dutch coach and introducde a number of young, hungry players to lift them back to the top.

Players such as Igor Akinfeev is the number, with Vyacheslav Malafeev and Vladimir Gabulov more than capable back-ups, while Aleksandr Anyukovand Denis Kolodin are outstanding at the back.

The former Valencia, Real Madrid and Real Betis boss switches between 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 effecitvely and that has turned his current side into a very solid unit that conceded just seven goals in the entire qualification campaign.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Yuri Zhirkov, Vladimir Bystrov, Ivan Saenko and Dmitri Torbinskiy all offer something going forward while Igor Semshov and Konstantin Zyrianov add to a midfield group that will give the coach plenty of options.

Up front Oleg Ivanov has been called in to replace Pavel Pogrebnyak, who was forced out through injury, while Andrei Arshavinis suspended for the first two games.

Previous Meetings

There is not much history between the two countries with only two previous meetings since the fall of Berlin Wall, but before that the Spanish and the Soviet Union marked a memorable chapter in la Furia Roja's past.

In 1960 Spain were withdrawn from the first ever European Championships tournament because Generalisimo Francisco Franco had now wanted his team to face the Soviet Union.

Four years later though he knew that the groundswell of support for the Spanish team in Madrid was too big to let him prevent the team from playing in the final against the Soviets.

Chus Pereda gave the home nation the lead early, but just two minutes later Galimzian Khusainov equalised and the visitors were back in the game in front of a very nervous dictator.

It was not until the 84th minute that Marcelino finally netted to give the Spanish victory and hand them their first and, incredibly, only major tournament victory to date.

RECENT FORM

Russia

28/05 A Serbia 2-1
23/05 H Kazakhstan 6-0
26/03 A Romania 0-3
21/11 A Andorra 1-0
17/11 A Israel 1-2
17/10 H England 2-1

Spain

04/06 H United States 1-0
31/05 H Peru 2-1
26/03 H Italy 1-0
06/02 H France 1-0
21/11 H Northern Ireland 1-0
17/11 H Sweden 3-0

TEAM NEWS

Spain

Aragonés is keeping his cards very close to his chest, but reports in Spain suggest that the veteran trainer is considering pairing David Villa up front with Fernando Torres, rather than employ the conservative formation he played against the United States. In midfield, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Marcos Senna look set to play with David Silva just in front.

Russia

Arshavin is suspended while Pogrebnyak has been ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury meaning the Hiddink will be trying a front pair that he was not expecting to.

PREDICTION

With both coaches stating their desire not to lose, goals may be at a premium. That having been said, Spain are far better equipped to make that breakthrough given the quality that they have up front. The Spanish will have to remember not to always look for the extra pass, while the Russians must be adventurous and not sit back for the entire match.

Spain 1- 0 Russia

HOLLAND

Van der Sar 8.5 – Had little to do in the first half but proved his worth after the break, with a simply world class stop from Pirlo’s free kick. Also saved a one-on-one from Grosso.

Boulahrouz 7 – Has barely played in two years, but was a big surprise tonight. Coped well with Di Natale’s pace down the Italian left.

Mathijsen 6.5 – Relatively solid at the heart of the Dutch defence. Organised those around him.

Ooijer 6.5 – Most would have tipped him to be crucified by Toni, but the Blackburn veteran coped well with the prolific forward.

Van Bronckhorst 9 – Absolutely outstanding. Completely neutralised Camoranesi defensively, while he headed off the line before providing a superb cross-field pass in the build-up to the second goal. Also scored Holland’s third to crown a superb display. Man-of-the-match.

De Jong 7 – Took charge of the midfield in the first half, and kept his discipline in front of the back four despite heavy second half Italian pressure.

Engelaar 7 – Similar assessment for De Jong. He may not look like a footballer but the Goliath-sized midfielder was a physical presence in the middle-of-the-park.

Sneijder 8 – Outstanding was the Real Madrid man. His shot set-up Van Nistelrooy’s goal, while he scored the brilliant second goal, which at present is the goal of the tournament.

Van der Vaart 8 – Surely set to join a European giant after this performance. Skilful, creative, and a delightful array of passes, including one that put Van Nistelrooy clean through at 2-0.

Kuyt 8 – Battled hard as usual, and had the final assist on both the second and third Dutch goals. A real pain in the backside for any defender.

Van Nistelrooy 7.5 – Terrorised Barzagli and Materazzi. Scored Holland’s opener, although I will leave it up to you to decide if it was offside. Also could have had two others, squandering one-on-one chances.

Substitutes

Van Persie 6 – Looked reasonably sharp on his injury comeback and went close with one effort.

Heitinga 6 – Shored up the defence in the closing stages.

Afellay 6 – Almost grabbed a fourth with a vicious long-range shot.


ITALY

Buffon 6 – Partly to blame for first goal after a poor punch. Made one outstanding save from van Nistelrooy at 0-2. Did not communicate with his defenders as much as he should have.

Panucci 5.5 – Below par. Questionable whether he has the pace to play at right back in an international tournament. Did better when switched to the centre.

Barzagli 4 – Has never impressed without Cannavaro to hold his hand and this was proved tonight after a shocking performance. Certainly not the next in a long-line of great Italian defenders judged on this.

Materazzi 3.5 – Confirmed his dreadful club season with a stinker of a game. Second to every ball, positionally all over the place, and no help at all to Barzagli. If it was up to me, he would never play for Italy again.

Zambrotta 6 – The best of a bad bunch, although improved greatly as the game went on, going on one excellent run in the second half down the left.

Gattuso 6 – Battled as usual in midfield, and slowly took charge as the game wore on, but as proven for Milan this season his levels have quite clearly dropped from the World Cup two years ago.

Pirlo 7 – Unsurprisingly Italy’s best midfielder. Brilliant through-ball to put Grosso through on goal, while he would have scored with a magnificent free-kick, had it not been for Van der Sar’s miraculous save.

Ambrosini 5 – Baffling decision by Donadoni to start him ahead of De Rossi, and he clearly was not in the same league as Sneijder and Van der Vaart. Missed a chance late on.

Camoranesi 4 – Anonymous on the right hand side of the trident. Quite why Donadoni waited until the 75th minute to take him off is another mystery.

Di Natale 6 – Far from Italy’s worst player. Di Natale worked hard, and had a few efforts, including one sweet volley that would have gone in had it not been straight at Van der Sar.

Toni 5 – Another disappointment. Looked strangely tired after a long campaign. Missed one glorious one-on-one opportunity.

Substitutes

Grosso 8 – Donadoni's worst decision was not starting Grosso, who caused havoc down the left after coming on. Could and should have scored when alone with Van der Sar.

Del Piero 7 – Excellent after coming on. Looked really sharp, was inventive, and had two fine efforts at goal. Must start the next game.

Cassano 7 – Scandalously only offered 15 minutes at the end, but did more with virtually his first touch of the ball than Camoranesi did for 75 minutes before him. A magnificent chipped pass to put Toni through. Also must start along with Del Piero against Romania.

ROMANIA

Labont: 7.0 - Was out smartly to deny Malouda in the first half but will be surprised at how little he had to do.

Contra: 7.0 - Marshalled Malouda fairly well and ensured he couldn’t get in behind and deliver crosses.

Rat: 7.0 - Sound defensively and tried his utmost to get forward whenever possible. Handled Ribery well enough.

Goian: 7.5 – A solid partnership with Tamas which marshalled Anelka and Benzema well and restricted them only to shots from the edge of the area.

Tamas: 7.5 – The centre back who plays his club football in France, did well and ensured the French attack endured a frustrating evening.

Chivu: 7.5 – The captain has a little bit of class which shows in his distribution. Tidied up well when needed to and a good all around performance.

Radoi: 7.0 – A solid, well disciplined, midfield performance.

Cocis: 6.0 – Steady, made the Romanians difficult to break down before being subbed after an hour.

Niculae: 7.0 - Another player who plays his football in France. Struggled at times on his own up front, but did just about enough.

Mutu: 7.0 - Looked dangerous and certainly gave Thuram and Gallas something to think about.

Nicolita: 6.5 – Busy and industrious throughout although he maybe should have been more involved.

Substitutions:

Codrea: 6.5 - Replaced Cocis with half an hour to go and kept things tight in midfield.

Niculae: n/a

Dica: n/a


FRANCE

Coupet: 7.0 - A virtual spectator for the majority of the game. Expect him to be busier against Italy and Holland.

Sagnol: 6.5 - Looked rusty, as well he might having missed part of the season through injury. His crossing and distribution were poor at times but he got forward well enough.

Abidal: 6.0 - Surprisingly picked ahead of Patrice Evra and he doesn’t offer the same threat going forward as the Manchester United man. Defensively did OK although it will be interesting to see if he retains his place in the side.

Gallas: 7.0 - Handled what little threat Romania offered comfortably.

Thuram: 7.0 – Looked after Mutu and Niculae confidently and really wasn’t troubled.

Toulalan: 6.0 – Came into the starting line up for Vieira but didn’t have the same influence. Couldn’t get his team going forwards although he tidied up well enough at the back when needed to.

Makelele: 6.0 – He saw a lot of the ball and his passing was as immaculate as always but he couldn’t drive his team on.

Ribery: 6.5 - France’s most creative player who worked hard to get in behind the Romanian defence but couldn’t quite carve out the chance the French needed.

Malouda: 6.0 – A quiet first half and an even quieter second. Seemed reluctant to take on his man and offered little as an attacking force. In short, disappointing.

Anelka: 5.0 – Had a few half chances which he didn’t trouble the goalkeeper with but otherwise a quiet afternoon. Domenech eventually lost patience with the Chelsea man and swapped him for Gomis.

Benzema: 5.5 - France will have been hoping for better from their great hope. Some nice touches and managed to fashion a couple of shots but didn’t really trouble the keeper.

Substitutions

Gomis: 5.5 - Replaced Anelka for the last 20 minutes but couldn’t find a way through the Romanian defence.

Nasri: 5.0- Replaced Benzema but could no better than the Lyon man had before him.

GERMANY

Lehmann 6.5 – Looked shaky at times in the first half, and his handling was less than secure. Fumbled a cross in the first 40 seconds that could have led to Kryznowek scoring. However he made a fine stop from Saganowski late on.

Lahm 8 – Neutralised Kryznowek very well, never losing out in a one-on-one battle. The most impressive of the Germany defenders. Also did well offensively.

Metzelder 6 – Looks completely unfit after his long injury absence and will be crucified by a better opponent. Having said this he didn’t do too bad tonight and made one vital interception from a Guerriero cross.

Mertesacker 6.5 – Won everything in the air as would be expected, and was reasonably solid on the floor.

Jansen 5.5 – Struggled really badly against the dangerous Lobodzinski in the first period, but improved after the break.

Fritz 7 – Very lively down the German right. Crossed well and gave his marker Golanski a number of problems. Somewhat surprisingly taken off on 55 minutes.

Frings 7.5 – Was superb in the first 25 minutes, then faded a little, before regaining his dominance in the final 30. A class act when he is on form.

Ballack 7 – Provided a superb through pass for Klose’s early chance, and had some shorts spells of excellence throughout the game. Brought out a superb save from Boruc at 1-0.

Podolski 8.5 – Germany’s best player in the first half, getting behind Golanski at will, and putting his side into the lead. Added a second after the break with a thumping volley into the top corner.

Klose 7 – Wasted a one-on-one chance early on when he tried to pass to Gomez instead of shoot himself. Made up for it soon after by setting up Podolski for the opener. Also involved in the second goal.

Gomez 6 – Excellent pass that started the move for Podolski’s first, but a disappointment thereafter. Missed a good chance at 1-0.

Substitutes

Schweinsteiger 6.5 – Has had a poor season but did relatively well and got behind Golanski, and also had a few shots at goal.

Hitzlsperger 6 – Only had 15 minutes to make an impact, and helped close out the game.

Kuranyi N.A – Only on the field for a matter of seconds.


POLAND

Boruc 7 – Offered little protection from the defence in front of him, and could do nothing on either goal. Made one stunning stop from Ballack at 1-0. Undoubtedly a top-class keeper.

Wasilewski 5.5 – Could not cope with Podolski in the first half, although he improved after the break.

Bak 5 – The 35-year-old showed all of his advancing years tonight. His lack of pace was a real problem, and his command of the defensive line was also non-existent.

Zewlakow 5 – Almost identical assessment to his centre back partner Bak. Pushed up suicidally when Germany scored their first goal.

Golanski 4.5 – The fourth and final member of the Marx brothers. His mistake prior to Podolski’s second was of Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zippo proportions.

Dudka 6.5 – Neat and tidy in the middle of the park, and held his own for spells, but no cutting edge to his game.

Lewandowski 7 – Did well in the centre of midfield. Distributed the ball, and also got forward well, firing in a number of long-range shots.

Lobodzinski 7 – Caused havoc down the right in the first half, beating his marker Jansen on a number of occasions. Also forced a fine save out of Lehmann. Faded after the break and was substituted.

Zurawski 5.5 – Never really got into the match, and missed a fine chance, scuffing the ball wide when well placed. Subbed at half time.

Kryznowek 6 – Gave his all as usual, but got little change down the flank against Lahm. Had more success when he cut inside, and had a few half chances, one coming in the first 40 seconds.

Smolarek 5.5 – A disappointment. Would have been expected to cause the Germany centre backs some problems but it never really happened for him.

Substitutes

Guerreiro 7 – Gave the Poles a lift after his introduction at half time, showing some Brazilian-like touches.

Piszczek 6 – Never got into the game after replacing the impressive Lobodzinski.

Saganowski 6 – Almost grabbed a consolation at the end but was denied by a fine Lehmann save.


Original analysist from goal.com

Although the result went the way of the form-book, Croatia would not have expected to work as hard as they did.

The co-hosts gave a credible account of themselves and proved they are no national disgrace. Josef Hickersberger has instilled a resiliency and steel into this previously toothless side.


The spine of the team, from Sebastian Proedl through Rene Aufhauser and Andreas Ivanschitz, worked well at limiting the duration of Croatian possession.

Luka Modric, a pain for opposition when he is in possession, was limited to mere touches, and was unable to mould the game to his will. Croatia's most effective attacking performer was Hamburg's Ivica Olic who ran himself ragged as his side worked hard for their win.

Austria:

Jurgen Macho: 6 - His first task was to fetch the ball from the net and he subsequently dealt admirably with the Croatian threat.

Emanuel Pogatetz: 5.5 - Has a rash streak that was close to being detrimental this evening. Lucky not to be sent off but his tenacity and commitment cannot be doubted.

Sebastian Proedl: 6.5 An assured performance from the Sturm Graz centre back. Rarely made it easy for the Croatians to play around him and was a threat from set-pieces-

Martin Stranzl: 6.5 - Lent a physicality to the Austrian rear-guard and made it uncomfortable for Petric to gain space.

Rene Aufhauser: 5.5 An uncharacteristic and costly error from Austria‘s most experienced squad member. Recovered well however and managed to have an influence.

Andreas Ivanschitz: 8 - Pulled the strings in the centre of midfield with an array of clever passes and threatening set-pieces.

Jurgen Saeumel: 7 - Worked tremendously well during the first half and ultimately ran out of steam. A good enforcer in midfield.

Ronald Gercaliu: 6 - Had limited opportunities to deliver crosses. An average performance, but did keep tabs on Corluka.

Joachim Standfest: 6.5 - Was efficient in his wing-back position, both attacked and defended with vitality and steel. Missed Austria’s best chance.

Martin Harnik: 7 - Showed glimpses of the technique that makes him a highly rated young forward. The Werder Bremen man made the most of his second half space to cross, shoot and pass capably.

Roland Linz: 6 - Struggled for space and ball-time during the first half alongside Harnik. Whereas his strike partner found space as the game progressed, Linz remained somewhat peripheral.

Substitutes

Umit Korkmaz: 7 - Used his pace and power well to trouble Corluka in the latter stages. Made a significant impact.

Ivica Vastic: 7 - The veteran used his experience to conjure space for his colleagues. Unlucky with his only chance, a header.

Ronald Kienast: 7 - Had Austria’s last opportunity and showed flickers of effectiveness. If he had started, he may have found his range.

Croatia:

Stipe Pletikosa: 7 - Had a lot to deal with as the game went on and looked steady. Got lucky on two occasions when the ball escaped his grasp. Nonetheless, a clean sheet.

Verdan Corluka: 7 - Was more comfortable going forward than back and was troubled by Korkmaz in the latter stages. A consistent performance, he did not put a foot wrong.

Daniel Pranjic: 6.5 - The Heerenveen man is filling a problem position for Slaven Bilic’s side and was exposed on occasion by Harnik and Standfest.

Robert Kovac 7.5: An uncompromising display from the Dortmund centre back. Organises the line well.

Josip Simunic 7: Not his first choice position for Croatia, Simunic covered capably for the ring-rusty Dario Simic. His imposing frame meant that little escaped the Dortmund man in the air.

Niko Kovac - 5.5: An efficient user of the ball, his game is more suited to prolonged Croatian possession. Was made occasionally anonymous and struggled against imposing opposition.

Luka Modric - 6: Used the ball well when he had it. He struggled to find possession as the Austrians rampaged forward and showed a tendency to go missing.

Darijo Srna - 6.5: A threat due to his abilitiy at dead balls. Imbued his side with penetrative and forceful running.

Niko Kranjcar - 5.5: Suffered more than most on his team without the ball at his feet. Was practically anonymous aside from intermittent one-touch passes.

Ivica Olic - 8.5: Drew three bookings and earned a penalty due to his persistent and determined nature. A valuable asset to Bilic’s plans. Unlucky not to score.

Mladen Petric - 7: Gave sporadic examples of why he is so highly rated. Pressed his opponents high up the pitch but was a little naïve with his only meaningful chance.

Substitutes

Dario Knezevic - 6: Slotted in midfield to attempt prevent Austrian raids. Almost conceded a penalty with slipshod control.

Orgjen Vukojevic - n/a: Replaced Olic but did not have the opportunity to make an impression.

Igor Budan - 6: The Parma man may have more of a significant impact as the tournament progresses. He was forced to feed off scraps after his introduction.


Original analysist from goal.com

Stern Opening Test For Co-Hosts

As co-hosts of the tournament, there is extra pressure on Austria to succeed at Euro 2008 - yet the portents are not promising for Austrian fans. Apart from the fact that they are drawn in Group B with Germany, Poland and their first opponents, Croatia, all of whom qualified impressively, Austria lack big tournament experience, competitive preparation and current form going into Sunday's opener. In contrast, Croatia are viewed by many as potential 'dark-horse' winners of Euro 2008.

It is 10 years since Austria last qualified for a major tournament - the 1998 World Cup - and their participation in Euro 2008 was secured as co-hosts rather than through a qualifying group. In fact this will be Austria's first-ever appearance in a European Championship, as they failed to qualify on every one of their previous attempts. Their underdog status is underlined by the fact that they are by some distance the lowest-ranked team involved in Euro 2008, having slipped out of the top 100 in Fifa's official rankings following a poor run of just one win in 14 matches up to the start of this year.

On the other hand Croatia, who were quarter-finalists at Euro 96 and finished third at the 1998 World Cup in France, looked a fluid and potent attacking force during their qualifying campaign,. the highlight of which was beating England convincingly home and away. However, the Croats suffered a body blow in February, when star striker Eduardo da Silva had his leg shattered playing for Arsenal at Birmingham. The Brazilian-born forward had contributed 10 goals in 12 qualifiers, and his absence is bound to be felt by Slaven Bilic's side. He had been the attacking focal point of an adventurous 4-1-3-2 system deployed by Bilic, a departure from the more physical approach adopted in the three preceding tournaments (World Cup and Euros) when Croatia, having qualified, got no further than the group stages.


Hickersberger's Optimism Heavily Qualified

Even Austria's coach, Josef Hickersberger, only feels his team have a 40 per cent chance of beating Croatia. But although they have lost all three of their previous matches against the Croats, Hickersberger insists his side should not be written off prematurely, and says home advantage underpins his 40 percent prediction. "Croatia are a world-class team," he said, "so my prediction is very optimistic. But if we have a good day and a little bit of luck, we can beat Croatia."

Remarkably for a national team about to embark on the biggest event their history, Hickersberger has had to address poor discipline within his squad this week. He said some of the Austrian players lacked concentration in training, while one arrived late for a team meeting.

"The team was not as focused anymore as it was before, the attitude just wasn't right," complained the coach. "We can't afford that, even if the rainy conditions were difficult. If we are not 100 percent sharp against Croatia on Sunday, we have a huge problem."

The Austrians were held to a 1-1 draw by Nigeria in a friendly last week before thrashing Malta 5-1, but Hickersberger feels his side can get through a tough group. "We have set ourselves a big goal," he said. "We want to reach the quarter-finals and in the last days I have become more optimistic.

"We don't need to go to the betting shop to know our rivals are all favoured ahead of us. However, we have the home advantage and we have a chance of getting points. I know it was not ideal that we let Malta and Nigeria score goals but this happens to teams like Germany too. We will work on it," he added. He has been working on it for a while, struggled to achieve a balanced side that can consistently get results.


Bilic Believes

For Slaven Bilic, the challenge is somewhat different: he believes his side are capable of winning the whole tournament, but following the loss of Eduardo he has to get his players believing too. He is convinced he has the players available to improve on Croatia's Euro 96 and 04 showings, and possibly spring a surprise.

"I believe that we are strong enough to take the title," he said. "The team is both good and solid, we qualified for the Euros from one of the more difficult groups and we most notably of all beat England on two occasions during the qualifiers.

"On paper, there are the usual favourites: Germany, France and Italy. You could also include Spain and Holland. And the English too would have also been among the favourites...if they had qualified."

One of Bilic's key creative forces, Portsmouth midfielder Niko Kranjcar, claims victory on Sunday is vital. "I always say the most important thing is to win the first game. I think we've proven over the last two or three years that we really have a team that can beat anyone. If we prepare well, we're a team who can give anyone a good game. Hopefully with a bit of luck, we can go pretty far."

Bilic is looking to Kranjcar, new Spurs signing Luka Modric, and Mladen Petric to provide the midfield invention that can drive Croatia to a new level of achievement. "Our top three players should be 100 per cent inspired throughout the tournament and the rest of the team will have to be at their best too if we are to progress from our group," said the coach.

"We won't reach the quarter-finals just by keeping it tight at the back. We need our three magicians Modric, Kranjcar and Petric to make things happen. These strikers are the best we have, not including Eduardo da Silva, whose absence is obviously a severe blow because the whole team played better when he was with us. However, he didn't take us to Euro 2008 on his own and we must make do without him. I've faith in the players who are here and we are convinced they will start firing on all cylinders at a crunch time. They are top-level strikers who score regularly for their clubs so it's not time to sound alarm bells, but we have to improve."

Croatia were less than impressive in beating Moldova 1-0 last week, then drawing 1-1 with Hungary on Saturday, and Bilic knows things will need to improve the moment the tournament gets underway. "We have been a threat to our rivals far too rarely, we have to be more aggressive," he said. "We defend as a team and we have to attack as a team too, meaning that our midfield must carve out more supply routes to the strikers.


FORM GUIDE

Austria

The Austrians had a morale-boosting 5-1 win over Malta in their final friendly before Euro 2008, with goals from Rene Aufhauser, Roland Linz (2), Ivica Vastic and Martin Harnik. It was only Austria's second victory in 16 matches.

Prior to that they drew 1-1 with Nigeria when Roman Kienast put them ahead on 13 minutes, only for Kalu Uche to equalise for Nigeria six minutes later.

Previously, Holland stunned Austria by coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in a thrilling friendly at the end of March. The Austrians looked sure to notch a famous victory over Marco van Basten's side when they went three up inside the opening 36 minutes through Ivan Ivanschitz and Sebastian Prodl (two). But Klaas Huntelaar pulled one back before the break, and Johnny Heitinga, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Huntelaar again left Austria shell-shocked and beaten.


Croatia

Niko Kovac scored at either ends as Croatia were held to a 1-1 draw by Hungary in their last match before Euro 2008.

Kovac had also headed the only goal of the game as Croatia beat Moldova 1-0 in their penultimate fixture. leading up to Euro 2008.

In their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Croatia's results were:

06/09/06 v Russia (A) 0 - 0
07/10/06 v Andorra (H) 7 - 0
11/10/06 v England (H) 2 - 0
15/11/06 v Israel (A) 4 - 3
24/03/07 v FYR Macedonia (H) 2 - 1
02/06/07 v Estonia (A) 1 - 0
06/06/07 v Russia (H) 0 - 0
08/09/07 v Estonia (H) 2 - 0
12/09/07 v Andorra (A) 6 - 0
13/10/07 v Israel (H) 1 - 0
17/11/07 v FYR Macedonia (A) 0 - 2
21/11/07 v England (A) 3 - 2


TEAM NEWS

Austria

Emanuel Pogatetz is expected to be available after suffering a calf injury in training, manager Hickersberger saying there was only a small chance he wouldn't be fit in time to face Croatia.

But Hickersberger was forced to make a late change to his squad when goalkeeper Helge Payer suffered a blood circulation problem. Payer was replaced by Ramazan Ozcan, but the coach was coy about whether Alex Manninger or Jurgen Macho would be his first-choice goalkeeper.

He was keeping his players on their toes during the week, saying in midweek that although he had a team in his head to play against Croatia, he wanted to use the remaining training sessions for the players to show their best.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Jurgen Macho (AEK Athens), Alex Manninger (Siena), Ramazan Ozcan (Hoffenheim).

Defenders: Gyorgy Garics (Napoli), Ronald Gercaliu (Austria Vienna), Martin Hiden (Austria Carinthia), Markus Katzer (Rapid Vienna), Jurgen Patocka (Rapid Vienna), Emanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), Sebastian Proedl (Sturm Graz), Martin Stranzl (Spartak Moscow).

Midfielders: Rene Aufhauser (Salzburg), Christian Fuchs (Mattersburg), Andreas Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos), Umit Korkmaz (Rapid Vienna),Christoph Leitgeb (Salzburg), Jurgen Saeumel (Sturm Graz), Joachim Standfest (Austria Vienna), Ivica Vastic (Linz).

Strikers: Martin Harnik (Werder Bremen), Erwin Hoffer (Rapid Vienna), Roman Kienast (Ham-Kam), Roland Linz (Braga).


Croatia

Slaven Bilic has named his strongest team to face Austria, and said he will be keeping to the same formation he used in Croatia's recent friendlies against Moldova and Hungary.

That suggests the team will be:
Stipe Pletikosa; Vedran Corluka, Robert Kovac, Josip Simunic, Danijel Pranjic; Darijo Srna, Niko Kovac, Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar; Mladen Petric, Ivica Olic.

Bilic added that, "The mood is excellent, but the nerves are increasing – a positive nervousness. Be sure we'll give everything we can; we'll be a top team. We'll be better than Austria as we're capable of controlling the match. Like in Formula 1, a good start is so important in the first game. All the best to women, but football is the most beautiful thing in the world."

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Vedran Runje (Lens), Mario Galinovic (Panathinaikos).

Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Manchester City), Dario Simic (Milan), Robert Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Dario Knezevic (Livorno), Hrvoje Vejic (Tomsk).

Midfielders: Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen), Nikola Pokrivac (Monaco), Niko Kovac (Salzburg), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Jerko Leko (Monaco), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dinamo Zagreb), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Ivan Rakitic (Schalke).

Strikers: Mladen Petric (Borussia Dortmund), Ivica Olic (Hamburg), Igor Budan (Parma), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Nikola Kalinic (Hajduk Split).


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austria

Sporting Braga striker Roland Linz is said to be a summer target for Premier League clubs West Ham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Fulham. He will be leading the Austrian attack as he was last week against Malta when he scored twice and was watched by representatives of up to five English clubs. Linz, 26, scored 11 league goals for Sporting and will be hoping to impress would-be suitors during the tournament.

A spokesman for his agency was quoted as saying: "There has been interest in Roland from the Premiership and a number of clubs were watching him again at the Malta game. But he is focused on the Euros at the moment and we will see what happens after the tournament."

Linz's international team-mate, Martin Harnik, is another one to watch, a highly promising young forward who will turn 21 during the tournament. He has made a name for himself with Werder Bremen and also scored on his international debut as a substitute against the Czech Republic last August.


Croatia

Midfielder Luka Modric starred for Croatia against England in the qualification campaign and has now agreed to join Tottenham in a £15.8million deal from Dinamo Zagreb. Before arriving at White Hart Lane, though, Modric wants to make a big impact at Euro 2008. He is seen as the natural successor to Croatian hero Robert Prosinecki and has been compared by some with the great Johan Cruyff, often deployed in the middle of the pitch, but with the freedom to make the sort of penetrative forward runs that unhinged Steve McClaren's England.

Modric said: "That game with England at Wembley was not that important to us in terms of needing the points. But we wanted to show all the footballing world that Croatia have a very, very good team. We did our best in that game to demonstrate that. I was sorry for England - but in every game we want to be successful and we want to do well at the European Championships. In our qualification group to reach the finals, we played some very good football and won against some strong teams. I believe Croatia have the qualities to come in the first two in this summer's finals. That is the first goal and after that we will see what happens."

Croatia manager Bilic commented: "Tottenham is perfect for Luka. It is better for him than, for example, going to Chelsea. Chelsea could have bought him, Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho and then Luka could have ended up on the bench."

In the absence of Eduardo, Modric will have additional responsibility - from central midfield he will be expected to dictate the tempo of the match, but will need strikers to convert the chances he create.

Another of Bilic's squad, Niko Kranjcar, is already established in the Premier League at Portsmouth, with whom he won the FA Cup last month. He is being linked with a possible move to Arsenal, although he insists he is happy at Fratton Park. Kranjcar is expected to provide the creativity in harness with Modric and Mladen Petric.


PREDICTION

Austria legend Hans Krankl suggested that the country's fans needed to be "realistic" about their team's chances. Krankl said getting past the group stage would be a "great, great success." That put their prospects into sharp perspective, and although Greece upset the odds in sensational style four years ago when surprising many by winning Euro 2004, few are expecting Austria to cause a similar shock, even on home turf. The backing of the crowd will be vital to the team, but as the weakest (lowest-ranked) team in the competition without as yet a settled side, Croatia - one of the world's top 13 teams - look the likelier winners. The Croats looked slick and inventive in qualifying, and although expectations are high, which can be a problem, and Eduardo is missing, which is a burden, they should ease past the co-hosts.

Austria 0-2 Croatia