Germany Vs. Spain Euro 2008 Final Match Report

Fernando Torres was the hero for Spain by firing them to Euro 2008 glory against Germany in Vienna - and ending 44 years of underachievement.

Torres struck in the 33rd minute at Ernst Happel Stadion and despite the efforts of Germany skipper Michael Ballack, they held on to their lead to spark wild celebrations in Austria's capital.

Heavyweights in European football who produce a constant stream of individual talents, Spain had not won a major tournament since 1964 but finally shook off their tag of being chokers, not able to cope with the pressure of the highest stage.


They have also been perceived as a nation divided by their regions - the lyrics to their national anthem are not used - but full-back Sergio Ramos had kept mentioning the word "united'' this week, and when Torres secured the Henri Delaunay for them they were just that.

Just shy of his 70th birthday, Luis Aragones will now leave his post as coach, probably for Fenerbahce, as a champion. Vicente del Bosque has been tipped to take over and he will inherit a young squad who have their sights on the World Cup.

While Portugal appeared destabilised by Chelsea announcing Luiz Felipe Scolari as their new coach during these finals, there were no signs of the same happening to Spain following Fenerbahce's statement revealing Aragones as their new boss on the eve of their semi-final.

They finish as the tournament's top goalscorers, helped by Torres who took the Premier League by storm with 33 rookie goals for Liverpool.

He was not on the top of his game for the whole of the tournament, but the 24-year-old stepped into the shoes of David Villa when Spain needed him.

"Viva Espana'' sang their fans before the sangria started flowing.

This was billed as a clash of Germany's efficiency and power versus Spain's fluidity and creativity which were on display as Russia were swept aside in the semi-finals.

Germany's drive came from Ballack, with the Chelsea midfielder passed fit despite carrying a calf injury on the eve of the final.

'Against the odds we will win the trophy', read one headline from a German newspaper on the day of the game - and Ballack was seen as the key to their chances.

They had been inconsistent in the group stages, then stuttered past Turkey after outmuscling Portugal.

Only Ballack's level of performance had been high throughout all of it but he ends the tournament a 'nearly man' again.

Six years ago he missed the World Cup final through suspension just after Bayer Leverkusen missed a trio of chances for silverware.

This season Manchester United pipped him to the Premier League and Champions League - and he finds himself the bridesmaid once more.

Facing Ballack was a Barcelona-bred wall of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas in midfield, with Arsenal's youngster getting his chance following Villa's injury.

But before they were allowed to impose themselves on the game, Germany had already wasted two early chances.

Ramos lost his bearings and gifted a pass straight to Miroslav Klose, whose poor touch let him down as he sped past Carles Puyol - and the opportunity had gone.

Then Thomas Hitzlsperger was teed up on the edge of the area by Klose but could not get purchase on his shot.

Spain started to move through the gears after their double reprieve, never looking back after they were let off the hook.

Their opening chance came after a Xavi pass had split the German defence to find Iniesta on the left. When the cross came over, Christoph Metzelder sliced towards his own goal and Jens Lehmann, the oldest player to feature in a European Championship final, athletically tipped around the post.

The post came to Lehmann's rescue when Torres climbed above Per Mertesacker to meet Ramos' centre - but the Liverpool man was not made to wait long for his goal.

It came 12 minutes before the break when Xavi played the ball beyond Philipp Lahm. The full-back was favourite to clear but Torres used pace and muscle to get around him and chip over Lehmann before celebrating his goal by sucking his thumb.

It could have got worse for Germany had David Silva not volleyed over wildly when found at the far post by Iniesta.

And German fans feared the worst when Ballack was forced off with a cut eye, but he returned after getting the bloodied injury treated twice. He was also booked along with opposing captain Iker Casillas for talking back at the referee.

Spain had chances to make it comfortable after the break, with Lehmann saving from Ramos' header and Iniesta getting a drive cleared off the line.

Their own indiscipline almost cost them when Silva butted his head towards Lukas Podolski - but no card was shown.

Torres was taken off in the 78th minute, with his job already done in waking the sleeping giants of European football.

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Russia Vs. Spain Match Report

VIENNA, June 26 (Reuters) - Spain reached the European Championship final for the first time in 24 years on Thursday with a convincing 3-0 win over Russia to set up a meeting with Germany in Sunday's Euro 2008 decider.

Xavi scored with a superbly taken opportunist volley at a rainswept Ernst Happel Stadium to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead after 50 minutes and substitute Daniel Guiza made no mistake when he beat the offside trap to make it 2-0 after 73 minutes.

Cesc Fabregas set up David Silva to make it 3-0 eight minutes from time.

The breakthrough in an absorbing match came five minutes into the second half when Andres Iniesta cut in from the left and found Xavi who had lost his markers.

He took his chance brilliantly to put Spain ahead and on the way to their first final since they lost to France in 1984.

Guiza replaced Fernando Torres up front after 69 minutes and took only four minutes to strike after being set up by midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who had a huge influence after replacing the injured David Villa after 35 minutes.

Spain, who stretched their unbeaten run to 21 matches, will be attempting to be crowned European champions for the first time since their only success in 1964.

Germany, who reached the final on Wednesday by beating Turkey 3-2, will be aiming for their fourth continental triumph.

Spain beat Russia 4-1 in the group stage two weeks ago and were the better side again on Thursday, totally deserving their triumph because their midfield dominated and created plenty of chances for the front men.

Russia, who improved enormously after that opening loss to Spain, never found the rhythm and verve that had seen off Netherlands in the quarter-final and Andrei Arshavin, the inspiration behind their revival, had a largely anonymous game.

Both teams made a lively start in the pouring rain with Spain creating the first two chances. Torres turned and shot straight at Igor Akinfeyev after six minutes and Villa forced the keeper into a good save five minutes later.

Russia's first serious chance came after 16 minutes when Roman Pavlyuchenko blasted a free kick just over Iker Casillas's bar. He also went close with a long-range shot after 31 minutes. However, the second half belonged to triumphant Spain.

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Spain Vs. Italy Match Report

VIENNA, June 22 (Reuters) - Spain beat Italy 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a highly tactical Euro 2008 clash on Sunday to set them up with a semi-final against Russia.

Cesc Fabregas coolly slotted home the decisive penalty after goalkeeper Iker Casillas had saved two of Italy's spot kicks.

The match had ended goalless after extra time following 120 minutes in which both defences were too well-organised to break down despite the determine efforts of both strike forces.

It is the first time Spain have reached the semi-finals of a major tournament since they got to the final of the European championships in 1984.

They are the only one of the group winners to make it to the final four after Portugal, Croatia and Netherlands were knocked out of the tournament.

The match at the Ernst Happel stadium was an eagerly anticipated affair, but it developed into a cagey encounter with Spain frustrated by an Italy side who have rediscovered their defensive solidity after a shaky start to the tournament.

As expected Spain quickly got control of the ball and midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta set about probing for gaps in the Italian back four, but they got little change out of centre backs Giorgio Chiellini and Christian Panucci.

David Silva managed to break through but his shot deflected off a defender and ballooned into the hands of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, while Fernando Torres lashed over the bar after being put clear by David Villa.

The first time Buffon was really tested came when Villa fired in a low free kick after 25 minutes, while Silva then drove two shots past the post late on in the half.

The Italian threat was largely confined to set pieces with Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Cassano searching out Luca Toni with lofted crosses into the area but the big striker never managed to get a clean header.

Italy were missing defensive midfielder Gennaro Gattuso through suspension but the inexperienced Alberto Aquilani did a fine job in helping shackle Spain's creative players.

Spain continued to have the better of the game after the break but although they managed to get past the Italian fullbacks they were unable to threaten the goal.

Coach Luis Aragones threw Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla into the mix just before the hour to try and shake things up in the midfield.

But it was Italy substitute Mauro Camoranesi who almost gave Italy the lead moments later, his fierce close-range shot brilliantly saved by Iker Casillas with his feet after a goalmouth scramble.

Midfielder Marcos Senna almost snatched it for Spain nine minutes from time when Buffon fumbled his powerful long-range drive although the keeper was able to gather the ball after it rolled on to the post.

But neither team could break the deadlock and it became the third quarter-final to go to extra time.

The lively Silva went close again with another crisp drive and Italy striker Antonio Di Natale forced a fine finger-tip save from Casillas soon after but with both sides refusing to take too many risks it took spot kicks to separate them.

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Netherland Vs. Russia Match Report

Dmitri Torbinski and Andrei Arshavin scored in the second half of extra time as Russia powered into the semi-finals of Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Holland in Basle.

Ruud van Nistelrooy had taken the match into the added period, cancelling out Roman Pavlyuchenko's 56th-minute opener with a stooping header four minutes before the end of normal time.

But Russia's energy levels proved decisive and after Torbinski had poked home a finish in the 112th minute, the lively Arshavin made Russia's qualification safe with a third four minutes later.

Russia's Dutch coach Guus Hiddink risks being public enemy number one in his homeland after pulling off his latest masterstroke to eliminate the team who were tournament favourites after emphatic wins over continental heavyweights Italy and France in the 'Group of Death'.

They now face a semi-final against either Spain or Italy in Vienna on Thursday, and become the third pool runners-up to qualify for the last four.

Prior to the match former Holland coach Hiddink had shrugged off fears of being labelled a 'traitor' back home.

Instead, he urged his players to go out and enjoy themselves in the biggest match of their lives, and they did just that.

They had their opponents rattled early on, Hiddink's tactics smothering Dutch playmakers Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.

Yuri Zhirkov's free-kick drew a smart save out of Edwin van der Sar and Pavlyuchenko heading wastefully over when free eight yards out.

The Dutch fans, who again dominated the majority of the stadium as they had the city centre all day, were suddenly subdued.

Holland improved slightly and midway through the first half Orlando Engelaar fired just wide and Van Nistelrooy somehow failed to get on the end of Van der Vaart's swinging free-kick.

Russia remained dangerous and centre-back Denis Kolodin almost put them ahead with his first rasping drive tipped over by Van der Sar and another - again from 35 yards - just clearing the crossbar.

Van der Sar was working overtime and pushed away Arshavin's curling shot with his fingertips before the interval.

With Arjen Robben carrying a slight groin strain Holland coach Marco van Basten sent on Robin van Persie for the second half and the Arsenal forward volleyed just off target within seconds of coming on.

Van Persie was then cautioned for use of the elbow but worse was to follow for the Dutch when Pavlyuchenko broke the deadlock.

Sergei Semak burst down the left and crossed low for the Spartak Moscow striker to sidefoot home a left-footed volley.

Holland were behind for the first time in the tournament and their title credentials were being firmly put to the test.

Van Persie was still plugging away though, driving a shot over, heading Van der Vaart's corner wide and then spooning a free-kick over after Kolodin was booked for fouling Van Nistelrooy - a caution which rules the defender out of the semi-final.

In a tense last 10 minutes substitute Torbinski should have wrapped it up for Russia but did not connect properly with Zhirkov's lay-off, who may have been better off shooting instead.

And they were made to pay when Van Nistelrooy took the game into extra time by heading home Sneijder's free-kick at the far post from close range in the 86th minute.

With seconds left in stoppage time Kolodin thought he had received his second yellow card for bringing down Sneijder but the assistant referee spared the 26-year-old by signalling the ball had earlier gone out of play.

In extra time Arshavin shot wastefully over and Pavlyuchenko struck the crossbar with a fierce effort from the angle.

Russia's superior fitness began to tell but Torbinski's close-range effort was weak with just Van der Sar to beat in the 98th minute.

The second period was a similar story with the Russians swarming all over the Dutch but they could not find the cutting edge until Torbinski tapped home Arshavin's deft far-post cross.

Arshavin then scored the crucial third by turning his marker and slipping home a deflected shot through Van der Sar's legs.

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Turkey Vs. Croatia Match Report

Turkey left it late again to record victory, with a dramatic penalty-shoot out success after an equaliser in injury time of extra-time at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium left Croatia defeated and took Fatih Terim's side into the Euro 2008 semi-final.

Turkey won in even more stunning circumstances than against Czech Republic in their final group game, having looked dead and buried after Croatia's Ivan Klasnic had broken 119 minutes of goalless action.

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic had run down the touchline in celebration but there was more to come in a remarkable finale - Semih Senturk rifling into the top corner to force penalties.

After Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic went wide with their spot-kicks, Rustu Recber saved from Mladen Petric to set up a fixture in Basle against Germany next week.

It also came against the odds as injuries and suspension left Terim with just 15 outfield players and eight of his starting XI on a yellow card.

Victory came at a cost as Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik will be banned for the semi-final after picking up yellow cards. Nihat Kahveci also appeared to pick up a groin strain.

That will not matter, however, to the Turkish quarter in Vienna who were sent into wild celebration when Rustu saved Petric's kick.

Known as "The Emperor'', Terim now has a chance of eclipsing the deeds of 2002 when Turkey reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The destroyers of England in qualifying, Croatia were undone by a stubborn Turkish performance. On the day Steve McClaren got back into management after losing his England job following defeat to Croatia, Bilic's dream finally ended.

This was despite a promising start.

Turkey had reached the last eight with back-to-back comebacks, against Switzerland then famously against the Czechs - and they looked in danger of falling behind early to Bilic's men.

It had been a week of turmoil for the Turks, with their coach Terim accused of courting a move back to Italy's Serie A, then their victory over the Czechs leading to a youngster injured when shots were fired in the air.

On the pitch, they were hit by injuries and suspensions, and Croatia almost took advantage of unfamiliarity in the Turkish defence early on.

Veteran goalkeeper Rustu, deputising for Volkan Demirel, failed to clear his lines and Rakitic raced down the left to cross for Darijo Srna - only for Hakan Balta to scramble clear when an open goal beckoned.

Turkey squeezed the midfield but Modric managed to find time on the ball to orchestrate Croatia's attacks.

It was Tottenham's new signing who crossed to the far post in the 19th minute, with Ivica Olic thudding the crossbar when he had most of Rustu's goal to aim for. The finish span to Niko Kranjcar but the Portsmouth midfielder could not tame the ball with his head.

Jeers during the national anthems and a ring of stewards around the pitch hinted at the rivalry between fans, while Tuncay's elbow on Niko Kovac suggested it between the players.

It earned Tuncay a yellow card and a one-match suspension, and he was furious again with Roberto Rosetti when the Italian referee turned down a penalty appeal after Josip Simunic appeared to impede him in the area.

Turkey got even closer to Stipe Pletikosa's goal when Mehmet Topal grazed the post with a powerful 35-yard drive seven minutes before the break.

After the restart Arda joined Tuncay in the referee's book, also earning him a ban.

And just like the first half, Croatia almost pounced on Rustu's hesitancy. Failing to collect a long ball, Olic beat him to the ball but did not get power on his header.

Rustu was down sharply, however, when Modric released Kranjcar and the midfielder poked towards goal.

Turkey went for a change in attack, replacing London-born Colin Kazim-Richards with Ugur Boral, while Kranjcar went off for Petric as Bilic made his move.

Just after the substitutes were made, Rakitic fired over from a promising position after exchanging passes with Olic. Olic then just headed over when he met a hanging cross.

Srna's free-kick was tipped over by Rustu and when the veteran blocked another effort from Olic, extra-time was inevitable.

Klasnic thought he had won it when he headed in Modric's cross after more Rustu hesitation in the 119th minute, but when Semih found the top corner with a deflected drive, the drama of penalties unfolded.

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Portugal Vs. Germany Match Report

All eyes may have been on Cristiano Ronaldo but it was his opposite number seven Bastian Schweinsteiger who stole the show to book Germany's place in the Euro 2008 semi-finals and dump Portugal out.

Bayern Munich star Schweinsteiger scored one and set up two more - for Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack - to render Nuno Gomes' effort at the end of the first half and substitute Helder Postiga's goal towards full-time little more than consolations.

The result sees Germany, who only clinched their spot in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Austria on Monday, advance to a last-four clash with either Croatia or Turkey next Wednesday.

It also brings Luiz Felipe Scolari's five-year reign as Portugal coach to an inglorious end before he heads off to become Chelsea manager on July 1.

Joachim Low, unable to sit in the Germany dugout due to the one-match ban imposed following his touchline bust-up with Austria coach Josef Hickersberger in the last group match, made three changes to his starting XI.

Schweinsteiger - back after suspension - Thomas Hitzlsperger and Simon Rolfes came into the line-up with Clemens Fritz, Mario Gomez and rib injury victim Torsten Frings missing out.

Scolari stuck to his pre-match word and named the same starting XI which beat the Czech Republic and Turkey to win Group A for this match on the newly-laid turf at Basle's St Jakob-Park.

Low's team, under the temporary guidance of his assistant Hans-Dieter Flick, controlled the tempo and bossed the possession in the early stages.

Hitzlsperger had the first shot with a ninth-minute free-kick but Deco blocked it, and the Stuttgart midfielder lashed another left-footed effort goalwards moments later which rippled Ricardo's side-netting.

Simao made Jens Lehmann work for the first time just before the quarter-hour mark when he found himself well placed on the right-hand side of the area following good build-up play from Pepe and Deco, but the former Arsenal stopper was equal to the Atletico Madrid winger's effort.

Gomes then looked to put Cristiano Ronaldo through but Arne Friedrich got across swiftly at the expense of a corner.

Jose Bosingwa fired in a cross from the left towards Joao Moutinho but it arrived at an awkward height for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder, who ended up diverting the ball over the bar with his thigh.

That miss proved costly as shortly afterwards the Germans forged ahead.

Podolski, who had been doubtful with a calf injury, burst down the left and sent in a dangerous low cross which Schweinsteiger tapped home at the near post in the 22nd minute.

Four minutes later, Germany doubled their advantage when man of the match Schweinsteiger floated in a free-kick and Klose glanced a tidy header past Ricardo.

Portugal then suffered a further blow when Moutinho hobbled off with a knee injury, to be replaced by Raul Meireles.

Ronaldo and Simao combined well just after the half-hour to force Per Mertesacker into a scrambled clearance, but the initially shell-shocked Portuguese were beginning to find their feet again.

Gomes picked a fine time to bag his first goal of the tournament to halve the deficit in the 40th minute, reacting first to fire into the bottom-left corner via the right boot of Christoph Metzelder after Lehmann had parried a Ronaldo blast.

Germany almost immediately restored their two-goal cushion when Ballack cut in well from the left onto his right foot, but Ricardo got down well at his near post to save.

Ronaldo then had an opportunity to level matters in first-half stoppage time, only to see his effort drift just wide of Lehmann's right-hand upright.

Friedrich and Philipp Lahm were both shown yellow cards in the opening minutes of the second half for lunges on Ronaldo and Simao respectively.

Hitzlsperger had a sight of goal five minutes after the restart but lashed his left-footed strike wildly over the top.

Pepe then passed up a great chance to restore parity when he headed over in the 57th minute after Deco had flicked on a corner.

Once again, the Portuguese immediately paid for their profligacy when Ballack met Schweinsteiger's free-kick from the left and - with the help of a shove in the back of his Chelsea team-mate Paulo Ferreira - made space to head past Ricardo.

Scolari threw attackers Nani and Postiga into the fray in a bid to turn the match around, but the Portuguese were struggling to test Lehmann.

Podolski almost made it 4-1 12 minutes from time when his fierce long-range drive whizzed just past the right-hand post with Ricardo merely an onlooker.

Nani then set up fellow substitute Postiga to head home a second and give Portugal hope.

But there was to be no grand finale for Portugal and Scolari, as Germany - even without their coach on the touchline - held on.

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Russia Vs. Sweden Match Report

INNSBRUCK, June 18 (Reuters) - Russia produced their best performance of Euro 2008 just when it was most needed on Wednesday, beating Sweden 2-0 to snatch second place in Group D and earn a quarter-final meeting with Netherlands.

Russia, who had never beaten Sweden in their five previous meetings spanning 95 years, had to win to progress while a draw would have been enough for the Scandinavians to advance.

But there was only one team in it from the start as brilliantly-worked goals by Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin sent the Russians into the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time since, as the USSR, they lost to the Dutch in the final of Euro 1988.

The inclusion of Arshavin, suspended for the first two games, seemed to give Russia a massive injection of self-belief and they were unrecognisable from the side who laboured to victory over Greece and were thumped by Spain.

His direct running and some confident, slick passing in and around the box had Sweden hanging on from the opening exchanges.

Yuri Zhirkov sounded a warning when he drove a volley wide after 21 minutes and three minutes later Russia were ahead.

A clever pass enabled Konstantin Zyryanov to escape down the right and he played the ball inside to Alexander Anyukov. The dangerous midfielder then rolled it into the path of Pavlyuchenko who cracked home a first-time shot.

The striker almost had another later in the half when he fired against the bar after another neat exchange.

The Swedes issued a reminder of their own threat on the break as Henrik Larsson looped a header against the bar and Mikael Nilsson forced a sharp smothering save out of Igor Akinfeyev at the end of the half.

It proved a key intervention as five minutes after the break Arshavin doubled the lead with another superb goal. An attack that began deep in their own half ended with Zhirkov setting up the playmaker to score with his outstretched right boot.

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Greece Vs. Spain Match Report

SALZBURG, June 18 (Reuters) - Departing European champions Greece lost their third game out of three when they were beaten 2-1 by Group D winners Spain at Euro 2008 on Wednesday.

Striker Angelos Haristeas opened the scoring for Greece with a header in the 42nd minute, his team's first goal of the tournament, but Spain equalised in the 61st through Ruben de la Red and took victory with a Daniel Guiza goal two minutes from time.

Greece, surprise winners of Euro 2004 in Portugal, had lost their first two group games without scoring.

Spain, already sure of their quarter-final place and playing a largely reserve side, meet Italy in the last eight in Vienna on Sunday.

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France Vs. Italy Match Report

ZURICH, June 17 (Reuters) - World champions Italy beat 10-man France 2-0 in Group C on Tuesday to qualify for the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.

It was a nightmare of a match for France who lost Franck Ribery to a suspected broken leg and had Eric Abidal sent off before half-time as they were eliminated from the competition.

Italy made the breakthrough when Andrea Pirlo lashed home a 25th minute penalty after Abidal was red carded for hauling down striker Luca Toni as he prepared to shoot.

Daniele De Rossi made it 2-0 after 62 minutes when he smashed in a shot following a rehearsed free-kick routine with his drive taking a deflection off Thierry Henry to leave goalkeeper Gregory Coupet wrong-footed.

The match turned after only nine minutes when Ribery, France's inspirational playmayer, was seriously injured in a clumsy challenge on Gianluca Zambrotta.

He immediatly held his left leg in agony and was driven away on a medical cart with a suspected broken left leg.

France's problems got even worse when Pirlo scored from the penalty after Abidal's dismissal.

In a bid to redress the balance of his side, France coach Raymond Domenech, who had sent on Samir Nasri to replace Ribery after 10 minutes, then replaced Nasri after Abidal's dismissal and brought on defender Jean-Alain Boumsoung.

But the gap left by Ribery's absence allowed Italy to largely dominate in midfield and between them Pirlo, De Rossi, Gennaro Gattuso and Antonio Cassano created three good chances for Toni to score before halftime.

Fabio Grosso also went close when he thumped in a 43rd minute free kick which keeper Gregory Coupet's touched onto his right-hand post.

Pirlo and Gattuso were both booked and will miss Italy's quarter-final with Spain in Vienna on Sunday.

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Austria Vs. Germany Match Report

VIENNA, June 16 (Reuters) - Michael Ballack struck a thunderbolt free kick to send Germany through to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over co-hosts Austria on Monday.

Germany, needing to avoid defeat to stay in the tournament, looked nervous in the first half but Ballack's strike from 25 metres at the start of the second changed the game and took them through as Group B runners-up behind Croatia.

They will go on to face Group A winners Portugal in Basel on Thursday.

Austria, needing a win to stand a chance of going through, gave Germany a few nervous moments, particularly in a first half that ended with the two coaches sent to the stands by the referee after an argument between the two of them at pitchside.

Germany should have given themselves the perfect start, and silenced the majority of the 51,000 home crowd, when Miroslav Klose ran through the Austrian defence on the right of the area and crossed low for Mario Gomez.

The German forward was just a metre out with an open goal but he mishit his shot, the ball flew up high and Gyorgy Garics headed it back off the line.

Austria's game plan focused on hitting Germany on the break and the tactic almost paid off in the 19th minute when Erwin Hoffer was put through on goal, only for his control to let him down, giving Jens Lehmann the chance to gather.

Germany's only other good first-half chance came when Lukas Podolski let fly from the edge of the area and forced a good save from Juergen Macho, at full stretch low to his left.

Ballack's free kick, belted right-footed into the top corner, should have given Germany the chance to pick off Austria on the break but they remained cautious.

Austria, however, were short of ideas themselves and well before the end they were reduced to taking pot shots mainly from outside the area.

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Poland Vs. Croatia Match Report

KLAGENFURT, June 16 (Reuters) - Croatia showed they are well-equipped to make a serious bid for the Euro 2008 title when their reserves swept aside Poland 1-0 in their final Group B game on Monday.

Already assured of a quarter-final against Turkey, they followed up wins over Austria and Germany with an efficient display against a poor Poland side and should have won more convincingly.

The only goal came eight minutes into the second half from Ivan Klasnic, a striker who has undergone two kidney transplants in the last 18 months.

Poland went into the game needing to win by at least two goals to have any chance and with Croatia resting nine first-choice players they could not have had a better situation.

However, the team who qualified for the tournament by finishing above Portugal in their group, looked toothless up front and lacking in midfield creativity, shortcomings that contributed to their single goal return from three games.

After 10 minutes Croatia keeper Vedran Runje had to act smartly to punch away a cross just before it reached the head of Jacek Krzynowek but that was the only time he was seriously called into action in the first half.

His opposite number Artur Boruc got busier and busier and made two good saves with his feet to deny the ever-dangerous Klasnic.

Defender Hrvoje Vejic also flashed a header just wide while Danijel Pranjic should have done better when he shot across goal when clean through.

The finishing was spot-on eight minutes into the second half though, when Pranjic crossed low from the left and Klasnic clipped a first-time shot past Boruc to give them the lead and a subsequent victory they deserved.

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Switzerland Vs. Portugal Match Report

BASEL, June 15 (Reuters) - Switzerland notched their first win at a European Championship finals when it least mattered by beating a second-string side from Euro 2008 quarter-finalists Portugal 2-0 on Sunday.

Hakan Yakin scored both goals, firing home in the 71st minute when he was set up by fellow striker Eren Derdiyok and then converting an 83rd minute penalty.


The commitment showed by Portugal's reserves, looking to win a place in Luiz Felipe Scolari's first team, and the eliminated Swiss belied the fact that the result would not alter the Group A standings.

The Swiss had the first real scare in the 18th minute when a free kick by Nani from outside the box was touched on by central defender Pepe and goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuehler could only turn the ball upwards on to the angle of bar and post.

Ricardo, one of only three first-choice Portugal players to start the match, tipped a shot from Gokhan Inler over his bar and close to halftime dived to his left to push out a header by Yakin.

Helder Postiga should have scored when Nani robbed Inler on the left and crossed from deep but the striker's shot was blocked by Philippe Senderos on the line.

Postiga also had the ball in the net but was unlucky to be ruled offside.

Nani hit the near post in the 53rd minute from the left when he ran on to Rau Meireles's fine pass from deep.

Yakin broke the deadlock when Derdiyok's telling pass eluded Pepe and left him with only keeper Ricardo to beat from point blank range.

He put the game beyond doubt from the spot after Meira brought down Swiss substitute Tranquillo Barnetta.

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Turkey Vs. Czech Republic Match Report

GENEVA, June 15 (Reuters) - Two goals in the last three minutes gave Turkey a remarkable 3-2 win over Czech Republic in a winner-take-all Euro 2008 thriller on Sunday, earning a quarter-final meeting with Croatia.

The Czechs went 2-0 up with a first-half goal from their all-time leading scorer Jan Koller and a 62nd-minute effort from midfielder Jaroslav Plasil.


Arda Turan pulled one back 15 minutes from time and equalised in dramatic style with three minutes to go when keeper Petr Cech inexplicably dropped the ball for Nihat Kahveci to slide the ball into an empty net.

The Turks grabbed the winner two minutes later when Nihat broke clear to fire his side in front with a right-foot shot from the edge of the area.

The drama did not end there as Turkey keeper Volkan Demirel was sent off in stoppage time.

Turkey finished with six points, three ahead of the Czechs, who were eliminated along with co-hosts Switzerland. Portugal were top.

The breakthrough came after 34 minutes when Koller headed powerfully into the top corner with Volkan palming the ball on to the underside of the bar and in.

The goal was fully deserved after the Czechs dominated most of a tense, error-strewn opening 45 minutes.

The second came after Turkey had come out of their shell and attacked for most of the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

Although captain Nihat went close with a flick that flew over Cech's bar, Turkey found themselves 2-0 down when Plasil slid in to steer the ball past Volkan after a fine cross from the right by Libor Sionko.

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Greece Vs. Russia Match Report

Greece lost their grip on the European Championship title after Konstantin Zyryanov's winner earned victory for Russia in Salzburg and knocked out the holders.

Otto Rehhagel's men were never given much hope of making history and becoming the first country to defend the title, and their hopes lasted two matches.

Criticised for being negative, there was at least some adventure after Zyryanov took advantage of woeful goalkeeping from Antonis Nikopolidis - but it was too little, too late.

Andrei Arshavin's return from suspension now comes at the perfect time for Guus Hiddink, with victory over Sweden needed on Wednesday in Innsbruck to reach the quarter-finals.

Before this match the sounds coming from Rehhagel and Greece were that they wanted to attack, and their formation suggested as much, with the ultra-defensive sweeper system giving way for a flat back four.

But it was impossible to throw caution to the wind when Russia had the ball and looked to attack down the flanks.

Roman Pavlyuchenko, whose goals defeated England last October, had recovered from an adductor muscle strain and stretched Greece's defence at Stadion Wals-Siezenheim, following Hiddink's tactics to the letter.

Russia's pressure was almost rewarded in the 14th minute when Zyryanov robbed Angelos Basinas as the Greece skipper dwelt on the ball.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov worked the ball out to Pavlyuchenko, who saw his curling lob tipped over by Nikopolidis as it angled towards the top corner.

Greece's threats predictably came from set-plays, with Basinas curling a trademark free-kick into the danger zone but Angelos Charisteas could not get a head on the perfect delivery or on Igor Semshov's clumsy resulting clearance that went just wide.

The opener came for Russia after 33 minutes, gifted by Nikopolidis.

Bilyaletdinov was fed by Dmitri Torbinski on the left and his cross looked harmless as it drifted to the far post but Nikopolidis followed the ball, allowing enough time for Sergei Semak to hook the ball back into the six-yard area where Zyryanov could not miss. Hiddink punched the air in delight.

With momentum on their side, Pavlyuchenko had a couple of efforts off target, failing to test whether Nikopolidis' error had affected him.

Greece's response was to take off Giourkas Seitaridis, who appeared to take a knock after a challenge from Torbinski, and bring on playmaker Giorgos Karagounis, who was booked shortly after for a foul.

They should have been level 40 seconds after the restart but Charisteas, the hero of 2004, looked shocked to be given onside and his finish was no better than his effort in the first half.

Pavlyuchenko then had a hat-trick of chances to put the game beyond Greece but Nikopolidis saved twice when he cut in from either flank. On the third attempt his finish went wide of the near post.

The wastefulness of the Russia striker sparked Greece into life and Karagounis stung the palms of Igor Akinfeev with a fierce shot, Nikos Liberopoulos had a header tipped over and Basinas flashed over when the ball had been cut back.

Russia's tactic was now to counter-attack, and one flowing move resulted in Pavlyuchenko backheeling intelligently for Bilyaletdinov - but the finish was dragged wide.

Bilyaletdinov also had a shot blocked by Sotiris Kyrgiakos after Nikopolidis fumbled.

Charisteas showed no signs of his confidence returning and his penultimate effort was a header from a corner that Akinfeev saved easily.

The striker had the ball in the net with five minutes remaining but play had been called back for an offside against Fanis Gekas, who had come on to bolster Greece's attack.

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Sweden Vs. Spain Match Report

David Villa was again Spain's hero as his injury-time goal earned Luis Aragones' men a last-gasp win over Sweden in the battle between the top two teams in Group D in Innsbruck.

Fernando Torres put this week's controversies behind him as he fired Spain ahead in the 15th minute but Zlatan Ibrahimovic levelled things up in the 34th minute with a goal that looked to have earned Sweden a share of the points.

That was until Villa, who scored a hat-trick in Spain's 4-1 win over Russia on Tuesday, struck right at the death to put his side on the brink of the quarter-finals.

The in-form Spanish, now undefeated in 18 games, quickly settled into their passing game and were soon probing the Sweden defence for frailties.

However, apart from an Andres Iniesta shot that went high and wide and a moment of danger when David Silva got in behind the Sweden defence before being closed down, Lars Lagerback's side were able to deal with the early Spanish threat.

Sweden's success lasted just 15 minutes though before they found themselves a goal down thanks to a well-worked Spain corner.

Xavi played a low ball in towards the front post for Villa, who in turn found Valencia club-mate Silva on the edge of the box and his cross back in towards the six-yard box was stabbed home by the stretching Torres.

That was only the second goal Torres has scored for his country since 2006 and was the perfect response after a week of speculation suggesting he had had a rift with coach Aragones following his early second-half substitution against Russia.

It had been largely all Spain up until that point, but Sweden proved there were two teams in the contest as they almost fashioned an immediate equaliser to Torres' goal.

Veteran forward Henrik Larsson cleverly slipped Johan Elmander through on the right of the area, but the Toulouse forward smashed his shot into the side-netting with only Iker Casillas to beat.

Larsson had a chance of his own in the 22nd minute after being fed by strike-partner Ibrahimovic, but the 36-year-old's attempted lob over Casillas sailed over the crossbar.

Ibrahimovic, widely regarded as Sweden`s chief threat, had been well-marshalled by the Spain backline but the Inter Milan striker showed his class as he drew his side level 11 minutes before half-time.

The giant striker raced onto a deep cross from Fredrik Stoor, brought the ball under control and, just as it appeared as though the chance might be lost, he held off the challenge of Sergio Ramos before sliding a low shot past Casillas.

That was Ibrahimovic's second goal of the tournament following his superb effort against Greece and saw him move to within one of Spain striker Villa.

Like Ibrahimovic, Villa had also been fairly quiet, but the hat-trick hero against Russia brought a save out of Andreas Isaksson in the 37th minute with a 20-yard volley.

Sweden suffered a setback at half-time when Ibrahimovic, who had been an injury doubt leading up to the game due to a knee problem, failed to re-appear for the second half, with Markus Rosenberg taking his place.

Rosenberg had little opportunity to impress in the first 15 minutes of the second half though as the two teams cancelled each other out, and in a bid to shake things up Spain boss Aragones opted to make a double change on the hour-mark with Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla sent into action.

Soon after their introduction Spain had a great chance to take the lead as the Sweden goal survived three near misses in quick succession.

First Silva's shot was parried by Isaksson, who then did well to bravely block the follow-up from Villa. The ball was still alive though and, with Isaksson out of position, Torres looked set to slot into an empty net only to see his effort deflected for a corner.

Spain were starting to get the upper hand and Isaksson was again called into action in the 67th minute, diving full length to turn away Marcos Senna's 25-yard drive.

Sweden enjoyed a rare chance in 78th minute when a deep Anders Svensson free-kick cleared the Spain defence and found Petter Hansson at the far post, but the centre-back put his volley across the face of goal.

Spain piled forward in the closing stages in search of the winning goal, but when Isaksson saved Torres' low shot in the 89th minute it looked as though the Swedes would be taking a hard-earned point.

However, Villa had other ideas and he raced onto a Joan Capdevila long ball forward, skipped inside Hansson before coolly slotting home past Isaksson for the winner.

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Netherland Vs. France Match Report

Rampant Holland produced an attacking masterclass for the second time in four days to bury France in Bern and seal their qualification for the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.

Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring and Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder added others after the break as Marco van Basten's in-form team sank the French in the same way they did world champions Italy here on Monday.

Les Bleus' consolation came through Thierry Henry on his return to the team, but even their revered defence could not handle the pace and brio of their opponents' attacks.

France meet Italy on Tuesday but they both may be eliminated if Romania, who are second in the group, defeat Holland on the same night.

The Dutch, meanwhile, will now have to cope with the tag of tournament favourites after disposing of the two World Cup finalists of 2006 in sensational style, scoring seven goals in the process.

They were bound to feel at home given the army of Oranje fans who had invaded Bern city centre during the day and then the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf in the evening.

Their confidence was also sky high after their stunning victory over the Italians, and Kuyt's opener after only eight minutes helped them settle.

It was a simple goal of the kind France rarely concede, Rafael van der Vaart sending a corner in from the right and Kuyt beating Florent Malouda in the air to head home at the near post.

France coach Raymond Domenech, who had reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation in bringing Patrice Evra, Sidney Govou and fit-again Henry back into the side, would have been alarmed at the defending for the goal.

Just as alarming for him would have been the confident swagger that had returned to the Dutch team, whose slick passing game was a joy to watch.

They were posing all sorts of problems early on, Sneijder firing just over in the 15th minute and then Kuyt poking a shot over the bar when free in the area after he pounced on a weak Lilian Thuram header.

France had been criticised back home for their laboured performance against Romania in Zurich but they upped the tempo here and created a host of half-chances in the final 20 minutes of the half.

Their first sight of goal came when Govou's near-post effort drew an excellent instinctive save out of Edwin van der Sar.

Three more opportunities fell to the French in the space of a few minutes - Malouda, Govou and Franck Ribery all bringing decent stops out of van der Sar with low drives.

Henry curled wide from 20 yards with the last opportunity of the half but at the start of the second period, he thought he had earned his side a penalty.

Govou's driven cross-shot was deflected into his path and the Barcelona striker's goalbound effort was blocked by the hand of Andre Ooijer.

Referee Herbert Fandel was obviously unsighted and only gave a corner, much to the chagrin of the French.

Henry had an immediate chance to exact his revenge but having been put clean through in the 53rd minute by Malouda's spectacular pass, the former Arsenal skipper sent his lob way over.

His profligacy was punished on the hour mark when two of Holland's second-half substitutes, Robben and van Persie, combined to put the Dutch further ahead.

The goal originated from some sublime skills by Ruud van Nistelrooy on the touchline and his Real Madrid team-mate Robben took the ball on.

His perfect cross from the left found van Persie, whose volley crept over the line despite the best efforts of France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet.

Henry finally got his goal in the 70th minute when he glanced home a cross from the right from Willy Sagnol but, within seconds, Robben restored Holland's two-goal cushion.

The left-winger ran onto Sneijder's through-ball down the left channel, won himself half a yard against Thuram and drove home a powerful drive from a narrow angle into the roof of the net.

The impressive van Nistelrooy almost got himself on the scoresheet with seven minutes left with an impudent header, but it was clawed out by Coupet.

It was left for Sneijder to add garnish, his superb curling shot from 25 yards giving Coupet no chance.

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Italy Vs. Romania Match Report

ZURICH, June 13 (Reuters) - Gianluigi Buffon saved a late Adrian Mutu penalty to earn world champions Italy a 1-1 draw with Romania at Euro 2008 on Friday.

Striker Mutu put Romania ahead 10 minutes into the second half after Gianluca Zambrotta's poor back header but Italy hit back immediately when Christian Panucci prodded the ball in on the line.

Italy, humbled 3-0 by Netherlands in their opening Group C game on Monday, will feel hard done by after striker Luca Toni had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside before the interval.

He powerfully headed in from close range and television replays showed he was clearly behind the last defender when Zambrotta played the ball into the packed box.

Italy, who now await the outcome of the France v Netherlands game later ahead of their meeting with the French on Tuesday, made five changes from the Dutch debacle with striker Alessandro Del Piero coming in and captaining the side.

They also switched to a 4-3-1-2 formation from 4-3-3 and were much more vibrant, creating several chances in the air.

Del Piero failed to connect properly with an early close range header before strike partner Toni nodded wide from left back Fabio Grosso's cross.

Toni then had another header superbly pushed away by Romania goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont, who also did well to deny Italy in a goalmouth scramble.

Romania had their share of first half chances with Cristian Chivu hitting the post with a free kick which deflected off defender Panucci.

Mutu had a shot saved by Buffon after beating Italy's offside trap while the keeper was also forced into a smart stop from Gabriel Tamas's fierce free kick from distance.

Romania lost midfielder Mirel Radoi to a serious looking injury midway through the first period when he collided with team mate Razvan Rat. Defender Dorin Goian was also booked and will miss their final group game with the Dutch on Tuesday.

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Austria Vs. Poland Match Report

VIENNA, June 12 (Reuters) - An injury-time penalty by Ivica Vastic earned co-hosts Austria a dramatic 1-1 draw with Poland at Euro 2008 on Thursday.

Vastic struck three minutes into added time after a shirt-pulling offence in the box.

Brazilian-born striker Roger Guerreiro had given Poland a fortunate first-half lead.

Guerreiro, who was only granted Polish citizenship in April, was clearly offside when he scored his first goal for his adopted country from a 30th-minute scramble at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

Both teams have one point in Group B, with Germany on three and Croatia top on six.

Austria paid the price for squandering a host of early chances that could have comfortably won them the game.

Having only threatened Croatia in the final 20 minutes on Sunday, Austria coach Josef Hickersberger told his side to go out guns blazing against the Poles.

The message got through and his team should have been 3-0 up inside 20 minutes after Poland's ramshackle defence was repeatedly split wide open for a player to run through.

Martin Harnik failed twice with Artur Boruc at his mercy and Christoph Leitgeb fared no better in his one-on-one with the keeper as a rampant Austria put Poland to the sword.

Unrecognisable from the side who qualified as group winners ahead of Portugal, Poland had been struggling to string two passes together before Guerreiro put them ahead.

Ebi Smolarek picked out Marek Saganowski with a long pass to the far post but his effort was blocked and Guerreiro steered the ball home in his fourth game for Poland.

Smolarek could have added another goal in the second period, chasing on to a long ball forward but only mustering a shot which Juergen Macho was able to block.

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Croatia Vs. Germany Match Report

KLAGENFURT, June 12 (Reuters) - Fearless Croatia pulled off a memorable 2-1 win over Group B favourites Germany on Thursday to move to the brink of a place in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals.

Darijo Srna beat Marcell Jansen to poke home a curling cross from the left in the first half and Ivica Olic tapped the ball in early in the second period after a cross from Ivan Rakitic had struck Lukas Podolski and a post.

Germany pulled one back in the 79th minute through Podolski but Croatia held on for a victory that revived memories of their 3-0 triumph over Germany in the 1998 World Cup quarter-finals, a match that featured their coach Slaven Bilic.

To add to Germany's misery, substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger was sent off in injury time.

Croatia top the group with six points, ahead of Germany on three. Poland and Austria, beaten in their opening matches, were playing later on Thursday.

Bilic's team kept things tight early on and looked dangerous when they went forward.

Danijel Pranjic gave Germany a warning of what was to come when he whipped in a cross that the defence struggled to clear.

The same player then headed over the bar, with keeper Jens Lehmann beaten, and Christoph Metzelder had to rescue full back Jansen with a last-gasp sliding tackle to deny Olic.

The first goal came in the 24th minute, Srna proving too sharp for Jansen.

Croatia nearly made it 2-0 when Olic headed down and Niko Kranjcar blasted over.

The Germans went close with a Michael Ballack free kick and a header from Metzelder that flashed over.

Coach Joachim Loew sent on David Odonkor to add pace on the right and Ballack shot over from the edge of the area.

The second goal had an element of luck about it but it was reward for the excellent attitude Croatia showed and they managed to hold on after Podolski's late strike for Germany.

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Switzerland Vs. Turkey Match Report

Turkey's Arda Turan stunned Switzerland with an injury-time goal at a rain-soaked St Jakob-Park Stadium on Wednesday to knock the Euro 2008 co-hosts out of the tournament.

Hakan Yakin opened the scoring for Switzerland in the 32nd minute but substitute Semih Senturk's equaliser shortly before the hour mark left both teams searching for their first win in Group A and in the bottom two places of the group.

Just as the game looked to be headed for a draw, Arda struck from the edge of the area.

His right-footed effort deflected off a Swiss defender and into the goal to silence the home crowd.

The Swiss had had a chance to move in front late in the game but Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel made a stunning save to deny Yakin's close-range effort.

Turkey take on the Czech Republic in the last group game on Sunday while the Swiss face unbeaten Portugal.

Both teams struggled with the very wet conditions but it did not spoil the atmosphere for the fans packed into the stadium.

Injuries forced Turkey coach Fatih Terim to make three changes to his starting line-up and it was Mehmet Aurelio who was handed the challenging role of replacing injured Emre at the heart of midfield.

Stand-in captain Nihat Kahveci was the engine for the Turks.

Switzerland coach Jakob Kuhn brought in attacking duo Eren Derdiyok and Hakan Yakin, hoping the absence of all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei through injury would not hinder his side.

It proved a wise move by the veteran tactician as both players made life difficult for Demirel.

Nihat was first to test Diego Benaglio early on but his angled effort was saved by the goalkeeper.

With the hosts making unforced errors, Turkey surged forward more aggressively.

Switzerland had their first shot on goal in the 19th minute, with Gokhan Inler's 30-yard strike forcing Demirel into action.

Turkey may have dominated the early part of the match but that soon changed.

Midway through the first half, Yakin warmed the hands of Demirel with a stinging left-footed drive which the goalkeeper palmed away for a corner.

Demirel's next contribution was more spectacular with the goalkeeper making a one handed save from Tranquilo Barnetta's curled free-kick.

The Turks were unlucky not to break the deadlock in the half-hour mark, with Nihat's free-kick cleared by Benaglio but only as far

Arda Turan, whose header struck the far post.

It proved costly as Switzerland broke the deadlock two minutes later.

A long ball from Philippe Senderos was controlled by Eren Derdiyok who served an unmarked Yakin at the far post for an easy tap-in.

The Swiss fans celebrated wildly as Yakin ran towards them and the Turkish fans were momentarily silenced.

The goal inspired the hosts who should have extended their lead shortly after.

However, Yakin fired wide from the far post Valon Behrami's beautiful cross in what was the last chance of the opening half.

Terim made two substitutions after the re-start, with Mehmet Topal replacing Tumer Metin in midfield and Senturk replacing Gokdeniz Karadeniz.

What a move it proved to be as Senturk scored 10 minutes later.

Senturk latched onto Nihat's cross from the left and his powerful header beat Benaglio.

On the hour mark, Tuncay fired wide from the edge of the area as the Turks kept going forward.

Servet Cetin made a crucial tackle as Hamit Altintop threatened to break clear inside the area.

Turkey should have taken the lead in the 73rd minute as Tuncay curled in an inviting cross which Nihat was unable to connect with at the far post but they continued to battle and their efforts paid off.

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