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Greece Out As Russia Take Spoils Russia 1-0 Greece The champions are deposed. After watching Spain defeat Sweden in Group D?s other fixture, both Greece and Russia knew that a win would keep them in the championships. A defeat would have meant being the second side eliminated from the tournament. It was to be Greece who suffered that ignominy. A solitary Konstantin Zyryanov strike in the first half was enough to sink the Greek challenge. The European championships has a recurring habit of embarrassing its holders. Three times in the last four tournaments, the champions have been eliminated at the first hurdle. After Denmark and Germany, out in the group stages at Euro 96 and Euro 2000 respectively, Greece?s name is added to the list in 2008. A single Konstantin Zyryanov goal, stemming from a fatal error of judgement from Antonis Nikopolidis in goal was enough to ensure that Russia became the side to eliminate Otto Rehhagel?s obstinate side. This year?s edition of the most frustrating team in football is a pale shadow of its stoic 2004 predecessor, and paid the price for a lack of invention and a frailty in defence. Nikopolidis? error preceded a second half where the Greeks could barely muster a significant opportunity. Angelos Basinas fired narrowly over just past the hour and Angelos Charisteas had a goal disallowed as the game approached injury time. The margins were minimal after Fanis Gekas raced clear of the Alexander Anyukov and shot against the legs of Igor Akinfeev. However, Roberto Rosetti elected to rule the passage offside. Greece could not conjure another chance as Russia continued to make the better running. Dimiyar Bilayletdinov and Roman Pavluchenko both went close for Guus Hiddink?s side, but ultimately, one goal was sufficient to see the Greeks deposed from the championship throne. First Half Otto Rehhagel responded to his side?s blunt display against Sweden with a more positive formation for this encounter. Out went Paraskevas Antzas from central defence, leaving more space for Angelos Basinas to roam in midfield. Surpirisingly, Giorgos Karagounis was shunted to the bench, but did make a belated first half appearance as a replacement for the injured Yourkas Seitaridis. Guus Hiddink himself shuffled the Russian deck in the wake of his side?s Spanish drubbing; Dmitri Torbinksi entered the fray as the Russians adopted a more positive set-up. Hiddink was rewarded with a solid opening 45 minutes, in which Russia edged in front. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov made a strong impression from the outset, his industry in midfield forced the Greeks into discomfort. He picked the pocket of Basinas in the 14th minute to set Roman Pavluchenko clear in the box. The Spartak Moscow front-man curled a right footed effort just over, aided by a Antonis Nikopolidis touch. Yuri Zhirkov went close from the resulting corner; his powerful volley whistled just past the Greek upright. Pavluchenko was benefiting from the scheming and craft of his midfielders, who worked tirelessly to prevent the Greeks from settling the encounter to their own pace. He was to go close moments later but his blocked effort was ruled offside. Much like their Swedish performance, Greece?s best chance of a goal looked like it would stem from a set-piece. With no Karagounis from the start, Angelos Basinas was in charge from free-kicks, and from one of his deliveries, Angelos Charisteas should have edged his side in front. Basinas swung a deep cross from the left, but Charisteas mistimed his jump and saw the ball merely glance off his forehead when the goal beckoned. Igor Semshov was ultimately on hand to clear. Charisteas and Greece were made to rue that missed chance as Russia took the initiative, and the lead. 33 minutes had elapsed when Dmitri Torbinski over-cooked a cross from the left. His pass had Nikopolidis scampering and leaving the confines of his goal. Sergei Semak hooked the ball over his shoulder before it crossed the dead ball line and Konstantin Zyryanov tapped into an empty net. Nikopolidis, with all his experience, will be disappointed with his bewildering part in the opener. Pavluckenko had a great chance to double his side?s lead seconds later but his headed chance was ruled offside as the ball bounced over the bar. Second Half With only 45 minutes to save their defence of the Henri Delaunay trophy, the Greeks emerged more purposeful after the interval. For all their directness in their endeavours, the holders could not find a finishing touch; Charisteas lobbed limply at Akinfeev after three minutes of second half play. Russia responded with a chance of their own, through the increasingly impressive Pavluchenko. The striker gained possession wide on the left and after nut-megging Sotiris Krgyiakos fired a drive narrowly wide. There was an increased urgency in the game; both sides adopted a ?cup final? attitude as blows were swapped at each end. Greece went close again two minutes later, Nikos Liberopoulos teed up Angelos Basinas who fired too high while overbalanced. The capable Russians looked comfortable while breaking into the Greek rear guard. Full backs Alexander Anyukov and Yuri Zhirkov supported and overlapped with rampant energy ensuring that Greece were continually pegged back. Pavluchenko?s clever back-heel found Diniya Bilyaletdinov on the edge of the box on the hour, but the Lokomotiv Moscow?s striker left-foot shot dragged narrowly wide. Shambolic Greek defending almost handed Russia a second shortly after; Costas Katsouranis failed to deal with an Anyukov cross but Bilyaletdinov was unable to take full advantage with his goal-bound effort. Pavluchenko went close again just after, but his profligacy was once again evident. After some brilliant work by Ivan Saenko in midfield, who released Pavluchenko with an eye-of-the-needle pass, the striker was unable to find a finish. As the game ebbed towards its conclusion, the Greeks looked increasingly desperate. Upfield went their two centre backs in an attempt to save their tournament skins. To no avail however, as Theofanis Gekas released Charisteas, who was contentiously flagged offside long before his shot reached the goal. Russia will do battle with Sweden in the final Group D fixture on Thursday for the second qualifying berth. With confidence bound to be high in the Russian camp, Guus Hiddink?s side will surely fancy their chances against a deflated Swedish outfit. Line-ups: Russia (4-4-2): Akinfeev - Anyukov, Kolodin, Ignashevich, Zhirkov (V Berezuski 88?), Semak, Torbinsky, Zyryanov, Semshov, Bilyaletdinov (Saenko 70?), Pavluchenko. Subs not used: Gabulov, Malafeev, A Berezutski, Ignashavich, Shirkov, Bystrov, Ivanov, Adamov, Sychev. Greece (4-5-1): Nikopolidis, Petridis (Karagounis 40?), Dellas, Kyrgiakos, Torosidis, Katsouranis, Basinas, Patsatzoglou, Charisteas, Liberopoulos (Gekas 60?), Amanatidis (Giannakopoulos 80?). Subs not used: Chalkias, Tzorvas, Spiropoulos, Vintra, Goumas, Antzas, Tziolis, Salpingidis, Samaras. Goals: Russia: Zyryanov 33? Greece: Cards: Russia: Saenko 77? Torbinski 87? Greece: Karagounis 42?, Liberopoulos 58? Referee: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)

Greece 0 - 1 Russia Konstantin Zyryanov (33') 1 Nikopolidis A. Goalkeeper - 2 Seitaridis G. Defender - 5 Dellas T. Defender - 16 Kyrgiakos S. Defender - 15 Torosidis V. Defender - 6 Basinas A. Midfielder - 21 Katsouranis K. Midfielder - 3 Patsatzoglou C. Midfielder - 9 Charisteas A. Striker - 23 Liberopoulos N. Striker - 20 Amanatidis Y. Striker *12 Chalkias K. Goalkeeper - 13 Tzorvas A. Goalkeeper - 18 Goumas I. Defender - 19 Antzas P. Defender - 11 Vyntra L. Defender - 4 Spyropoulos N. Defender - 22 Tziolis A. Midfielder - 8 Giannakopoulos S. Midfielder - 10 Karagounis G. Midfielder - 7 Samaras G. Striker - 14 Salpingidis D. Striker - 17 Gekas T. Striker *Rehhagel O. Manager/Coach 1 Akinfeev I. Goalkeeper - 22 Anyukov A. Defender - 4 Ignashevich S. Defender - 8 Kolodin D. Defender - 18 Zhirkov Y. Defender - 11 Semak S. Midfielder - 17 Zyryanov K. Midfielder - 20 Semshov I. Midfielder - 15 Bilyaletdinov D. Midfielder - 7 Torbinskiy D. Midfielder - 19 Pavluchenko R. Striker *16 Malafeev V. Goalkeeper - 12 Gabulov V. Goalkeeper - 3 Yanbayev R. Defender - 2 Berezutskiy V. Defender - 14 Shirokov R. Defender - 23 Bystrov V. Midfielder - 10 Arshavin A. Striker - 5 Berezutskiy A. Defender - 6 Adamov R. Striker - 9 Saenko I. Striker - 21 Sychev D. Striker - 13 Pogrebnyak P. Striker *Hiddink G. Manager/Coach 90'+3 Oh!!! Pavluchenko wastes an absolute golden opportunity as he sends a shot from 12 yards over the net!!! Rosetti blows his whistle to end the match as the defending champions are officially eliminated!!! They will not be able to defend their crown as their failure to score has been their Achilles heel. Russia will now face Sweden in their next match and another victory will send them through to the second round. 90'+1 The fourth official signals that there will be three minutes of extra time for Greece to find an equalizer. Gekas gives the ball away cheaply as the moans and groans from the Greece supporters echo around the stadium. 89' The defending European Champions are in grave danger of crashing out of the tournament as Pavulchenko plays keep away near the corner flag. 87' OH!!! Charisteas puts the ball into the net but the linesman's flag is up for offside!!! Gekas was deemed to have been in an offside position. 87' Substitution Zhirkov Y. Berezutskiy A. 85' Oh!!! Torosidis makes a vital sliding interception as Saenko would have been clear through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat!! Another errand pass is intercepted and Pavluchenko leads a counterattack that comes to nothing. 84' Yellow Card Torbinskiy D. 83' Karagounis shoves Zyryanov in the back and concedes a free kick on the edge of his own penalty area. OH!!!! Zhirkov's curling effort almost finds the top corner!!! 81' Pavluchenko is all over the place as he tracks back all the way into his own penalty area to head away Karagounis' free kick. Charisteas rises to meet Karagounis' cross but his weak header is easily saved by Akinfeev. 80' Substitution Amanatidis Y. Giannakopoulos S. 78' Time is running out on Greece as they are beginning to show their frustration with every call that goes against them. Karagounis squirms away from his marker and wins his side a free kick. 77' Yellow Card Saenko I. 76' It's four on three for the Russians and Basinas is forced to take down Zyryanov on the edge of the penalty area. Kolodin stands over the ball and thumps his shot straight into the Greek wall. 74' Zhirkov is taken down outside of the area but Rosetti plays the advantage and eventually the ball is kicked out of play so he can receive some attention from the medical staff. 72' OH!!! Karagounis, who has been the Greek's most dangerous player since he has come on, sends in a thumping shot that is inches wide of the mark!!! Pavluchenko roams free on the right flank, cuts inside and lets a shot fly that sails high over the crossbar. 70' It's all Greece right now as Rehhagel pours men forward looking for the equalizer. Bilyaletdinov trots off the pitch and Saenko takes his place as the Russians cling to a one goal lead. 70' Substitution Bilyaletdinov D. Saenko I. 68' Karagounis dials up a speculative long range effort that is well wide of the mark. Patsatzoglou finds some space on the right flank and sends in a cross that Akinfeev punches away. 66' Karagounis pushes forward and finds Basinas but his cross is blocked and goes out for a throw in. It's tense times if you happen to be a Greece supporter as they need a goal to keep from crashing out of the tournament. 64' OH!!!!! It's been a horror show for Nikipolidis as he makes a hash of a cross and the ball squirts loose and Dellas is forced into making a game saving block!!! 62' Gekas trots onto the pitch for Liberpolous who had lost his cool for the last fifteen minutes and Rehhagel felt he might have been in danger of getting himself sent off. 61' Substitution Liberopoulos N. Gekas T. 60' Akinfeev slows the match down after an electrifying last ten minutes that saw some golden opportunities for both teams. Pavluchenko runs at the Greek defence but holds onto the ball for far too long and the chance is wasted. 58' Russia win a free kick that is taken quickly and Bilyaletdinov is taken down in the area but Rosetti waves away his protest!!! OH!!!! Pavluchenko lays it off to Bilyaletdinov whose daisy cutter just misses finding the bottom corner!!! 58' Yellow Card Liberopoulos N. 56' OH!!!!! The ball squirts loose to Basinas whose shot from 12 yards sails high over the crossbar!!! He should have hit the target from there!! 54' OH!!!!! Akinfeev has to beat away a ferocious shot from Karagounis as Greece is not going to go out without a fight! A lively start to the second half with chances for both sides. 52' Greece play the ball around the pitch but the ball is given away cheaply and Pavluchenko almost makes them pay but his shot from 17 yards is wide of the near post!!! 50' Russia win an early corner and the delivery is met by Ignashevich who sends a powerful header high over the crossbar. Basinas stands over the ball and sends in a low delivery that Amanatidis mis-hits at the far post. Another decent chance goes begging for the Greeks who desperately need a goal to stay in the tournament. 48' OH!!!!!! Karagounis stands over the ball and his delivery finds Charisteas who is one and one with Akinfeev but his feeble shot is easily saved by the Russian goalkeeper!! He should have scored from there and his miss is going to keep him up in the morning! 46' The second half is underway with the defending European Champions in serious danger of crashing out of the tournament. 45' Rosetti blows the whistle to end the first half festivities as Russia take a well deserved 1-0 lead into the halftime interval. A terrible mistake by Nikopolidis has gifted the Russians the lead and in truth could have been much worse as the Greek back four looked tired and disheveled to end the half. 43' Greece win a late corner and Basinas' delivery is headed away and the chance comes to nothing. Akinfeev receives the ball and boots it upfield looking for the towering presence of Pavulchenko. 42' Yellow Card Karagounis G. 41' Karagounis is the first player to be booked and he has only been on the field for less than two minutes. Greece push forward looking for an equalizer but Charisteas goes down and fails to win his side a free kick. 40' Substitution Seitaridis G. Karagounis G. 39' Rehhagel is forced into an early substitution as Seitaridis hobbles off the field and Karagounis takes his place. Greece look disorganized at the moment and will be lucky to go into the break only one goal down. 37' Russia win their third corner in the last three minutes but cannot capitalize. Bilyaletdinov dials up a long distance effort that fails to hit the target. 35' The Greek back four look shell-shocked right now as the Russians are running rampant and wild and a second goal does not look too far away. 33' Goal Zyryanov K. 32' GOAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!! What a mistake by Nikopolidis as he thought the ball was going out of bounds but Semak sneaks a pass to Zyryanov who has the easiest of finishes!!!!! 31' Dellas finds Basinas whose return pass is mis-hit and runs out of play as the match has slowed down to snails pace. 29' Bilyaletdinov creates some space for himself and sends in a cross that Nikopolidis gathers easily. Bilyaletdinov tries to find Pavluchenko with a long, looping ball but it runs out for a goal-kick. 27' Russia enjoy a brief spell of possession but nothing comes of it as Semshov's pass runs harmlessly out of play. Zyryanov hits the dirt but Rosetti is having none of it and waves for play to continue. 25' Patient buildup by Greece but once again the pass in the final third of the pitch lets them down. Seitaridis makes it to the byline but his cross is over-hit and the chance goes begging. 23' Patsatzoglu plays a short pass to free up Charisteas but his cross is disappointing and ends up in the stands. Greece look more positive tonight then they did in their first match against Sweden. 21' It's all Greece at the moment as Russia hang back and soak up some serious pressure. It's three points or bust for Rehhagel's men tonight as they look to defend their European Championship crown. 19' Basinas stands over the ball ready to deliver what Greek fans hope is a good free kick. OH!!!! Basinas whips it in and the ball deflects off Semshov and almost into his own net!!! 17' OH!!!! It's the Russians turn to appeal for a penalty as the ball clearly struck the hand of a Greek defender but the linesman's flag is up for offside!! 15' The match has opened up now as Basinas finds Patsa whose tries to find Liberopolous whose taken down in the area but Rosetti waves away his protests!!! 13' Sietaridis is played through on the right flank and his low cross forces Akinfeev into making a good, safe catch. OH!!!!! Pavluchenko receives the ball and tries to chip the keeper but Nikopolidis makes a great save by tipping the ball over the crossbar!!! 11' Basinas commits a foul much to the chagrin of the Greek faithful. The match has no real rhythm yet as a rash of fouls has slowed the match down to a standstill. 9' The crowd jeers as Dellas plays it back to his goalkeeper Nikopolidis in what has been a cagey affair in the early going. BILYALETDINOV tries his luck from 20 yards but his shot sails into the stands. 7' It has been a tentative start by both teams as they are in the process of feeling each other out. Akinfeev plays it long looking for Pavluchenko but Dellas makes a tidy clearance. 5' Zhirkov scampers up the left flank and is brought down by Seitaridis but Rosetti gives the free kick in favour of the Greek defender. The crowd are in full voice giving the match an electric atmosphere. 3' Early chants of "Hellas, Hellas!!" echo around the stadium in the early going but it's the Russians who win an early free kick but it comes to nothing as Basinas heads the ball clear. 1 Roberto Rosetti gets us underway with Otto Rehhagel opting for a three pronged attack in the form of Charisteas, Liberopolous and Amanatidis while Guus Hiddink counters with Pavluchenko as the lone striker. Let's hope both teams really go after it on what is a cool, brisk night in Salzburg. 0 Welcome to Goal.com?s live coverage of Euro 2008! Tonight?s match comes to you from the Wals-Siezenheim Stadion in Salzburg where Greece will lock horns with Russia in a critical Group D encounter. It is a must win game for both sides as another defeat will spell certain doom and an early exit from the tournament. The defending European Champions are coming off a dismal loss to Sweden in their opening fixture and will have to open up and attack more if they are to defend their crown. Russia were left licking their wounds after a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Spain and will need a good result to keep their qualification hopes alive. It should be an intense encounter so sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Euro 2008 Preview: Holland - France What: European Championships, Group C Who: Italy (4th, 0pts) vs Romania (3rd, 1pt) When: Friday 13 June 2008, 17:00 CET Where: Letzigrund Stadion, Z?rich Friday evening's encounter between the Netherlands and France is fascinatingly poised. A Dutch victory would seal their place in the knockout stages and put France under severe pressure. The Future's Bright, The Future's Oranje It was a case of 'brilliant Oranje' for the Dutch on Monday as a breathtaking display of counter-attacking football proved far too much for a beleaguered Italian side to handle. Victory in their tournament opener gives the Netherlands a superb chance of progressing from the 'Group of Death'. Victory over the French on Friday evening would ensure progression and really lay down a message of intent to the other big nations. Head coach Marco Van Basten, who departs to take over Ajax after the tournament, will be acutely aware that it is not how the Dutch start the tournament but how they finish. Although Monday's 3-0 victory appears emphatic the margins were fine. After Ruud van Nistlerooy's highly controversial opening goal the Dutch scored their second and third goals from swift counters moments after the Italians had posed a serious threat at the opposite end of the field. Van Basten remains coy regarding his side's chances telling the assembled press after Tuesday's victory that, ?We have won just one game. It is only the first step.? Still it takes a special side to beat the Italians by a three goal margin. This was the first time in quarter of a century that the Azzurri had been beaten by such a score. Van Basten understatedly said, ?It shows that we have a good team with quality and I'm proud of this.? Formerly a Dutch international of distinction himself Van Basten said that his side could do ?great things? in the tournament. Once again Vas Basten will look to a deadly attacking quartet to slice open the French defence. Van Nistlerooy is a prolific scorer both at club and international level. His poached goal against Italy was a typical predatory effort from the Real Madrid striker. Supporting him will be Rafael Van Der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt and club-mate Wesley Sneijder. If this unit can perform as impressive against France as they did against Italy than the Dutch can be extremely confident of victory. Raymond Domenech: Feeling Les Bleus France's head coach, Raymond Domenech, finds it difficult to stay out of the papers for the wrong reasons. Even when the French side are going well few pundits have too many complimentary words to say about the former Lyon boss but after catastrophes such as Monday's scoreless draw with Romania there are no shortage of critics. Les Bleus' tepid draw with the Romanians resonated loudly around Europe. German tabloid newspaper Bild declared Domenech an ?idiot? while the French media were highly critical of his tactics without ever being quite so cutting. A lack of attacking flair was sighted as France's problem. Missing Patrick Vieira in midfield there was no-one from the centre of park prepared to push forward and get past the strikers. This situation was not helped by a poor showing from Florent Malouda on the left while Rib?ry on the right was often crowded out. The balance of France's midfield was all wrong against Romania; it was much too defensive. The Netherlands will pose a very different threat to France than the Romanians and so Domenech can probably afford to start with the defensive pair of Mak?l?l? and Toulalan at the heart of his side. If no changes are made to the starting eleven of Domenech's side it will be a major surprise. Casualties are likely to include Nicolas Anelka, Malouda and Willy Sagnol. Elsewhere other options must be examined. Thierry Henry, who has returned to training after a back problem, will likely start in attack alongside Karim Benzema while the widemen may also be subject to change. Rib?ry has already stated that he prefers to play on the left, his club position with Bayern Munich, yet he started on the right against Romania. It would be no surprise to see the ineffective Malouda dropped to the bench on Friday to be replaced by Marseille's Samir Nasri. The future Arsenal player would play on the right thus releasing Rib?ry to play in his favoured role. Patrice Evra and Fran?ois Clerc both come into contention after uninspiring showings by incumbent full-backs Sagnol and Abidal. Certainly something has to change if France are to hope to beat a slick looking Dutch outfit. FORM GUIDE Netherlands 06/02/08 - Croatia 0-3 Netherlands (Friendly) 26/03/08 - Austria 3-4 Netherlands (Friendly) 24/05/08 - Netherlands 3-0 Ukraine (Friendly) 29/05/08 - Netherland 1-1 Denmark (Friendly) 01/06/08 - Netherlands 2-0 Wales (Friendly) 09/06/08 - Netherlands 3-0 Italy (Euro2008, Group Stage) France 06/02/08 - Spain 1-0 France (Friendly) 26/03/08 - France 1-0 England (Friendly) 27/05/08 - France 2-0 Ecuador (Friendly) 31/05/08 - France 0-0 Paraguay (Friendly) 03/06/08 - France 1-0 Colombia (Friendly) 09/06/08 - France 0-0 Romania (Euro2008, Group Stage) TEAM NEWS Netherlands Marco Van Basten was without a plethora of attacking talent for the Dutch side's opening game of the tournament and will face France with a depleted squad. Ryan Babble (ankle ligaments) and Clarence Seedorf (personal reasons) are, of course, unavailable but Van Basten's squad is otherwise returning towards fitness. Robin Van Persie was fit enough to play a cameo role against Italy while Melchiot is also expected to be strong enough to play a part if required. There is only one Dutch doubt and that comes in the form of Arjen Robben. The Real Madrid winger is closing in on fitness and could be used to play a part from the bench. Predicted Starting Eleven: Van der Sar; Van Bronckhorst, Boulahrouz, Ooijer, Mathijsen; de Jong, Engelaar, van der Vaart, Sneijder, Kuyt; Van Nistlerooy France Like the Dutch les Bleus were adversely affected by injury for their tournament opener however unlike Friday's opponents France could not cope. Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were conspicuous by their absence against Romania and both will likely play a part if deemed fit enough. Henry should certainly return to the starting eleven however there are greater doubts over the fitness of Vieira. Raymond Domenech will likely make a handful of changes to the side that claimed a feeble point against Romania. Predicted Starting Eleven: Coupet; Clerc, Abidal, Gallas, Thuram; Toulalan, Nasri, Mak?l?l?, Rib?ry; Henry, Benzema PLAYERS TO WATCH Netherlands After a stellar opening performance the Netherlands will expect great things once again from Wesley Sneijder however it will be Ruud Van Nistlerooy who will provide the cutting edge to the Dutch attack. The Real Madrid striker has scored in 4 consecutive group matches in the finals of the European Championship and will aim to extend that record with another goal against France. A goal poacher extraordinaire Van Nistlerooy is the man most likely to end France's run of 5 international fixtures without losing a goal. France Devoid of real attacking flair against Romania the French will look to Barcelona forward Thierry Henry to reignite their Euro2008 challenge. A back injury may be hampering the forward a little however he is the man who can provide the touch of magic to break the Netherlands' resistance. Henry has scored 44 international goals in 100 matches, which is a remarkable return, however he has not yet registered against the Netherlands. Friday is an ideal opportunity to break his duck. PREDICTION If France adopt the defensive approach that they played against Romania they may well have a greater chance of taking something from the game than if they attack the Netherlands. Marco Van Basten's men have already showcased their devastating counter-attacking potential and have the pace in attack to pick-off a sluggish French defence. Unless Domenech backs his side to beat Italy in a final game shoot-out he will have to push players forward at some point, potentially spelling disaster. Netherlands 2-0 France

Euro 2008 Preview: Italy - Romania What: European Championships, Group C Who: Italy (4th, 0pts) vs Romania (3rd, 1pt) When: Friday 13 June 2008, 17:00 CET Where: Letzigrund Stadion, Z?rich Do-Or-Die For Italy Italy come into this match knowing that they simply have to win if they are to keep qualification for the knockout stages in their own hands. The Azzurri were torn apart in their opening group match on Monday, losing 3-0 to Holland in Berne, with Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst grabbing the goals. Roberto Donadoni has since been crucified by the Italian press over his mind-boggling team selection after he chose the out-of-form Marco Materazzi in defence, left the in-form Fabio Grosso on the bench, and preferred Massimo Ambrosini to Daniele De Rossi in midfield. Donadoni will surely make wholesale changes for the match against Romania, and there has been a press campaign for both Alessandro Del Piero and Antonio Cassano to start after they impressed as late second half substitutes against Holland. It is not all doom-and-gloom for Italy, and a win here will put them back into the running for qualification. A defeat will see them eliminated, while a draw will leave them requiring both of the results to go their way in the final games of the group, when the Azzurri take on France. Romania Out To Surprise Again When the Group C draw was made, Romania were almost immediately discarded as the also-rans, with Italy, France and Holland expected to fight it out for the two qualification places. However Victor Piţurcă?s men proved in their first match of the group against France that they are no pushovers, as they produced a superb tactical performance to draw 0-0, limiting Les Bleus to few chances the entire game. While Romania rarely threatened themselves, they did prove that defensively they are a solid and organised unit, and they will surely set themselves up in a similar way against an Italy side who know that they simply have to win. If the Tricolorii were to obtain a point in this match, it would mean that a victory in their final game of the group against Holland would be enough to qualify. For this reason a cautious approach at the Letzigrund Stadium is a virtual certainty. It will be a special game for Christian Chivu, Paul Codrea and Adrian Mutu, who all play their club football in Italy, for Inter, Siena and Fiorentina respectively. These two teams met in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000, with Francesco Totti and Pippo Inzaghi scoring in a 2-0 Azzurri win. The legendary Gheorghe Hagi hit the post for Romania, caused a serious injury for Antonio Conte, and was later sent off in an eventful game. FORM GUIDE Italy 09/06 (Euro 2008): Holland-Italy 3-0 29/05 (Friendly): Italy-Belgium 3-1 26/03 (Friendly): Spain-Italy 1-0 06/02 (Friendly played in Zurich): Italy-Portugal 3-1 21/11 (Euro 2008 Qualifier): Italy-Faroe Islands 3-1 Romania 09/06 (Euro 2008): Romania-France 0-0 31/05 (Friendly): Romania-Montenegro 4-0 26/03 (Friendly): Romania-Russia 3-0 06/02 (Friendly): Israel-Romania 1-0 21/11 (Euro 2008 Qualifier) Romania-Albania 6-1 TEAM NEWS Italy Roberto Donadoni will surely ring the changes for this game. Marco Materazzi and Andrea Barzagli are both set to be dropped, with Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Grosso coming in to form a defensive reshuffle. Daniele De Rossi will certainly start in midfield, as will new captain Alex Del Piero up-front. Antonio Cassano is still only likely to be on the substitutes bench. Probable XI: Buffon; Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso; De Rossi, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Camoranesi, Toni, Del Piero Romania Romania will play the same disciplined system they employed successfully against France. Ciprian Marica will recover from a head injury but will probably be on the bench, with Daniel Niculae preferred. Christian Chivu will again play in centre midfield following his outstanding performance on Monday. Nicolae Dica may get the nod on the left of midfield after impressing in training this week. Probable XI: Lobont; Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat; Nicolita, Codrea, Chivu, Dica; D Niculae, Mutu PLAYERS TO WATCH Italy ? Alessandro Del Piero: Restored to the Italy line-up after impressing as a substitute against the Dutch, for the first time possibly in his international career, the Italian nation is actually relying on the Golden Boy to dig them out of a hole. The 33-year-old has just had his best season in a decade, finishing top-scorer in Serie A, and will surely be high in confidence. Romania ? Christian Chivu: The Inter man was an absolute colossus against France. He was authoritative and oozed class in an unfamiliar centre midfield position. Having played in Serie A for a number of years now, he will know his opponents well, and if he can take charge in the middle-of-the-park like the Dutch did, then Romania may fancy their chances of another upset. Chivu will be up against old Roma colleague Daniele De Rossi. PREDICTION The pattern that this match will follow is very easy to predict. Italy simply have to win and will be on the front foot, while Romania will sit back and play for the draw as, if they get a point, they know that a win in their last group game against Holland will guarantee qualification. Italy to just pinch it, with Del Piero grabbing the winner. Italy 1-0 Romania

Vastic Penalty Denies Poland, Keeps Austria Alive Austria 1-1 Poland With Germany losing to Croatia in Group B's other match, both sides knew that qualification was still in their own hands. A loss for Poland would have seen Leo Beenhakker's team eliminated, while Austria were secure in the knowledge that their third and final group game would be significant no matter what the outcome. Roger Guerreiro fired Poland into a 30th minute lead but an injury time penalty from Ivica Vastic gave the hosts a fighting chance to qualify An injury time penalty by Ivica Vastic has given co-hosts Austria a chance to go one better than their cohorts Switzerland at Euro 2008, as Josef Hickersberger's side ensured a significant third and final group game against Germany on Monday. Poland had taken the lead, admittedly against the run of play, from a Roger Guerreiro tap-in, when the Brazilian born player swept home from a suspiciously offside position. Prior, Austria had squandered a trio of gilt-edged opportunities, Martin Harnik and Christian Leitgeib failed to beat Artur Boruc with the goal at their mercy. Firstly, Hanrik's one-on-one effort was blocked wide by the Celtic man, and saw another goal bound effort stopped by the foot of the impressive Polish custodian. Leitgeib also failed in his duel, after being released by Andreas Ivanschitz. A less chaotic second half saw a reassured Poland exert themselves on proceedings with Guerreiro and Jacek Kyrznowek in dominating form. They could not add to their lead however, with Jurgen Macho making a fine double save from Jacek Bak and Mariusz Lewandowski in the 65th minute. Poland were made to rue their missed chances in stoppage time, as Howard Webb adjudged Sebastian Prodl to have been hauled to the ground by Lewandowski with 92 minutes played. Austrian fans were left clinging to hope for their final group game as their domestic Player of the Year Ivica Vastic restored parity with the game's last meaningful kick. First Half Buoyed by their opening game performance against Croatia, co-hosts Austria expressed their confidence in proving that they were a better team than they thought by shedding their relatively conservative 3-5-2 formation. Josef Hickersberger replaced wing-backs Joachim Standfest and Ronald Gercaliu, as well as midfield enforcer Jurgen Saumel, with full-back Gyrgory Garics, and genuine wingers Christian Leitgeib and Umit Korkmaz. Hickersberger's bravado was rewarded from the start with a flurry of threatening attacking intent. Korkmaz, the jet-heeled Rapid Wien left-sider, gave Marcin Wasilewski a horrendous opening half hour, in which Austria should have taken a three goal lead. Martin Harnik, impressive in his endeavour against Croatia, passed up two opportunities, denied by the excellence of Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Ten minutes had elapsed when Mariusz Jop failed to deal with Wasilewski's pass and allowed Hanrik a clear run at goal. The Werder Bremen striker found only Boruc's considerable anatomy with his pallid shot and Poland escaped. The same player struck at goal two minutes later after Korkmaz left Wasilewski dizzy on the left wing. His pull back to the penalty spot was met by Hanrik who saw his chance blocked away by the impassable Boruc. The suspect Polish offside trap, exposed so overtly by a pacy German side on Sunday, was once again not functioning satisfactorily as Christian Leitgeib raced onto a Andreas Ivanschitz pass. The Salzburg winger saw the goals shrink as he bore down on Boruc, and fatally squandered another key opportunity. The Poles gradually settled into the game thereafter, with Roger Guerreiro and Jacek Krzynowek wresting control of the midfield. On the half hour, Austria were punished for their profligacy as Poland delivered a sucker punch. Ebi Smolarek's exquisite cross-field pass found Marek Saganowski on-rushing towards the penalty box. He beat Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz all too easily to find the Brazilian born Guerreiro sweeping the ball home to steal the ascendancy, and score his first international goal from a dubious position. A shell-shocked Austria failed to shake the cobwebs before the break as Poland entered the interval with an unlikely lead. Leitgeib fired a free-kick over in injury time as the co-hosts sought a reprieve. Second Half After seeing Mariusz Jop endured a torrid 45 minutes, Leo Beenhakker replaced the central defender at the break with Pawel Golanski, and reshuffled his back four. The Poles enjoyed a better share of possession as the side adopted a less jittery look. Golanski, however, was at the centre of attention when he looked to have brought Andreas Ivanschitz down in the area; Howard Webb waved away the Austrian protests. Roger Guerreiro orchestrated the first Polish chance of the half; his chipped through ball found Austria on the turn, and Ebi Smolarek had his shot blocked out by Jurgen Macho. The Austrians found the second half a different prospect than the first, as they saw themselves chasing, rather than controlling possession. The Poles continued to create the better chances; Just past the hour, Guerreiro found Jacek Bak with a pass across the box. The central defender controlled on the chest and fired a close range volley which was repelled by Macho. The ex-Chelsea keeper was also equal to Mariusz Lewandowski's follow-up effort. Jacek Kryznowek, Steffen Effenberg-esque in stature, saw his 35-yard free-kick tipped over by Macho soon after. For all their first-half pressure, by the close of the second, Austria were evidently blunted. Artur Boruc scarcely had a significant touch, as his assured back-line kept the hosts at bay. Guerreiro lit up a relatively muted closing stage with an array of trickery and skill as Poland sought to see-out a testing encounter. However, there was to be a sting in the tail for the Polish as Austria were handed a championship lifeline deep into stoppage time. After ignoring a Howard Webb warning about jostling in the penalty area, Mariusz Lewandowski hauled Sebastian Prodl to the ground and the Englishman pointed to the spot. Ivica Vastic, 38 years of age, sent the home supporters into raptures and set up a crucial fixture with Germany on Monday. Line Ups: Austria (4-4-2): Macho - Garics, Pogatetz, Stranzl, Prodl - Aufhauser (Saumel 74'), Ivanschitz (Vastic 65'), Korkmaz, Lietgeib - Linz (Kienast 65'), Hanrik. Subs not used: Manninger, Ozcan, Standfest, Gercaliu, Katzer, Patocka, Hiden, Fuchs, Hoffer. Poland (4-4-2): Boruc - Wasilevski, Zewlakow, Bak, Jop (Golanski h/t) - Dudka, Lewandowski, Kryznowek, Guerreiro (Murawski ,85') - Smolarek, Saganowski (Lobodzinski 84'). Subs not used: Kowalewski, Fabianski, Wawrzyniak, Pazdan, Kokoszka, Gargula, Zurawski, Piszczek, Zahorski. Goals: Austria: Vastic, (90+2, Pen) Poland: Guerreiro, (30') Cards: Austria: Korkmaz, (56'), Prodl, (73') Poland: Wasilewski, (58'), Kyrznowek, (62'), Bak, (92') Referee: Howard Webb (Eng)

Bilic's Croats Shock Germany Croatia 2-1 Germany Group B has seen its first surprise with Croatia beating favourites Germany in Klagenfurt. The German air of invincibility was broken with two goals from Dario Srna and Ivica Olic. Lukas Podolski grabbed one back, but it proved too little, too late. To make matters worse Bastian Schweinsteiger was sent off late on. Slaven Bilic made one change to the side that won their opening game against Austria. Schalke?s Ivan Rakitic was brought in to replace Dortmund?s Mladen Petric. German trainer Joachim L?w sent out the same eleven that beat Poland. Bastian Schweinsteiger had to be content with a place on the bench with Clemens Fritz retaining his place in midfield. Lukas Podolski was again selected on the left hand side of midfield with Klose and Gomez up front. First Half The early stages of the game saw Germany with plenty of ball possession, but finding it hard to find any gaps in the massed ranks of the Croatian defence. Jansen looked dangerous going forward and on nine minutes he beat Dario Srna down the left before sending in a dangerous looking cross. However, Simunic was on hand to clear from Lukas Podolski. Croatia were also looking good going forward. A Srna free kick had to be cleared by Mertesacker, while a corner from the same player after 17 minutes was flicked on well by Simunic, but there was no Croatian striker on hand to profit. The Croats continued to press forward and looked confident. Modric sent Olic in with a great through pass after 20 minutes, but Metzelder was able to stretch out a leg at the last minute to concede a corner. With the pressure building from Slaven Bilic?s side, they duly took the lead after 24 minutes. They were given far too much room down the left hand side with Pranjic flighting in a great cross. Jansen lost Dario Srna in the area and the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder was able to fire home giving Jens Lehmann no chance in the German goal. Germany looked to hit back instantly, but Mario Gomez headed a Marcell Jansen cross over the bar. Goal scorer Dario Srna then collected the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Jansen out wide. Croatia looked to have gained hugely in confidence following their goal. They then had a huge chance to double their lead after 31 minutes. Olic laid the ball unselfishly off to Kranjcar in the penalty area only for the Portsmouth midfielder to fire wildly over. Minutes later Germany were awarded a free kick, which Michael Ballack thumped goalwards from distance. Stipe Pletikosa in the Croat goal took no chances and fisted the ball away. Then a Frings corner saw Klose and Metzelder get in each other?s way. There were dangerous opportunities from both sides before the break. Five minutes before the half-time whistle, Metzelder rose to head a Frings corner goalwards, but his effort went over. Croatia then set off on a fine counter-attacking move. Vedran Corluka beat Jansen before crossing to Olic. The Hamburg striker again chose to lay the ball of to Kranjcar, and the midfielder forced Jens Lehmann into an instinctive point-blank save. Second Half German trainer Jogi L?w reacted at the start of the second half by taking off Jansen and sending on speedy winger David Odonkor. Jansen had been given a tough time in the first half. Phillipp Lahm switched to left back with Clemens Fritz slotting in at right full back. The first chance of the second half fell to the Germans but it was wasted. Pletikosa fisted out a cross from Lahm only as far as Michael Ballack. The Chelsea midfielder?s effort however ended up high in the stand behind the goal. Ballack looked to get his team going by leading by example. He stormed forward on 52 minutes only to get swamped by a deep lying Croat back line. Croatia countered and Modric forced Lehmann into a save with an effort that dipped and swerved in the air. Germany continued to be the team going forward the most, but they were finding it difficult to create clear goal scoring chances. Croatia were then handed a huge slice of luck as they doubled their lead on 62 minutes. Lukas Podolski deflected a cross from Rakitic so that the ball hit Jens Lehmann?s right-hand post. Ivica Olic was on hand to pounce and he had the easiest of jobs to stab the ball home. Germany injected a little more urgency into their play and Bastian Schweinsteiger was sent on to boost the team. Croatia however remained dangerous going forward and forced a whole series of corners. Germany?s best chance of the game thus far fell to Bastian Schweinsteiger on 73 minutes. David Odonkor had the chance to speed down the right before he played the ball inside to Ballack. The German captain slipped the ball to Schweinsteiger whose low cross-shot flashed just wide of the far post. Germany were then rewarded for their pressure with a goal 11 minutes from time. Phillip Lahm sent a cross into the box, which Ballack tried to direct goalwards. Robert Kovac attempted to head clear, but the ball fell invitingly to Podolski, who fired past Pletikosa with aplomb. Much as Germany tried to pile forward the chances just weren?t coming their way. Croatia even looked the more likely to score with Modric and Petric combining well on the counter. Metzelder had to be alert to clear the danger late on. Things then went from bad to worse in stoppage time as Bastian Schweinsteiger was sent off for a retaliatory shove on Jerko Leko. Goals: 1-0 Srna (24) 2-0 Olic (62) 2-1 Podolski (79) Yellow cards: Srna (28) Simunic (45) Leko (91), Modric (92) / Ballack (75) Lehmann (91) Red cards: Schweinsteiger (91) Croatia: Pletikosa, Corluka, R.Kovac, Simunic, Pranjic, Srna (Leko 80), N.Kovac, Kranjcar (Knezevic 85), Modric, Rakitic, Olic (Petric 72) Germany: Lehmann, Lahm, Metzelder, Mertesacker Jansen (Odonkor 46), Frings, Ballack, Fritz (Kuranyi 82), Podolski, Gomez (Schweinsteiger 65), Klose

Croatia 2 - 1 Germany Darijo Srna (24') - Ivica Olic (62') - Lukas Podolski (79') 1 Pletikosa S. Goalkeeper - 5 Corluka V. Defender - 3 Simunic J. Defender - 4 Kovac R. Defender - 22 Pranjic D. Defender - 10 Kovac N. Midfielder - 7 Rakitic I. Midfielder - 11 Srna D. Midfielder - 19 Kranjcar N. Midfielder - 14 Luka Modric Midfielder - 18 Olic I. Striker *23 Runje V. Goalkeeper - 12 Galinovic M. Goalkeeper - 2 Simic D. Defender - 15 Knezevic D. Defender - 6 Vejic H. Defender - 8 Vukojevic O. Midfielder - 16 Leko J. Midfielder - 13 Pokrivac N. Midfielder - 17 Klasnic I. Striker - 20 Budan I. Striker - 21 Petric M. Striker - 9 Kalinic N. Striker *Bilic S. Manager/Coach 1 Lehmann J. Goalkeeper - 16 Lahm P. Defender - 21 Christoph Metzelder Defender - 17 Mertesacker P. Defender - 2 Jansen M. Defender - 4 Fritz C. Midfielder - 8 Frings T. Midfielder - 13 Ballack M. Midfielder - 20 Podolski L. Midfielder - 9 Gomez M. Striker - 11 Klose M. Striker *23 Adler R. Goalkeeper - 12 Enke R. Goalkeeper - 3 Friedrich A. Defender - 5 Westermann H. Defender - 15 Hitzlsperger T. Midfielder - 7 Schweinsteiger B. Midfielder - 18 Borowski T. Midfielder - 6 Rolfes S. Midfielder - 19 Odonkor D. Midfielder - 14 Trochowski P. Midfielder - 22 Kuranyi K. Striker - 10 Neuville O. Striker *L?w J. Manager/Coach 90'+3 The final whistle blows, and Croatia have earned a deserved and famous victory which furtyher enhances the reputation of manager Slavcen Bilic. It is only Germany's eighth defeat in European Championship history and means they could possibly meet Portugal in the quarter-finals, which would certainly be another interesting encounter. But well played Croatia - two wins out of two, and the second a big improvement on the first.. 90'+3 Yellow Card Modric L. 90'+2 Yellow Card Leko J. 90'+2 Red Card Schweinsteiger B.................................. 90'+2 Yellow Card Lehmann J. 90'+2 A two footed tackle by Modric earns him a booking 90'+1 Into stoppage rime,Germany's bad day gets unnecessaruly worse as Bastian Schweinsteiger is sent off for pushing Leko who reacts theatrically. Lehmannis also booked for compaining 88' Croatia play a bit keep-ball by the corner flag. They're just a couple of minutes (plus stoppages) away from their second ever win over Germany. 85' Ballack fouls Ivan Rakitic but the free-kick comes to nothing 85' Substitution Kranjcar N. Knezevic D. 84' After Lahm's cross is cleared by Corluka, Niko Kranjcar is replaced by Dario Knezevic 82' A shot by Niko Kranjcar is saved, a bit untidily, by Lehmann 82' Substitution Fritz C. Kuranyi K. 81' Now Germany make another change, Clemens Fritz being replaced by Kevin Kuranyi 80' Substitution Srna D. Leko J. 79' Goal Podolski L. 79' Croatia make a substitution, Darijo Srna being replaced by Jerko Leko 78' GOAL!!! Germany get back into the game and it's that man Lukas Podolski again, with an instinctive vollety ferom inside the area. Lahm crosees from the left, Ballack jumps anut a Croatian defender knocks it out. Unfortunately for him, it falls for Podolski who thumps it into the net emphatically from 12 yards. 77' Ballack's cross is cleared by Robert Kovac as Germany threaten again 75' A foul by Michael Ballack on Ivan Rakitic produces a direct free kick by Luka Modric from the left wing, after Ballack is booked for unsporting behaviour. Kranjcar's shot from the right some 18 yards out is saved by Jens Lehmann 75' Yellow Card Ballack M. 72' Substitution Olic I. Petric M. 72' A cross by Bastian Schweinsteigeris now blocked by Stipe Pletikosa 71' A cross by David Odonkor is cleared by Robert Kovac. 71' A cross by Bastian Schweinsteiger goes out of play and Bilic makes a change, with second goal scorer Ivica Olic replaced by Mladen Petric 68' Croatia win a corner on the left which Lehmann knocks out for another corner on the right. The move ends in a goal kick, but Croatia are looking closer to a third goal than Germany are to a first 66' Frings fouls Kranjcar outside the area to concede a dangerous free-kick but the wall blocks it for Germany 65' Low responds to the latest set-back by taking off Mario Gomez for Bastian Schweinsteiger 65' Substitution Gomez M. Schweinsteiger B. 63' Croatia are giving Germany a very uncomfortable evening - could history repeat itself from that 3-0 1998 World Cup victory? 62' GOAL!! There's a touch of fortune as OLIC taps in for number two, Kranjcar's shot being deflected by Podolski which wrong-foots Lehmann, who manages to knock it onto the post, coming back out for Olic to score. 62' Goal Olic I. 60' If Germany do get back into this the Croats will kick themselves for missing two outstanding chances to add to their lead in the first half 57' Germany look distinctly out of sorts and Ballack is exuding concern and frustration out there. Low on the bench, too, is wracked in consternation. They are a shadow of the side that overcame Poland 54' Danijel Pranjic is caught offside for Croatia. The indirect free kick is taken by Mertesacker but it comes to nothing. 53' Cross by Vedran Corluka is caught by Jens Lehmann. 51' Luka Modric has a shot from distance which Jens Lehmann fumbles before finally gathering it 50' A promising position for Germany completely wasted as Torsten Frings' fre-kick only just reaches the penalty area. 48' Frings finds Lahm on the left, and his free-kiclk is punched out rather riskily by Stipe Pletikosa, for Ballack to lash back towards goal, but it flies over 47' Germany win an early corner but the Croats deal with it. 46' Substitution Jansen M. Odonkor D. 46 For the second half, Germany have withdrawn the hapless Jansem and sent on David Odonkor 45'+1 Yellow Card Simunic J. 45' Josip Simunic kicks the ball away after it has gone out of play, and is booked - the first yellow he'sreceived since GrahamPoll famously issued him with three in thev2006 World Cup. The half-time whistle blows and the Croatians will be delighted with that first-half performance 43' Croatia need to capitalise on Jansen's obvious lack of confidence 41' Lehmann has to make a fine parrying save from Olic spins and fires in a shot from Vedran Corluka's teasing left-wing cross, with Jansen again looking at fault. 40' A nicely worked attack by Germany ends with Lahm whipping in a fine deep cross that Stipe Pletikosa gathers. 38' Josip Simunic concedes a corner under pressure, the corner is taken but is ordered to be retaken. Frings' excellent delivery is met by a free header by Christoph Metzelder, but he puts it over rather on target. Another good chance for Germany. 36' Ballack has moved further forward since the goalto support tothe two front men, but in doing so he has put distance between himself and midfield partner Frings. 32' Now Germany have a superb chance as Michael Ballack lets fly with a ferocious shot from a free-kick that Stipe Pletikosa saves well. Germany's best chance so far. 30' Croatia have a terrific opportunity to double their lead. A Danijel Pranjic cross is headed on by Olic for Niko Kranjcar, who shoots over from an excellent position, prompting Lehmann to remonstrate furiously with his defenders. 27' Srna is involved in everything as he collects the first yellow card of the game for a sliding challenge on Lukas Podolski. 27' Yellow Card Srna D. 24' Goal Srna D. 24' GOAL!! Dario Srna scores for Croatia to cap another great move by Croatia. Kranjcar started the move wirth an astute midfield pass to Danijel Pranjic on the left wing, and his deep cross to the far post saw Marcell Jansen ballwatching as Srna stabbed it home. It was the first shot on target, and the first goal. The Germans really dohave a game on their hands now... 22' Germany are being made to work very hard by Croatia just to get anything into the box 21' Podolski finds Gomez who slips the ball into the net but the flag was up as Gomez had just strayed offside. He needs just to time his runs a fraction later. 19' Lehmann gathers comfortably from an Olic header that looped up, but Croatia will be pleased with they way they are settling intothis game 18' Gomez is caught just offside from a long ball forward as Germany break up another Croatian attack in midfield 15' Croatia have started purposefully and appear to be determined not to repeat the pattern of the Austria game when they settled into a rut after taking an early lead and failed to press on. Germany already know this will be a tougher challenge than thev one they faced against Poland. 13' Lehmann comes tomake contact with a Srna cross but makes no contact as Olic is penalised for fouling Mertersacker, who had managed to head it out for what would have bewen a corner but for the infringement. 12' Srna's right wing delivery from a free-kick is excellent and requires full concentration by the German defence to clear the danger. 10' There is a lot of tension on the pitch in whart has been a cagey, cat-and-mouse opening with few really incisive movements. 7' The Croatian fans outnumber the Germans inside the Worthersee Stadium and they're making plenty of noise as Mertersacker heads clear froma promising left wing Croatian attack 5' Dari Srna needs treatment for an impact injury after a ollision with Christoph Metzelder. They're both Ok after treatment. 3' Nico Kovac is caught on the ball by Fritz and finds Klose, whose return for Fritz is intercepted by Robert Kovac. 2' The referee is Belgian Frank De Bleeckere, there was a massive Croatian flag at the end their fans are concentrate, and the opening exchanges are cagey. 1 The game gets underway in a vibrant atmosphere, Croatia wearing all blue while Germany are in their famous white shirts and black shorts. 0 The second round of matches in Group B sees Croatia take on Germany in Klagenfurt, both teams having won their opening games - against Austria 1-0 and Poland 2-0, respectively. Whoever wins this clash will effectively have one foot in the knock-out stage, and tournament favourites Germany - who looked impressive against the Poles when Lukas Podolski scored both goals - will be confident going into the game. However, while the Croatians were given stern examination by co-hosts Austria and were relieved to hear the final whistle, Slaven Bilic's men have belief in their own ability after an impressive qualifying campaign. They have missed injured striker Eduardo, though, and will need to find a cutting edge against the formidable Germans. Germany have lost just once in eight meetings with Croatia - a 3-0 defeat in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup. Current manager Slaven Bilic (and defender Dario Simic, who's on the Croat bench today) were in that successful side. The teams today are: Croatia: Pletikosa, Corluka, Robert Kovac, Simunic, Pranjic, Srna, Modric, Nico Kovac, Rakitic, Kranjcar, Olic. Subs: Galinovic, Runje, Simic, Vejic, Vukojevic, Kalinic, Pokrivac, Knezevic, Leko, Klasnic, Budan, Petric. Germany: Lehmann, Lahm, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Jansen, Fritz, Frings, Ballack, Podolski, Gomez, Klose. Subs: Enke, Adler, Friedrich, Westermann, Rolfes, Schweinsteiger, Neuville, Trochowski, Hitzlsperger, Borowski, Odonkor, Kuranyi. That means Ivan Rakitic comes in for Croatia, replacing Mladen Petric. He'll be expected to play behind striker Ivica Olic. Germany are unchanged so Lucas Podolski stays on the left with Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose up front. The anthems are booming out...

Euro 2008 Preview: Austria - Poland What: Euro 2008 Group B match Who: Austria (3rd, 0 points) v Poland (4th 0 points) When: Thursday, 12th June, Kick-off: 20:45 BST Where: Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna Referee: Howard Webb (England) Victory Now Vital ? For Both Teams After losing their opening matches in Group B, neither co-hosts Austria nor tournament debutants Poland can afford to be beaten on Thursday in their crucial second outings. If neither of last Sunday?s defeats was entirely unexpected, Austria at the hands of Croatia; Poland by the Germans, then the fighting qualities of the Austrian performance certainly surprised many. They were undone by Luka Modric's early winning penalty for Croatia ? awarded for a foul by Rene Aufhauser and the fastest-ever spot-kick in the tournament ? but went on to give Slaven Bilic?s side a real run for their money, and finished the game looking by some distance the more likely to score the next goal against a tired looking Croatian team. Nevertheless, the 1-0 defeat, following Switzerland?s by a similar score 24 hours earlier, meant Austria had become the sixth host nation to lose their opening match of a European Championship tournament. Now they must strive to avoid joining Belgium (2000) as the only host country not to survive the group stage since the introduction of the knock-out rounds in 1984. Since then, seven teams have managed to survive the group stage after losing their opening match. Portugal and England were the last teams to achieve this, at Euro 2004. Austria?s defeat by Croatia also means they have still not won a game at a major tournament since 1990, although they can take much encouragement from a spirited display that flew in the face of their recent form - a mere two wins in 16 matches, which had left morale at a low ebb going into the tournament. Referring to the penalty, coach Josef Hickersberger acknowledged: "This is the worst possible start you can have in an opening game of a tournament. After four minutes, we conceded a goal and we took some time to recover. For the first 30 minutes, the team wasn't playing well, we were nervous. But after that, we followed our tactical plan and we did it well. We even dominated the second half." He added however, "The team is very depressed," so it is to be hoped he has managed to lift them in the meantime, because they showed, especially in the second half, that they are better than they seem to think they are. After losing his opening game in the qualifying As for Poland, they will be hoping to shrug off their opening defeat against the powerful and impressive Germans, in the same way that they bounced back after losing their first game in the qualifying tournament, eventually finishing on top of their group ahead of Portugal That successful qualifying campaign meant Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker had done what no previous tactician had managed or Poland ? taken them into the finals of a European Championship. However, the experienced Beenhakker is still looking to end a personal winless streak at major tournaments. He has not celebrated victory now in eight matches embracing four matches with Holland (1990 World Cup), three with Trinidad and Tobago (2006 Fifa World Cup) and one with Poland. Beenhakker felt the Poles had matched the Germans for much of that first game, despite the 0-2 scoreline. ?There was a moment in the second half where we were totally dominating the game," he reflected, immediately afterwards. ?But it was over after the second goal (by Polish-born Lukas Podolski). We played for 70 minutes at the same level as them. The last 20 minutes we want to forget." He insisted though that the result would not dent confidence within the squad. ?Everybody was upset about the result and not happy, but we are still in the tournament and that's what it's all about," he said. ?We have three or four days to recover physically and mentally and it's part of being a professional. Everybody is a bit upset now. On Monday we will see how the team is, then we will start up again. Knowing these guys are mentally strong and against Austria, they will be ready." Opening Day Blanks & Blues With both Austria and Poland making their debuts at the European Championships, the two countries remain the only participating teams never to have scored a goal in the competition. Joachim Standfest went closest to changing that for Austria when he headed their best chance of the first half wide, before Umit Korkmaz had a fierce shot well saved after the break and Roman Kienast headed narrowly wide as they searched for an equaliser that would not have flattered them against Croatia. However, the Austrians ultimately paid the price for lacking genuine quality in the final third. In Klagenfurt meanwhile, Poland keeper Artur Boruc had to save brilliantly from Germany captain Michael Ballack but had little chance against Podolski for the two decisive goals. The Poles might have opened their Euro account when Wojciech Lobodzinsi played in Maciej Zurawski, but the ex-Celtic star pulled his shot wide from a decent position. Brazilian-born substitute Roger Guerreiro, replacing Zurawski forced Per Mertesacker into a timely intervention to clear the danger, and later produced an excellent cross for Marek Saganowski, whose near-post effort was blocked by keeper Jens Lehmann. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, on the judging panel for man-of-the-match (Podolski), was impressed by what he saw of Poland, saying they performed well against illustrious opponents, and attributing their defeat in part to the solidity of Germany?s defence. Hodgson said: "Germany are a hard team to beat because they have a lot of experience, pace and strength in their team, I thought the Polish had an equal share of possession but came up against a strong defence. At 1-0 down they were having to chase the game so they were always in danger of being caught on the counter-attack as they were obliged to throw people forward. But they can feel a little hard done by." How They See It Looking ahead to Thursday, Austria coach Hickersberger insists his team will be going all out to win. "It will be an all-or-nothing match," he said. "The loser will be out. Anything less than a win will leave us virtually without any chance of getting through the group stage." His captain, Andreas Ivanschitz, is targeting the same level of performance from Austria as they produced against Croatia, but with a better result. "I think this match is going to be even harder than Sunday's. I expect Poland to be more battlesome, they have great physical strengths,? he said. ?They surely have some weaknesses, too. We analyzed them, but I won't speak about it. I know they are plagued by several injuries. Of course, their line-up interests me, but I'm more interested in our own. "We are at our best when we play offensively. But we have to take care of the right balance. We must avoid at any cost that Poland takes the lead. No team that dropped behind has won so far at the tournament." Meanwhile, Poland?s striker Euzebiusz (?Ebi?) Smolarek is equally adamant that his side must triumph in both their remaining group matches if they are to keep their adventure alive. "We simply have to go out now and win our last two games," he said in the immediate aftermath of the Germany defeat. "We have to play Austria next and we must win that one if we are to have any chance and then we also have to beat Croatia and that won't be easy. "The Germany game is gone now and we have to put it behind us. We will think about the game, we have a two-hour drive home so we have time to think and talk. We will wake up on Monday morning and talk again, but then we have to forget about this game and move on." Head-To-Head Austria and Poland have met on seven previous occasions, Austria winning three times and Poland four, with no draws so far. The Poles have won both competitive matches, 3-2 and 1-3 in the qualifying tournament for the 2006 World Cup 2006 ? and in fact they?ve scored at least three goals in each of their last four games against the Austrians. FORM GUIDE Austria 2007-08 22 Aug Czech Republic ( H) Friendly D 1-1 07 Sep Japan ( H) Friendly D 0-0 11 Sep Chile ( H) Friendly L 0-2 12 Oct Switzerland (a) Friendly L 1-3 17 Oct Ivory Coast ( H) Friendly W 3-2 16 Nov England ( H) Friendly L 0-1 21 Nov Tunisia ( H) Friendly D 0-0 06 Feb Germany ( H) Friendly L 0-3 26 Mar Netherlands ( H) Friendly L 3-4 27 May Nigeria ( H) Friendly D 1-1 30 May Malta ( H) Friendly W 5-1 08 Jun Croatia ( H) Euro 2008 L 0-1 Poland 2007-08 22 Aug Russia (a) Friendly D 2-2 08 Sep Portugal (a) Euro Qual D 2-2 12 Sep Finland (a) Euro Qual D 0-0 13 Oct Kazakhstan ( H) Euro Qual W 3-1 17 Oct Hungary ( H) Friendly L 0-1 17 Nov Belgium ( H) Euro Qual W 2-0 21 Nov Serbia (a) Euro Qual D 2-2 15 Dec Bosnia-Herzegovina Friendly W 1-0 06 Feb Czech Rep ( H) Friendly W 2-0 27 Feb Estonia ( H) Friendly W 2-0 26 Mar USA ( H) Friendly L 0-3 26 May Macedonia (a) Friendly D 1-1 27 May Albania (a) Friendly W 1-0 01 Jun Denmark ( H) Friendly D 1-1 08 Jun Germany (n) Euro 2008 L 0-2 TEAM NEWS Austria Hickersberger is hopeful striker Roland Linz will have recovered from the ankle injury he suffered against Croatia, but Roman Kienast will come in should Linz not be deemed fit enough. Linz trained on Tuesday despite being told to rest by the team doctor, and Hickersberger said: "I was surprised that he did take part but he wanted to fight for his place in the starting team." Kienast, who came off the bench to play for 17 minutes against the Croats, is looking to start. ?I hope I will play from the beginning but that is up to the coach," he said. "I am happy Roland was back in training. There is no harsh competition between the two of us. I have a lot of self-belief and I try to convince the coach he should pick me because of my performances." Meanwhile, captain Andreas Ivanschitz should play despite torn ligaments in his right knee, but Umit Korkmaz is also in contention for a role in midfield. Martin Hiden will win his 50th cap for Austria if he plays, while at 38, Ivica Vastic ? who became the fourth oldest player in the history of the European Championship on Sunday ? will become the oldest goalscorer ever at the tournament if he finds the back of the net. Sebastian Prodl, Jurgen Saeumel and Emanuel Pogatetz will be suspended if they receive another caution. Squad/Last Starting XI: Macho - Proedl, Stranzl, Pogatetz - Standfest, Aufhauser, Saeumel (Vastic 62?), Ivanschitz, Gercaliu (Korkmaz 69?), Harnik, Linz (Kienast 74?). Subs not used: Manninger, Ozcan, Garics, Hiden, Katzer, Patocka, Fuchs, Leitgeb, Hoffer. Poland Roger Guerreiro is expected to take the place of injured Poland captain Maciej Zurawski (thigh), while Jakub Wawrzyniak could come in for Pawel Golanski at left-back. While Beenhakker would not confirm whether Roger would definitely start, the South American forward clearly excites his coach, who enthused: "He is great. He's amazing, he's fantastic. He sees solutions and makes choices on the field that are, well, it's Brazilian. I cannot explain it in any other way." Mariusz Lewandowski and Ebi Smolarek will be suspended if they collect another yellow card, while defender Jacek Bak, who plays his club football at Austria Vienna, will be up against team-mates Joachim Standfest and Ronald Gercaliu. Squad/Last Starting XI Boruc - Wasilewski, Zewlakow, Bak, Golanski (Saganowski 75) - Dudka, Lewandowski, Lobodzinski (Piszczek 65), Zurawski (Roger 46) - Krzynowek, Smolarek. Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Jop, Wawrzyniak, Zahorski, Kokoszka, Pazdan, Gargula, Murawski. PLAYERS TO WATCH Austria Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz was lucky to stay on the pitch against Croatia after his man-handling of Ivica Olic should have brought a second yellow. He will need to more controlled against Poland, particularly as the 25-year-old is one of the relatively few Austrian players with extensive experience in playing in one of Europe's major leagues. He was banned in 2006 for criticising Hickersberger and Ivanschitz, but is now back and a key member of the side. Poland Striker Ebi Smolarek, the 27-year-old Racing Santander forward, is the son of Wlodzimierz, who played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals for the Poles. Ebi hit nine goals during Poland?s qualifying campaign to become, like his father before him, something of a national hero. Although he has not lived up to expectations in the Spanish League, it will be to Smolarek that the country looks to break their scoring duck in European Championships as they seek their first win. PREDICTION After being so impressive during qualifying and then coming up against one of the formidable tournament favourites in Germany, Poland have no reason to start doubting their capabilities. But co-hosts Austria proved far more resilient in losing narrowly to Croatia than their woeful pre-tournament had led most to expect. They could prove troublesome for both Poland and Germany. But although they may avoid becoming the tournament?s whipping boys, still expect a Polish win in a close-fought affair. Austria 1-2 Poland

Euro 2008 Preview: Croatia - Germany What: European Championships, Group B Who: Croatia vs Germany When: Thursday 12 June 2008, 18:00 CET Where: W?rthersee, Klagenfurt Referee: Franck De Bleeckere (Bel) The second round of matches in Group B gets underway with Croatia and Germany clashing in Klagenfurt. Both teams won their opening games, so the winner of this one will have gone a long way to clinching their place in the knock-out stage. Croats Confident Croatia got their Euro 2008 campaign off to a winning start against hosts Austria thanks to an early penalty from Luka Modric. They will want to continue that good start on Thursday as they face up to one of the tournament favourites Germany. They are still regarded as one of the dark horses for the tournament and a positive result against the Germans will act as a huge confidence boost to Slaven Bilic?s men. The Croats are not short on confidence and know that they can mix it with the big boys as their win at Wembley against England during qualification proves. Striker Mladen Petric outlined the spirit in the side: "We're confident in ourselves, we know we're strong enough, and we have the quality to beat any team" he said. Germany took the third place in 2006 World Cup as the host, while Croatia ended up with the same place in 1998 World Cup, during which Croatia beat Germany 3-0. "We would love to be as successful as they were in 1998" Petric explained. However, Germany has won five out of seven games against Croatia so far. "The Germans are always favourites - and not only in the group. It could be possible that our last game against Poland will decide who's going to the quarter-finals, but I hope we can secure our passage before that" the Dortmund striker added. Germany beat the Croatians 2-1 in the last eight on their way to winning Euro 96 in England but suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat by them in the World Cup quarter-finals two years later. Germans Hungry Germany secured their first victory at a European Championships since 1996 (the year they last won the tournament) against Poland in their Group B opener with Lukas Podolski the two-goal hero. Joachim L?w has a full strength squad at his disposal, although he will be looking for a better and more accomplished display from centre back Christophe Metzelder. German team manager Oliver Bierhoff remains upbeat over Germany's prospects. "We are so eager on taking the title that we are hungrier than in 1996" he said. At the European football championship in 1996, Bierhoff, then the main striker of in the German team, scored the first golden goal in the world's football history to help Germany seal the top title. "Our team have already found its own style. Maybe it is difficult for me to compare Germany with other squads, but just like 12 years ago, we are a top-level team" he added. He was of course optimistic over Germany's clash with Croatia. "We know Croatia are a strong rival, the match will be tough, but we will do our best to crush them to win" Bierhoff said. Croatia however are by no means a minnow for Germany. The team coached by former Bundesliga player Slaven Bilic eliminated England during the qualifying round, and many experts see them as the dark horse in the 2008 tournament. "Croatia are great tacticians while they also have great individuals who can beat you one-on-one. They know how to control the pace of a game" said German coach L?w. FORM GUIDE Croatia 21/11/07 England 2 Croatia 3 (Euro Qualifier) 06/02/08 Croatia 0 Holland 3 (Friendly) 26/03/08 Scotland 1 Croatia 1 (Friendly) 24/05/08 Croatia 1 Moldova 0 (Friendly) 31/05/08 Hungary 1 Croatia 1 (Friendly) 08/06/08 Austria 0 Croatia 1 (Euro 2008) Germany 27/11/07 Germany 0 Wales 0 (Euro Qualifier) 06/02/08 Austria 0 Germany 3 (Friendly) 26/03/08 Switzerland 0 Germany 4 (Friendly) 27/05/08 Germany 2 Belarus 2 (Friendly) 31/05/08 Germany 2 Serbia 1 (Friendly) 08/06/08 Germany 2 Poland (Euro 2008) TEAM NEWS Croatia Croatia coach Slaven Bilic remains confident midfielder Luka Modric will recover from an ankle injury to boost their hopes of a place in the last eight. Otherwise he is likely to stick with the line-up that overcame Austria. Predicted Line-Up: Pletikosa, Simunic, R. Kovac, Corluka, N. Kovac, Srna, Modric, Pranjic, Kranjcar, Olic, Petric Germany As both striker Gomez and midfielder Schweinsteiger performed well in the first match, it is widely believed that Jogi L?w will make a minor change to send both to the pitch, while putting speedy Podolski backward as a winger to create more scoring chances for team-mates. Clemens Fritz would drop to the bench Predicted Line-Up: Lehmann, Lahm, Metzelder. Mertesacker, Jansen, Frings, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Gomez, Klose PLAYERS TO WATCH Croatia-Mladen Petric The German defence will know all about the danger posed by Borussia Dortmund striker Mladen Petric after the Croat hit 13 goals in his debut season in the Bundesliga. Slaven Bilic will be looking to him for the goals after the loss of Eduardo to injury. Germany- Mario Gomez The best German striker in the Bundesliga last season was undoubtedly Stuttgart?s Mario and he looks to have cemented his place in the forward line alongside Miroslav Klose. The time for him now is to show just what he can do on the highest stage. Lukas Podolski was the hero against Poland, but it could just be time for Gomez to grab the limelight. PREDICTION This should be a very close game with neither team wanting to give away the advantage they gained from winning their opening game. A draw wouldn?t be the end of the world for either team Croatia 1-1 Germany

Turkish Comeback Sends Swiss Crashing Out Switzerland 1-2 Turkey An entertaining game played out in awful conditions in Basel saw Turkey send the co-hosts Switzerland out of Euro 2008. Despite falling behind to a first half Yakin goal, Turkey staged a rousing second half comeback and a fine strike from Arda in the last minute sealed the victory. The game started briskly with Turkey having the edge in the early exchanges in front of a noisy, largely Swiss, crowd. Yet it was the conditions that quickly became the biggest factor in the match, the rain pouring down and saturating a pitch which rapidly began to resemble a paddling pool. The water on the pitch made passing difficult and caused the ball to hold up, ensuring life became particularly treacherous for defenders. Both sides struggled to cope with the conditions initially and it wasn?t until almost half way through the first half that the game saw its first shot on target. Gelson Fernandes, for the Swiss, testing Turkish keeper Demirel who saved comfortably. Despite this it had looked as though the Turks were gaining the upper hand, their superior passing and movement troubling the Swiss although they did appear to lack a cutting edge. Yet as the conditions worsened the Swiss seemed to adapt better and slowly began to create some chances. Yakin and Barnetta both served notice of their intentions by shooting from range and forcing Demirel into action. After half an hour the deadlock was finally broken by the Swiss and in fine style. Derdiyok took a long ball from the back well and rounded the goalkeeper at pace before crossing for Yakin. The ball held up right in the middle of the goal ensuring a tap in for Yakin and the lead for the Swiss. Minutes later and it should have been two nil, with Yakin the man guilty of missing a sitter. A great cross from Behrami on the right picked out the striker at the far post but he contrived to miss the target completely from only yards out. Turkey, meanwhile, could consider themselves lucky to still be in the game. The waterlogged pitch had undoubtedly interrupted their passing game and they were struggling to create any chances of their own. Indeed their best chance of the first half had a slice of luck attached to it. A free kick from Nihat was driven into the box, the goalkeeper managing to push the ball out but only onto the head of Arda who watched the ball cannon back off the post. The interval brought an end to the rain and a change for the Turks as manager Terim threw on Senturk and Topal as he sought to find a way back into the match and avoid an early exit from the tournament that defeat would bring. The substitutions and the rapidly drying pitch proved crucial for Turkey, with Sentuk equalising on 57 minutes. A great cross in from the left by Nihat saw Senturk rise to nod past goalkeeper Benaglio. Although Benaglio got a hand to the header, and perhaps should have kept it out, he couldn?t prevent the ball creeping into the back of the net and suddenly the sides were level. The improved conditions certainly helped Turkey who managed to get their passing game going again. Slowly the chances came, Tuncay crossing for Nihat who was inches away from connecting and putting the Turks ahead. Yet the Swiss had chances of their own and might have taken the lead with only ten minutes remaining. A Swiss break, after some great passing, culminated with Demirel saving well from Yakin. But just as it looked as though the game was heading for a draw, the winner arrived in dramatic style in injury time. Arda, the 21 year old winger, picked up the ball on the left and drove towards goal. Reaching the penalty area, he checked and hit a decent shot, which took a slight deflection along the way and gave the goalkeeper no chance. With only seconds left on the clock the goal sent Switzerland out, meaning the co-hosts are the first team to depart Euro 2008. Turkey, meanwhile, go on to face the Czech Republic in their final group game, which will be a case of winner takes all. GOALS: 1-2 Turkey (Arda, 90) 1-1 Turkey (Senturk, 57) 1-0 Switzerland (Yakin, 32) Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Muller, Senderos, Magnin, Behrami, Inler, Gelson (Cabanas, 76), Barnetta (Volanthen, 65), Yakin (Gygax, 85), Derdiyok. Turkey: Demirel, Altintop, Asik, Cetin, Balta, Karadeniz (Senturk, 46), Aurelio, Metin (Topal, 46), Turan, Nihat (Kazim, 85), Sanli. Referee: Lubos Michel

Switzerland 1 - 2 Turkey Hakan Yakin (32') - Semih Şent?rk (57') - Arda Turan (90'+2) 1 Benaglio D. Goalkeeper - 5 Lichtsteiner S. Defender - 20 M?ller P. Defender - 4 Senderos P. Defender - 3 Magnin L. Defender - 19 Behrami V. Midfielder - 8 Inler G. Midfielder - 15 Gelson Fernandes Midfielder - 16 Barnetta T. Midfielder - 10 Yakin H. Striker - 12 Derdiyok E. Striker *18 Zuberbuhler P. Goalkeeper - 13 Grichting S. Defender - 17 Spycher C. Defender - 7 Cabanas R. Midfielder - 6 Huggel B. Midfielder - 14 Gygax D. Midfielder - 11 Streller M. Striker - 22 Vonlanthen J. Midfielder - 23 Degen P. Defender - 2 Djourou J. Defender - 21 Jakupovic E. Goalkeeper *Kuhn J. Manager/Coach 23 Volkan Demirel Goalkeeper - 3 Hakan Balta Defender - 15 Asik E. Defender - 2 Servet ?etin Defender - 22 Altintop H. Defender - 10 G?kdeniz Karadeniz Midfielder - 14 Arda Turan Midfielder - 7 Marco Aurelio Midfielder - 11 T?mer Metin Midfielder - 17 Tuncay Sanli Striker - 8 Nihat Striker *1 R?şt? Re?ber Goalkeeper - 20 Sanoglu S. Defender - 13 Emre G?ng?r Defender - 23 Semih Şent?rk Striker - 18 Kazim Kazim Midfielder - 12 Tolga Zengin Goalkeeper - 21 Erding M. Striker - 16 Uğur Boral Defender - 6 Mehmet Topal Midfielder - 19 Ayhan Akman Midfielder *Terim F. Manager/Coach 90'+4 THE FINAL WHISTLE GOES!! Switzerland are out of the competition!! They cannot qualify for the knockout round regardless of what happens in the final game! They are the first team out of the tournament and what heartbreak! Arda's deflected goal deep, DEEP into stoppage time has given hope to Turkey, who play the Czech Republic in their last group match. Final whistle at the St Jakob-Park, it's Switzerland-1 Turkey-2! 90'+2 Goal Arda Turan 90'+2 Turkey break forward through Arda... ARDA CRACKS A SHOTTTTTT AND SCORES!!!! TURKEY HAVE TAKEN A LEAD AND POSSIBLY WON THE GAME!! Arda was completely left unchallenged as he dashes down the left, cuts in to the middle and lets rip with a shot outside the box. It takes a deflection off M?ller and Benaglio is rooted to the ground as the ball flies into the top of the net! Turkey lead 2-1! 89' The clock is ticking down. Neither side giving up yet as they desperately want the three points. Asik is forced off the ground with his forehead pouring blood after a clash of heads with Inler. He is still on the pitch and the stretcher has to be called out as the home fans whistle defiantly. Four minutes will be added on! 87' Switzerland have a freekick from 20 yards out. Magnin stands over the ball... Magnin will take it... he tries to curl it in but it takes a deflection off the wall. 86' Terim makes his last sub as he sends in Kazim Kazim-Richards for Nihat. Daniel Gygax meanwhile will replace Yakin for Switzerland. 85' Substitution Nihat Kazim Kazim 85' Substitution Yakin H. Gygax D. 83' SWITZERLAND CHARGE FORWARD ON THE COUNTER... IT'S THREE AGAINST ONE!! Behrami, on the right, centres it for Vonlanthen, who taps it on for Yakin... YAKIN SHOOTS, but Volkan dives low to make the save!! What a chance for the Swiss!! 82' Fatih Terim's men are definitely looking more menacing in the closing stages of the game. They look more adventurous and hungrier going forward. The Swiss look like they have run out of steam. 80' Altintop arrows a cross from the right, M?ller just lunges forward to head it out before it reaches Nihat. But it falls to Aur?lio... AUR?LIO THUMPS IN A HALF VOLLEYYY... But M?ller again makes the crucial block!! 78' Just a little over ten minutes to go. Nervous moments for both sets of fans. A draw will hardly benefit either side but it will keep them in the competition. 76' Ricardo Cabanas has been introduced to replace Gelson. Turkey have a freekick dead centre from some 40 yards out. Altintop will take it... Altintop blasts it well into the stands!! 75' Substitution Gelson Fernandes Cabanas R. 74' Tuncay has found space in the box.... TUNCAY CLIPS IN A LOW CROSS TO NIHATTTT... but Nihat can't quite connect with it!! It looked more like a shot on goal than it was a cross. 72' Vanlanthen does well to turn past TWO Turkish players... VONLANTHEN KEEPS GOING... BEATS TWO MORE AND TAKES THE BALL INTO THE BOX, but Cetin makes a crucial interception with a well-timed sliding challenge. 71' Inler traps the ball from Vonlanthen's pass and unleashes a piledriver from 25 yards but it sails just wide!! It took a deflection on the way out but the referee failed to spot that! 69' Switzerland charged forward on the counter. Lichtsteiner floats in a cross from the right for Yakin but Volkan is out off his line to claim it. Takin gave him a little nudge and the whistle goes against the Swiss frontman. 67' Nihat squirms into space... NIHAT LETS FLY OUTSIDE THE BOX but Senderos makes the block, with his arm. But he hid it behind his body, so only a corner for the Turks. 66' Kuhn makes his first switch, sending in Vonlanthen for Barnetta to bolster the midfield line. 66' Substitution Barnetta T. Vonlanthen J. 64' Arda centres the ball to Tuncay... TUNCAYYYY RIGHT INFRONT OF GOAL... just snatches the shot and the ball bobbles safely wide of Benaglio's goal! 62' Inler knocks in a cross from the right... Derdiyok is there waiting but Volkan springs forward to claim it! 60' Derdiyok centres the ball past Volkan... YAKIN HAS AN OPEN GOAL INFRONT OF HIMMM... Balta slides in to make a last-ditch tackle to rob the ball off Yakin just as he pulls the trigger! Superb defending! 57' SEMIHHHHH... NODS NIHAT'S CROSS INTO THE TOP CORNER!!! TURKEY ARE LEVELLED!! Nihat curls in a perfect ball from the left and Semih ghosts in between the two centreback and Semih actually headed it straight down the middle, but Benaglio pushes it into the corner of the net! It's game on!! 57' Goal Semih Şent?rk 55' MAGNINNN... chests the ball down from a poor Turkey clearance and blasts in a half volley just outside the 'D' but it's gone just wide! 55' Semih cushions down a header, looking for a teammate to latch on to it but no one is there. Benaglio charges out to claim the loose ball. 54' Yellow Card Derdiyok E. 53' Tuncay slips the ball through to Semih, who taps it on for Aur?lio... AUR?LIO TAKES A FIRST TIME SHOT, but M?ller just lunges infront of the ball bravely to make the block! 51' Yakin and Barnetta play a little give-and-go and Barnetta takes it on towards the box, but smacks it wildly with his left foot and it goes well wide. 49' Behrami darts down the right wing... Behrami keeps going... he takes it out to the byline and dinks in a cross, but Volkan plucks it out of the air unchallenged. 48' Yellow Card Hakan Balta 48' Nihat swings in a freekick from the left and BALTA LUNGES FORWARD TO CONNECT... but he does so with his hand!! A blatant handball and he is rightly yellow carded! 47' Fati Terim has made two changes. Semih Sent?rk is in for Karadeniz while Mehmet Topal replaces T?mer. 46' The players are back out for the second period. The conditions are imrpoving. The rain has stopped, the grounds staff has been working tirelessly at the interval to dry off the pitch. Turkey will get the restart underway! 46' Substitution G?kdeniz Karadeniz Mehmet Topal 46' Substitution T?mer Metin Semih Şent?rk 45'+1 Lubos Michel draws the first half to a close. It's a very evenly balanced contest in the first half. Turkey were in control before the rain but once the pitch started to clog up, it was the Swiss who looked the more dangerous side. Yakin's tap in separate the two and Fatih Terim will have to change his team's game plan in the second half to adapt to the conditions. 1-0 to the hosts at the break! 44' Tuncay pumps the ball forward over the defence but it's too tricky for Lichtsteiner to play the backpass with Nihat roving behind him. He safely plays it out for a throw. One minute of time will be added on! 42' The rain has stopped now but conditions on the pitch are beyond trecherous as tackles are flying in precariously due to the slippery surface and the players just cannot control it!! 41' Yellow Card Marco Aurelio 40' Tirkey have a freekick on the right side almost on the halfway line. Aur?lio pumps it all the way forward at goal, trying to test Benaglio's grip on his gloves. And he does show a safe pair of hands! 38' The Schweizer Nati are looking very comfortable and enjoying a stranglehold on the game. They are not looking very threatened at the back and they look dangerous themselves going forward on the counter. Turkey are struggling to cope with the water-logged pitch, which is hindering their quick passing game. 36' Barnetta and Yakin play a difficult one-two to release Derdiyok... but Asik cuts across and takes the safety route by punting the ball out for a throw! 34' YAKINNNNN... MISSED AN ALMOST IDENTICAL CHANCE!! Barnetta this time drills in a cross from the right, it evaded everyone and fell to Yakin at the far post but the awkward bounce forced him to slice the shot as the ball flies into the stands from 3 yards out!! 32' YAKINNNN.... TAPS THE BALL INTO AN EMPTY NET!! SWITZERLAND ARE IN FRONT!! Derdiyok latches onto a long ball, rounds the keeper, squares it on for Yakin in the middle... the ball actually stopped dead right before it reached him, but he just sticks is foot out to roll it over the line! 32' Goal Yakin H. 30' Yellow Card Tuncay Sanli 30' The rain just cannot stop pouring down. Nihat shows the referee his torn jersey as Lichtsteiner tugs on it in a battle for possession! And that is exactly what it is out there... a battle ground! 28' Tuncay goes down right outside the box right on the byline! Nervous moments for the Swiss fans. Nihat will whip it in... BENAGLIO PUNCHES IT OUT BUT IT COMES BACK OFF ARDA AND CANNONS OFF THE POST!! Oh so close for T?rko!! Swiss hearts almost sank there! 26' Inler picks up a loose ball and FLICKS IT OVER TO GELSON... but it was just too long! Volkan again quick off his line to gather the ball and clam the situation for Turkey. 25' Freekick for Switzerland from 20 yards out, to the left. Barnetta will take it.... BARNETTA SMACKS ONE PAST THE WALLLL... Volkan dives at full stretch to his left and JUST tips the ball out with his fingers! Great save!! 23' YAKINNNNN... unleashes a piledriver from 25 yards out and Volkan was almost caught offguard!! But he just manages to parry it out for a corner! 21' Tuncay whips in a cross from the right to Arda... ARDA JUST SNEAKS IN BEHIND M?LLERRR, but fails to connect with a decent shot as the ball stops dead on a puddle of water right infront of goal and the Swiss defence clear the danger!! 19' INLERRR... LOOKS UP AND DRIVES IN A SHOT FROM 30 YARDS OUT... but Volkan craddles it into his arms. It's always worth a try to take a shot from distance with these conditions! 18' Certain parts of the pictch is already water-logged! There is a real threat and possibility of this match having to be called off if the conditions get worse! 16' Turkey now have a freekick down the left wing... but Nihat completely miscues his delivery and it flies right across the field to the other flank... didn't even make it into the box!! 14' Both sides are squabbling for possession in midfield. Very difficult conditions to play in. But the Swiss have a freekick. Yakin floats the ball into the box from the right channel but Turkey clear the danger immediately. 12' It is ABSOLUTELY pouring down now in Basel!! The fans get their raincoats and umbrellas out but the players on the pitch won't care at all about that! 10' Lichtsteiner sprays a long through ball from his own half looking for Behrami, but Behrami just lets it run, thinking there was a teammate behind him and the ball rolls all the way to Volkan in the Turkish goal. 8' It's a lively start to the game but it's the Turks who have the slight edge in possession at the moment and they are showing more spark going forward. 6' Nihat streaks down the right channel... NIHAT GOES FOR THE SHOT FROM A TIGHT ANGLE!!! It flies low and straight into Benaglio's hands. 5' It has been confirmed that Marco Streller is in fact injured, which is why Kuhn has had to go for young Derdiyok to partner Yakin upfront for the Swiss. 3' Gelson tries to slip it through for Barnetta down the middle into the box but it was JUST too heavy and Volkan rushes off his line to clear his lines. 2' Aur?lio backheels the ball to release Balta down the left wing... Balta swings in a cross but M?ller cuts it out for an early corner. 1' Referee this afternoon is Lubos Michel from Slovikia and he will get the match underway. Switzerland will kick off but the loose the ball straight away to Turan. 0' Swiss coach K?bi Kuhn will ofcourse be without main striker and captain Alexander Frei for the rest of the tournament due to a knee injury. But Kuhn has sprung a surprise and start with 19 year old striker Eren Derdiyok instead of Marco Streller to cover upfront and he will partner veteran Hakan Yakin, while leftback Ludovic Magnin will take over the armband. 0' Fatih Terim will have to make do with the absence of his own key figure, midfielder Emre Bel?zoğlu. Centreback G?khan Zan is also sidelined but his partner in defence Servet ?etinare and leftback Hakan Balta have both shrugged off injuries and will start. Nihat Kahveci and Tuncay Sanli will lead the attack, will T?mer Metin, who will start in place of Emre, will provide the support in the ?hole? position in a 4-3-1-2 formation. 0 Welcome to Goal.com?s live coverage of Euro 2008. We?re now on the second round of matches in the group phase and it?s pretty much a do-or-die situation, especially for the teams who lost the first match. Switzerland and Turkey are the two sides from Group A who faltered on opening day and they will go head to head this afternoon. Victory is a must for both teams if they are to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the knock-out stage. But only one can leave Basel?s St. Jakob-Park with all three points.

Portugal Power Past The Czechs Czech Republic 1-3 Portugal Portugal produced a strong display to overcome a much improved Czech Republic side. Having been pulled back to 1-1 after taking the lead, they finished strongly to make it two in two and a place in the quarterfinals... It was a tightly contested game which the Portugese failed to dominate in midfield due to the Czechs' strength and work rate, but their creative superiority and sharpness in the final third proved the difference. First Half The game looked like it may be fairly open from the beginning and there was not much of a wait for the first goal. On seven minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo linked up with Nuno Gomes, who played him a delightful return pass that he almost converted but for Petr Cech diving at his feet. Deco was first to the rebound and could not quite scramble his initial effort in, but at the second time of asking he put the Portugese into the lead. However, good play from the Portugese was only coming in short intervals and they were handing possession back to the Czechs too easily. Marek Jankulovsky went close on 10 minutes, and just after a quarter of an hour they were level. It was a corner played in by Jaroslav Plasil and Libor Sionko was on hand to head home his third goal in his last three games. In the 25th minute, Deco almost added his second when he took aim from distance, but his shot whistled over the bar. Portugal were intent on giving the Czechs their share of chances, though, as Ricardo came out to flap at a corner and was almost made to pay for it, but the ball was cleared. Milan Baros looked dangerous and justified his selection ahead of Jan Koller, running tirelessly and even showing the ability to turn his man, with his eventual ball across eluding his team-mates. The last few minutes of the half saw the good and the bad of Cristiano Ronaldo, as he rifled a long-range shot on his left foot that forced Petr Cech into a decent save, before later going down after minimal contact from Tomas Ujfalusi's flailing arm. The half ended with a Portugal free-kick, which Ronaldo wound up to hit in trademark fashion, but it was straight at Petr Cech, whose slight fumble went unpunished. Second Half The first chance of the second half was for the Czech Republic, with Matejovsky's smart through ball fed Sionko down the right, who waited to put a ball across goal which none of his team-mates could reach instead of shooting. Portugal then began to string some passes together, with a good move coming to an end with Nuno Gomes' shot that ended up flying straight at Cech. Simao soon put another shot straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper as Portugal were beginning to pile on the pressure. The Czech Republic almost nicked a goal from a Plasil corner, which Ujfalusi headed on across the face of goal, but neither Sionko or Baros could quite reach it to apply the finishing touch. And it was then, shortly after the hour mark, Portugal took a deserved lead. Deco found himself out on the right and waited patiently before sliding a perfectly placed ball across goal, which Ronaldo drilled home from the edge of the area. The Czechs introduced Stanislav Vlcek and Jan Koller to try and force the issue, but Portugal's defence remained fairly strong, though they not without the odd close call. Plasil's neat ball into the box was siezed upon by Milan Baros, who headed wide when Sionko was better placed. Sionko came incredibly close moments later, when he rose highest to aim a header at goal which Ricardo did well to tip over. Sionko was once more the man in the thick of it for the Czechs on the stroke of 90 minutes, when he met a Jan Koller knock-down to fire an effort over the bar. Portugal added insult to injury at the death when Deco's through ball caught the goal-chasing Czechs cold at the back. Cristiano Ronaldo ran beyond and unselfishly tapped the ball across goal for Ricardo Quaresma, who had just come on, to tap in a third.

Euro 2008 Preview: Switzerland - Turkey What: Euro 2008 Group A Matchday 2 Who: Switzerland (3rd, 0/3pts) vs Turkey (4th, 0/3pts) When: Wednesday 11 June 2008 20:45 CET Where: St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland Referee: Ľubo? Micheľ (Slovakia) The two losers from the first matchday go head-to-head for what is surely a last-chance game for both sides. It's Switzerland versus Turkey and it's sure to be a pressure-filled occasion... Wounded Losing out to the Czechs was crushing enough for the Swiss, but just as bad was the first half injury to talismanic captain Alexander Frei. Not only did the number 9 miss the rest of the game, but he's out for the whole tournament. The party atmosphere among the confederation, then, has already fallen flat, although it won't fully end until all hopes of qualification are extinguished. For all intents and purposes, though, this could be as early as Wednesday night. Anything less than a point against the Turks will see the Swiss fall at the first hurdle: hard to take for a side that excelled defensively at the World Cup of 2006. Disappointed Turkey, meanwhile, were largely overrun by a Portuguese side that overcame much of their qualifying nerves to put on a decent, but not world-class showing. That was still more than the Crescent-Stars managed. Turkey, who had themselves only snuck into the tournament in second place, lacked the touch of class required to pick up all three points in their first game, or even come close to doing so. Still, they can draw comfort from the fact that, with a large fanbase in Switzerland, they won't be put off by the 'away' nature of this match. This is realistically their best chance to get all three points, and they will surely go for it. Nonetheless, much has to change on the pitch - not least the sense of confidence and the ability for the likes of Nihat to test the 'keeper. Tasty History Last time the sides met was in 2005 in a World Cup qualifier in Istanbul, one remembered less for its outcome than for the ugly scenes that followed. Violence erupted in the funnel after a fraught match, and with kicks and shoves raining in left and right, the continent's cameras looked eagerly on. The Turks were punished with a five-game home stadium ban - albeit one mitigated by appeal - while FIFA boss Sepp Blatter (a Swiss) fumed openly over the incident. The event has largely been forgotten now, but no doubt fans of the two sides will remember it as kickoff approaches. FORM GUIDE Switzerland 07 Jun Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic (EC) 30 May Switzerland 3-0 Liechtenstein (Friendly) 24 May Switzerland 2-0 Slovakia (Friendly) 26 Mar Switzerland 0-4 Germany (Friendly) 06 Feb England 2-1 Switzerland (Friendly) 20 Nov Switzerland 0-1 Nigeria (Friendly) Turkey 07 Jun Turkey 0-2 Portugal (EC) 29 May Turkey 2-0 Finland (Friendly) 25 May Uruguay 3-2 Turkey (Friendly) 20 May Slovakia 0-1 Turkey (Friendly) 26 Mar Belarus 2-2 Turkey (Friendly) 06 Feb Turkey 0-0 Sweden (Friendly) TEAM NEWS Switzerland Frei is out for the tournament after picking up an injury in the opener. Everyone else is fit and ready for the Swiss, who may retain their 4-4-2 look as they go looking for three vital points. Yakin could support streller in an 'old-but-gold' forward line. Probable Starting XI: Benaglio; Magnin, M?ller, Senderos, Lichtsteiner; Barnetta, Behrami, Fernandes, Inler; Streller, Yakin. Turkey Gokhan Zan is out and Servet Cetin is doubtful, meaning that it could be an all-new central defence that lines up. Nihat will likely get the nod up front again. UPDATE: Emre is out injured and could miss the entire tournament. Coach Fatih Terim has yet to confirm his replacement. Probable Starting XI: Volkan; Sabri Sarioglu, Asik, Emre Gungor/Cetin, Boral; Altintop, Aurelio, Karadeniz, Turan; Nihat, Erding. PLAYERS TO WATCH Switzerland - Marco Streller: Coach Kuhn is likely to put his faith in the veteran once more despite his poor showing against the Czechs in the first game. He's likely to retire after the tournament, and unless he goes out with a bang here this could be a disappointing final game for him. Turkey - Mehmet Aurelio: The naturalised Brazilian-born midfielder will have to both provide for those further forward and also make sure that he guards what is likely to be a rotated defensive line. With his continental pedigree and experience, though, it is surely not too great a task for him. PREDICTION The Swiss, who lack cutting edge, may meet their match against a Turkish side with so much to prove. It will be a heated occasion and could even see the first red card, but it is with the Crescent-Stars that victory will lie. Switzerland 0-1 Turkey

Euro 2008 Preview: Czech Republic - Portugal What: Euro 2008, Group A Who: Czech Republic (2nd, 3pts), Portugal (1st, 3pts) When: Tuesday, June 10 (1800 CET) Where: Stade de Gen?ve, Geneva Referee: Kyros Vassaras Winner Takes It All Or qualification, at least. Both sides won on the opening day - the Czechs fortuitously and the Portuguese most convincingly - and should there be a winner tomorrow in Geneva, they will have secured qualification to the quarterfinals. As such, Portugal will most definitely be looking to go all out and secure qualification so that in their final game against co-hosts Switzerland they may focus simply on finishing top of the group and perhaps affording one or two key men a rest. The Czechs, though, would probably be satisfied with a draw, and that mentality may prove their undoing. Missing both Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky has robbed the Czechs of much of their creativity on which the domineering Jan Koller used to capitalise. With Tomas Galasek also getting on in years, the midfield in general is lacking in all areas it was once fairly formidable. It will be up to coach Karel Br?ckner, then, to tactically discipline his players to work as a unit that will remain strong in defence as well as suitably quick and creative to enable attacking play. Portugal's unit, meanwhile, looks like being almost complete. Nuno Gomes and Deco are hitting form at just the right time and are crucial cogs in the system. Gomes' presence in the box looked like that of his prime and Deco's passing was at times sublime, with the only question mark over him being his fitness. Lesser known talents such as the sought-after Moutinho and particularly Petit put in top class performances.. The defence, too, is looking stronger than in recent years. Pepe seems to be the perfect partner for Carvalho, who sweeps in behind the roving centre-back. Meanwhile, Paulo Ferreira provides some defensive stability at left-back while Jose Bosingwa roars up and down the right. The wings need no introduction, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, Simao Sabrosa and Nani making up a magnificent quartet of wide men. Having gelled as well as they did, the Portugese will be hoping to exorcize the demons of 2004 and not only go all the way to the final but win as well. A win here will be crucial, as they should surely like to avoid Germany for as long as possible so they are able to gather strength and confident in the meantime. FORM GUIDE Czech Republic 07/06/08 Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic (European Championship) 30/05/08 Czech Republic 3-1 Scotland (Friendly) 27/05/08 Czech Republic 2-1 Lithuania (Friendly) 26/03/08 Denmark 1-1 Czech Republic (Friendly) 06/02/08 Poland 2-0 Czech Republic (Friendly) 21/11/07 Cyprus 0-2 Czech Republic (European Championship qualifier Portugal 07/06/08 Portugal 2-0 Turkey (European Championship) 31/05/08 Portugal 2-0 Georgia (Friendly) 26/03/08 Portugal 1-2 Greece (Friendly) 06/02/08 Italy 3-1 Portugal (Friendly) 21/11/07 Portugal 0-0 Finland (European Championship qualifier) 17/11/07 Portugal 1-0 Armenia (European Championship qualifier) TEAM NEWS Czech Republic No injuries reported from the Czech camp. Coach Br?ckner has suggested he was happy with the defence but will make a change in the forward line. Replacing the legendary Jan Koller in his final tournament would seem too drastic a move, despite the country's all-time leading goal scorer having a poor first game. Marek Matejovsky is thought to be coming in to replace Jarolim in midfield, with neither the wily Plasil or the in-form Sionko likely to be replaced. Milan Baros' inclusion as a second forward is a move probably too bold against opposition as dangerous as Portugal, but he is likely to be used from the bench. Probable starting line-up (4-5-1): Cech - Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski - Sionko, Matejovsky, Galasek, Kovac, Plasil - Koller Portugal Again, no injuries reported from the Portugese camp and Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to go with the same side that dominated against Turkey. However, wingers Simao and Nani picked up minor knocks and therefore could make way for Ricardo Quaresma, who did not make an appearance on Saturday. Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Ricardo - Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Ferreira - Moutinho, Petit, Deco - Quaresma, Nuno Gomes, Ronaldo PLAYERS TO WATCH Czech Republic - Sionko The lively Sionko's runs down the right hand side have proved a valuable outlet for the Czechs in the past couple of games, scoring twice against Scotland and a regular threat against Switzerland in the opener. He will be up against Paulo Ferreira - a makeshift left-back - and could well cause problems. Portugal - Quaresma Should he start, he will have a point to prove and will no doubt bring his box of tricks with him. An energetic and audacious player - much like Ronaldo in that respect - and in the shop window as well, with Porto having been suspended from the Champions League. He will have it all to prove, hoping to win a permanent spot in the team for the remainder of the tournament. Should he not play, the one to watch is Ronaldo for, well, quite obvious reasons - he hasn't scored yet! PREDICTION The Czechs certainly did not look like scoring in the opening game, but a change in personnel and ideas may see them grab one tomorrow evening. However, the midfield battle is only going one way, and what could well be incessant pressure from Portugal will surely see them overpower Br?ckner's men and make it two wins out of two. Czech Republic 1-2 Portugal

Ibra Magic Sparks Sweden Win Greece 0-2 Sweden After watching Spain rip through Russia in Group D?s early kick-off, both Lars Lagerback and Otto Rehhagel knew that only a win would keep their respective Sweden and Greece teams in contention to top the group. A typically stubborn Greece side kept Sweden at bay for over an hour before the frustration was lifted by a magnificent strike by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Peter Hansson added a second to secure the win for the Swedes. For over 60 minutes, this game could have been mistaken for a meaningless end-of-group kick around. Greece showed little attacking intent and were happy to move the ball across their considerable back line. Sweden, eager to conserve the energy of the veteran Henrik Larsson and the tender Zlatan Ibrahimovic, could not close their opponents deep in their territory. A subdued first half, memorable for a sole Zlatan header, preceded a second which eventually saw the game open up. Just after the hour, a generous Swedish defence offered Giorgos Karagounis an spurned opportunity to score before a piece of magic from Ibrahimovic alleviated the tedium. Receiving the ball on the right from a Larsson lay-off, Ibrahimovic rocketed a first-time drive high into Antonis Nikopolidis? top corner. Peter Hansson added an ugly second for the Swedes as they put themselves out of sight. Both goals stemming from uncharacteristic gaps on the right side of Greece?s rear guard. The Greeks, their resistance broken, looked bereft of a plan B. The Swedes continued to keep their opponents at arms length to get their Group D campaign off to a winning start. However, Lars Lagerback will not welcome the sight of Christian Wilhelmsson hobbling hamstrung from the pitch late in the game. First Half: Otto Rehhagel started with six of his trusted charges who played in the 2004 final, and also included Giorgos Karagounis, who missed that showpiece occasion due to suspension. Into the breach stepped Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Paraskevas Antzas, Vasilis Torosidis and Theofanis Gekas. Although the starting XI had some modifications made to it, this was very much a side in the mould of their 2004 predecessors. For long spells after the half hour, Rehhagel?s side were content to pass the ball between their three central defenders, without a hint of attacking intent. Angelos Charisteas, booked for a overenthusiastic first-minute lunge on Peter Hansson, made most of the penetrative running for the Greeks, his fine dribble and shot early on forced Andreas Isaksson into the first save of the match. The Swedes, who included 36-year-old Henrik Larsson from the start, seemed more purposeful in possession. Anders Svensson fired a volley narrowly wide from a corner for their first chance of the half. Fredrik Ljungberg was full of lively and inventive running and almost created a goal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the half wound down. The West Ham winger crossed from the left to find Zlatan ahead of Antonis Nikopolidis and Kyrgiakos with a flicked header. Unfortunately for the Swedes, the ball grazed the wrong side of the crossbar. The Inter striker was deployed as a front-line pivot by coach Lars Lagerback, his imagination and trickery seen as a weapon to crack an obdurate Greek rear guard. With Kyrgiakos, Antzas and Traianos Dellas forming a three man defensive barrier, the Swedes struggled to pressure Nikopolidis into making a save. The Greek goalkeeper can thank the judgement of the veteran Larsson for his largely inactive first half, the Helsingborg forward elected to provide for Ibrahimovic when presented with two shooting chances of his own. Despite their stand-still play and their contentment to let Sweden play in front of their back line, the Greeks did provide a glimmer of attacking threat early in the first half. Charisteas was industrious wide on the right, while Karagounis went through his repertoire of mid-range passing. Second Half: Without having conceded, the Greeks were not coaxed out to compete against the Swedes. The frustrating game-plan continued with purposeless possession and an increasing dependency on the set pieces of Karagounis. The 31-year-old was almost gifted a goal by a jittery Swedish defence just past the hour; Olof Mellberg?s horrendous forward pass was intercepted by the Benfica schemer, who failed to beat Isaksson in a one-on-one duel, despite having two bites of the cherry. The Greeks again went close shortly after as Traianos Dellas crossed from the right; Peter Hansson, running towards his own goal, nodded a hair?s breadth past Isaksson?s post. The frustration was soon to end for Sweden however, despite the Greeks looking assured and solid. A Niclas Alexandersson throw found Zlatan Ibrahimovic unmarked, but a long way from goal. His prompt forward pass found Henrik Larsson who squared the ball back into Ibrahimovic?s path. The striker, without an international goal since October 2005, dispatched a rifling drive across Nikopolidis and into the top corner. Truly a special goal to prize the stubborn Greeks open. The Swedes were soon to double their advantage, with a goal as ugly as Ibrahimovic?s was beautiful. Freddie Ljungberg failed to convert Henrik Larsson?s through ball and Nikopolidis parried into the path of Jonas Elmander. The substitute managed to hook the ball goalwards and towards the on-rushing Peter Hansson, of all people. The centre-back put Krygiakos and Seitaridis under pressure on their own goal line and some inept defending saw the ball cannon off Hansson, and apologetically into the net, to secure the 31-year-old?s second goal for his country. With a two goal lead, the Swedes? frustration melted away and their supporters once again found their voices. The whistling and jeering of ten minutes previous had been superseded by song and dance. A hamstrung Christian Wilhelmsson soured the victory for the Scandinavians late on, but there was to be no come back for the Greeks. Charisteas continued to make a nuisance of himself but to no avail. A relatively dull meeting, enriched by an outstanding goal by Ibrahimovic, ultimately set Sweden on their way to match the points total of Group D rivals Spain. Line Ups: Greece (5-4-1): Nikopolidis - Seitaridis, Kyrgiakos, Antzas, Dellas (Amanatidis 71?), Torosidis - Charisteas, Basinas, Katsouranis, Karagounis - Gekas (Samaras h/t). Subs not used: Chalkias, Tzorvas, Patsatzoglou, Spiropoulos, Vintra, Goumas, Giannakopoulos, Tziolis, Salpingidis, Liberopoulos. Sweden (4-4-2): Issakson - Alexandersson (Stoor 74?), Mellberg, Hansson, Nilsson - Wilhelm son (Rosenberg 77?), Svensson, Ljungberg, Andersson - Ibrahimovic (Elmander 72?), Henrik Larsson. Subs not used: Shabaan, Wiland, Majstorovic Granqvist, Dorsin, Linderoth, Kallstrom, Sebastian Larsson, Allback. Goals: Sweden: Ibrahimovic, 67?, Hansson, 71? Cards: Sweden: none Greece: Charisteas, 1?, Seitaridis, 52?, Torosidis, 62?, Referee: Massimo Busacca

Chiellini Set For New Contract According to Tuttosport, Juventus hardman Giorgio Chiellini is set to pledge his long-term future to the club by signing a new contract. Chiellini was one of the Bianconeri?s outstanding performers last season, and was a rock at the centre of the defence after transforming from his natural left back position. The 23-year-old made 30 Serie A appearances, scoring three goals, and has developed into a real fan?s favourite. Chiellini is now set to be rewarded for his efforts with a new contract until 2012, which will net him ?2m a-season, double of what he currently earns. Negotiations are already well underway, and it is believed that the stopper could put his final signature at the bottom of the treaty within the next 10 days. The former Fiorentina star, who is currently on duty with Italy at Euro 2008, came mightily close to leaving the club last summer. Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco had set up a move for him to join Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City, but the deal fell through in the latter stages. Chiellini is now being tipped as the future captain of the Old Lady.

Spirited Romanians Hold France France 0-0 Romania Despite a positive start from the French, Romania finished the game on a strong note to hold Raymond Domenech's misfiring men to a 0-0 draw... After all the hype about the dreaded ?Group of Death? the opening game between Romania and France finished goalless in a dull stalemate. France, without both Vieira and Henry, looked a shadow of their former selves, and couldn?t break down a disciplined Romanian side who will have a major say in who qualifies from this group. As expected, France started the game without either Patrick Vieira or Thierry Henry. Toulalan replaced Vieira in midfield with France coach Raymond Domenech opting for a front line of Anelka and Benzema in Henry?s absence. Yet the match failed to live up to the excitement that had preceded it and a first half devoid of chances will not have thrilled the Zurich crowd who had been hoping for so much more Whilst France dominated possession, Romania seemed content to allow Les Bleus the ball while looking to hit them on the break. Yet despite the presence of Ribery, Malouda, Anelka and Benzema the French struggled to create anything in the way of clear cut chances and looked like a side short of urgency and ideas. A couple of half chances for Anelka was about as good as it got for the French in the first half whilst Romania had just enough with the likes of Mutu and Niculae up front to suggest they may just nick a goal if France weren?t careful. The Romanians emerged for the second half looking slightly more adventurous however it was France who fashioned the best chance of the second period, Ribery breaking down the right and crossing for Benzema who could only put his shot straight at keeper Lobont. However the second half settled into much the same pattern as the first with France bossing possession but lacking penetration and Malouda and Ribery struggling to get behind the Romanian defence. Romania meanwhile flickered sporadically as an attacking force with Mutu and Niculae looking the most likely however neither troubled goalkeeper Coupet unduly who had a quiet game. Undoubtedly frustrated by his side?s performance Domenech tried to change things bringing on Gomis and Nasri for Anelka and Benzema but still Romania looked comfortable while France continued to toil. Eventually the game meandered to its close with Romania by far the happier team taking a point against a side they had never previously beaten in a competitive match. France, meanwhile, require a vast improvement if they are going to escape the group, let alone go far in this tournament. With fixtures against Holland and Italy to come they will want Henry back, and back to his best, as soon as possible. France: Coupet, Abidal, Gallas, Sagnol, Thuram, Makelele, Ribery,Toulalan, Malouda, Anelka (Gomis, 72), Benzema (Nasri, 76). Romania: Lobont, Contra, Goian, Rat, Tamas, Radoi (Dica, 90), Chivu, Cocis (Codrea, 64), Mutu (Niculae, 78), Niculae, Nicolita.

Romania 0 - 0 Francia 1 Lobonţ B. Goalkeeper - 2 Contra C. Defender - 4 Tamaş S. Defender - 3 Raţ R. Defender - 15 Goian D. Defender - 5 Chivu C. Defender - 16 Nicoliţă B. Midfielder - 11 Cociş R. Midfielder - 6 Rădoi M. Midfielder - 10 Mutu A. Striker - 21 Niculae D. Striker *23 Stăncioiu E. Goalkeeper - 12 Popa M. Goalkeeper - 14 Ghionea S. Defender - 17 Moti C. Defender - 22 Radu S. Defender - 13 Sapunaru C. Defender - 7 Petre F. Midfielder - 20 Dică N. Midfielder - 8 Codrea P. Midfielder - 19 Cristea A. Midfielder - 18 Niculae M. Striker - 9 Marica C. Striker *Piţurcă V. Manager/Coach 23 Coupet G. Goalkeeper - 3 Abidal ?. Defender - 5 Gallas W. Defender - 15 Thuram L. Defender - 19 Sagnol W. Defender - 6 Makelele C. Midfielder - 7 Florent Malouda Midfielder - 22 Rib?ry F. Midfielder - 20 Toulalan J. Midfielder - 8 Anelka N. Striker - 9 Karim Benzema Striker *16 Frey S. Goalkeeper - 1 Mandanda S. Goalkeeper - 13 Evra P. Defender - 17 Squillaci S. Defender - 2 Boumsong J. Defender - 14 Clerc F. Defender - 4 Vieira P. Midfielder - 11 Nasri S. Midfielder - 21 Diarra L. Midfielder - 10 Govou S. Striker - 12 Henry T. Striker - 18 Gomis B. Striker *Domenech R. Manager/Coach 90'+3 Substitution Rădoi M. Dică N. 90'+2 Mirel Radoi goes off and Ncolae Dica of Steaua comes on asRomania take a last ditch free-kick which Thuram managers to hack clear 90' Three minutes of added time are signalled - can anyone break the deadlock? 86' Ribery wins a corner on the by-line and takes it himself, it comes out to Jeremy Toulalan on the right, but his deep crossis to nowhere, which does not impress Gomis 80' Romania win a corner with 10 minutes to go but Rat's shot is deflected for what should have been another corner, but instead a goal-kick is given. 78' Substitution Mutu A. Niculae D. 78' Mutu is promptly replaced by Marius Niculae of Inverness Caledonian Thistle - not to be confused by DanielNiculae who has been on fromthe start. 77' France have looked short of inspiration but now they replace Manchester United target Karim Benzema with Arsenal target Samir Nasri as Romnia take a free-kick which Mutu wafts well over. 77' Substitution Benzema K. Nasri S. 74' Abidal intercepts a poor ball from Mutu but fires his diagonal shot wide of the far post. 73' Razvan Rat clears fromRibery, who jinked into the box and though about going down but stayed on his feetr, only Rat to tackle him 72' Substitution Anelka N. Gomis B. 72' Anelka is withdrawn in favour of Bafetimbi Gomis - the reason Djibtil Cisse isn't in the France squad 70' Malouda tries to jink his way in down the left but the Romanians stand tall and calmly dispossess him. 67' Contra plays it off Malouda for a Romanian throw after RIbery tries to force a way through 66' From a corner Makele cleverly finds Sagnol, who took the kick, on the left, but his cross is awful - way to high, and to nobody near the far touchline. 64' Benzeam shows good footwork and control to turn defly and get a shot in from the edge of the area despite the close attention of defenders, but his shot goes wide. 63' Paul Codrea replaces Cocis for Romania 63' Substitution Cociş R. Codrea P. 61' Dorin Goian dispossesses Benzema as the highly-prozed Lyon youngster tries to burst into the Romanian area 57' There is an incisive move by France, Ribery breaking frominside the Romanian half and squaring the ball to Benzema on the edge of the area, but Benzema hits his low shot straight at Lobont, who nevertheless fumbles it but recovers. Benzema should probably have done better 55' The chorus of whistles from the crowd suggests that the customersare not over-impressed with France, or indeed the match 54' Romania are on the front-foot suddenly, enjoying their best spell of the game 53' Sagnol holds off Mutu under pressure from a Nicolae pass, but Mutu fouls him 53' Now Romania have a free-kick on the right but it is hit wastefull long and deep. Poor delivery 52' France win a free kick deepin their own half. 51' Mutu's free-kick is straight into the wall and France clear,but Romania win a throw 51' Yellow Card Sagnol W. 50' Sagnol fouls Mutu on the edge of the area and Romania have a dangerous free-kick 48' Malouda takes on the full-back for the furst time, beats and shoots from a tight angle but it goes justn over 46' The second half gets underway in the evening sunshine, with France needin to pres more and show greater urgency while Romania are probably happy with the way things have gone and could yet nick the game froma swt-piece 45' The half-time whistle blows, bringing an end to a fairly sterile first-half. France have been over-cautious and lacking in urgency. Romania have their established (and effective) way of playing, with two solid banks of four behind the ball. But France have not shown the pace - or speed of thought - to pose problems for the Romanians. Given that France need to win this because of the presence of Italy and Holland, they wil need to rouse themselves after the break here. 44' Razvan Rat on the left diaginally in for Mutu, but Gallas gets there to concede a first corner for Romania. The flag kick is eventually cleared by an anxious looking Bleus' defence. They betrayed a few moments of real uncertainty under pressure. 43' Yellow Card Goian D. 42' Benzema and Ribeery combine dangerously on the right and when the Bayern Munich man plays it back to Benzema, Chivu intercepts but his touch is like a shot and forcves keeper Lobont to get down and save. 41' France are not exactly on fire as yet, despite vtheir possession. 40' Makelkele concedes an unnecessary free-kick on the right wing, Chivu takes it but Anelka, bacvk in defence, clears it. 40' Yellow Card Contra C. 39' Contra earns a wasteful yellow card for kicking the ball away at a throw-in. Daft. 38' Ribery is in lively form, working hard from flank to flank to get in behind. But he need to have a go at Contra with the ball, take him on and get beyond him. 36' Mutu is robbed in a dangerous position by a superb Thuram tackle, and France launch a counter which ends with Anelka firing into the side netting from a very tight angle on the right. 35' Ribery slips the ball to Abidal on the left, but the ful-back's deep cross ois too deep and Romania clear, but again they can't keep possession and France come back 33' Chivu, Cocsis and Mutu combine to try and find a way through but the French defence snuffs out the danger and clears 32' Now France win a corner, Ribery's short kick is returned to him and his excellent cross from the left comes through to Anelka whose header flies over the bar 31' Ribery's enterprising run finds Anelka who produces an asturte first0-time pass 'round the coirner' to Will Sagnol, but his right-wing cross is too high and drifts harmlessly wide of the far post 29' Benzema wins a free-kick which Malouda fires straight into the wall 28' Ribery shows some class on the right wing for France with a deft turn into space, but after his pass to a team-mate the move breaks down 27' Yellow Card Niculae D. 26' Daniel Niculae is booked for pointless handball under pressure from Gallas at his back 25' Penetrative run down the left by Malouda ends with his dangeepus centre is intercepted and cleared by Dorin Goian 22' Banel Nicolita should have done better as a cross comes into the box and William Gallas misses his header. Nicolita had already given it up and the ball goes out for a goalkick. 21' Razvan Cocis is victim of a horrible lunge by Makele but to his credit doesn't make a meal of it. The Chelsea midfielder was lucky not to pick up a card there 20' With Italy and the Netherlands to come, both these teams need to get off to a good start 18' Romania have been struggling tostring passes together when they do get possession fromthe French 16' A superb ball with the outside of his boot by Malelele for Maloud is just reached first by keeper Bogdan Lobont but breaks for Anelka whose cross from the left to re-find Malouda goes oput for a goal-kick, but it was the most incisive French attack so far 15' After the first quart of an hour, France have dominated possession, but Romania have not been over-troubled 15' Niculae tries a speculative shot from 30 yards out, and it flashes harmlessly wide 12' Gallas, under pressure from Niculae, getsaway with an unconvincing back header as he recovers to clear 9' Benzema lets fly from 25 yards but the shot soars high and wide 8' Mutu tries to weave a way through when Abidal's wayward clearance finds him, but Thuram block. France break and Anelka , in the inside right channel, breaks intothe area but shoots wide as he's cliosed down 6' Romania are getting men behind the ball in numbers to make it difficult for France to work openings 5' Nicolita fouls Abidal to concede a free-kick that Ribery takes, and it is only half-cleared, but France are forced back to therir own half, though keeping possession 2' Romania, all in yellow, and France,allin blue, are off to a rousing start fromthe crowd 1' The game gets underway - without Thierry Henry... 0 Good evening and welcome to the latest contest of Euro 2004, as Romania take on France in Zurich in the 'Group of Death', which alsop includes Italy and Holland who clash later today. France coach Raymond Domenech has sprung a few surprises by picking Eric Abidal ahead of Patrice Evra, a well as the Chelsea pair Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. Les Bleus also have experience - but possibly reduced pace - in defence with William Gallas and Lilian Thuram. Franck Ribery is fit thiugh, and Karim Benzema also gets a chance to justify the hype. Thuram could break the all-time appearance record at the European Championship, as his current tally stands at 14. He is now joint record holder with Zinedine Zidane, Karel Poborsky and Luis Figo. France: Gregory Coupet, Eric Abidal, William Gallas, Willy Sagnol, Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele, Franck Ribery, Jeremy Toulalan, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema. Romania: Bogdan Lonut Lobont, Cosmin Marius Contra, Dorin Goian, Razvan Rat, Gabriel Tamas, Mirel Matei Radoi, Cristian Chivu, Razvan Cocis, Adrian Mutu, Daniel Niculae, Banel Nicolita.

Euro 2008 Preview: Holland - Italy What: European Championships, Group C Who: Holland vs Italy When: Monday 9 June 2008, 20:45 CET Where: Stade de Suisse, Berne Referee: Peter Frojfeldt (SWE) The first of the big clashes in the ?Group of Death? sees World Champions Italy take on Holland at the Stade de Suisse in Berne. Twenty Years On Twenty years have now passed since Holland?s one and only major international trophy, when Rinus Michel?s outstanding side won Euro ?88 following a 2-0 final success over the USSR. In that team was current Dutch manager Marco Van Basten, who scored probably the best goal in European Championship history, with a stunning volley from Arnold Muhren?s raking pass. At Euro 2008 Van Basten, who has already announced that he will be leaving at the end of the competition to take over at Ajax, is hoping to become the first person in history to win the Euros both as a player and as a coach. However the former Milan striker knows he faces an extremely difficult task even to get through the group stages, having been drawn alongside Romania, France, and Monday?s opponents Italy. The relatively youthful and inexperienced Dutch struggled at times during their qualification, eventually finishing second in Group G, behind Romania. However their form in 2008 has been good, albeit not against the strongest of opposition. The Oranje have won four of their five matches this calendar year, drawing the other, and in their last warm-up test, defeated Wales 2-0. Italy Going For The Double World Champions Italy are attempting to repeat France?s feat from 2000, and hold both major international trophies at the same time. The Azzurri, now coached by Roberto Donadoni, would be the favourites for this competition had they not been handed such a tough draw, in which there is the possibility of them also playing Spain in the quarter-finals, and France or Holland again in the semis. For a while it seemed as if the Azzurri were not even going to make it to the Euros. Coach Roberto Donadoni, who replaced the legendary Marcello Lippi after the success in Germany, had a dreadful start to his reign, picking up just one point from his first two qualifiers. However Italy then went on an outstanding run, picking up 28 points out of a possible 30 to finish top of a tough qualifying group including Scotland, Ukraine and rivals France. Italy have largely impressed in their three friendlies this year, beating both Portugal and Belgium 3-1, and losing somewhat unfortunately 1-0 in Spain. Past Meetings Holland and Italy have only met twice in a major international tournament. The first was in the second group stages of the 1978 World Cup, when the Oranje came from behind to book their place in the final with a 2-1 win. Since then the Dutch have actually failed to beat Italy, losing six and drawing just two from eight games. One of these was the epic Euro 2000 semi-final in Holland. The hosts were strong favourites to win the match, and they were boosted after just 34 minutes when Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off. However some heroic defending from Dino Zoff?s men, not to mention two penalty misses from Frank De Boer and Patrick Kluivert ensured the game went to penalties, where Italy emerged victorious 3-1, with Francesco Toldo saving another two spot-kicks to crown a man-of-the-match display. The last time the two teams played was in a friendly in November 2005, with Italy winning 3-1 in Amsterdam thanks to goals from Alberto Gilardino, Mauro Camoranesi and Luca Toni, with Ryan Babel hitting the Dutch goal. Van Basten and Donadoni were part of the all-conquering Milan side of the late 1980s and early 90s, but it was the latter who had the upper hand in clashes between Holland and Italy. As a player Van Basten lost three and drew one of his four matches against the Azzurri, never once finding the net. FORM GUIDE Holland 01/06 (Friendly): Holland-Wales 2-0 29/05 (Friendly): Holland-Denmark 1-1 24/05 (Friendly): Holland-Ukraine 3-0 26/03 (Friendly): Austria-Holland 3-4 06/02 (Friendly): Croatia-Holland 0-3 Italy 29/05 (Friendly): Italy-Belgium 3-1 26/03 (Friendly): Spain-Italy 1-0 06/02 (Friendly played in Zurich): Italy-Portugal 3-1 21/11 (Euro 2008 Qualifier): Italy-Faroe Islands 3-1 17/11 (Euro 2008 Qualifier): Scotland-Italy 1-2 TEAM NEWS Holland Holland have been dealt a number of blows coming into the game, the biggest of all came on Saturday when Arjen Robben was ruled out after picking up a groin problem. He will probably be replaced by young PSV player Ibrahim Afellay. Clarence Seedorf had already long pulled out of the squad citing personal reasons, while Ryan Babel suffered an ankle ligament injury on the eve of the tournament and was replaced by Khalid Boulahrouz. Robin Van Persie is not fit enough to start, and will probably play no part in the game. Mario Melchiot faces a race against time due to a pelvic complaint, but Wesley Sneijder should play despite an injury scare in training. Italy The Azzurri have some problems in defence, having been robbed of the services of inspirational captain Fabio Cannavaro, who injured his ankle in training and has been replaced in the squad by Alessandro Gamberini. Christian Panucci had been a doubt for the game too due to a knee problem, however he should be available. Donadoni will probably employ a forward trident of Mauro Camoranesi, Luca Toni and the in-form Antonio Di Natale. PLAYERS TO WATCH Holland ? Edwin Van Der Sar Given Holland's defensive shortcomings, it is likely that Van der Sar will be called into action on more than one occasion, so the Manchester United man will be hoping for a more assured performance than he gave during normal time of the recent Champions League final against Chelsea. Italy ? Luca Toni Toni is the focal point of every Italy attack, and will have a lot to say if the Azzurri are to go all the way in Austria and Switzerland. The Bayern Munich bomber hit a stunning 39 goals in all competitions for his club, and will be the favourite with the bookmakers to score first in this game. The last time these two teams met in 2005, Toni bullied the Dutch defence all night, scoring in a 3-1 win. The 31-year-old will surely fancy his chances against what, on paper, looks like a rather shaky Oranje backline. PREDICTION With both sides hit by problems in defence, one thing that seems certain is that there will be chances and goals in this game. Italy are slow starters usually in tournaments, but nevertheless if their forwards are on form it will be difficult for a weak Dutch defence to cope with them. The absence of Robben is also a massive blow for the Dutch, as he is the one player whose pace could have really hurt the Cannavaro-less Azzurri.. Holland 1-3 Italy