Arshavin stars as Russia oust Sweden

Guus Hiddink's gamble of taking the previously suspended Andrei Arshavin to UEFA EURO 2008™ paid off in spectacular fashion with the forward putting in a fine performance as Russia downed Sweden 2-0 to set up a Basel quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday.

Back in style
The FC Zenit St. Petersburg player was a constant menace to a Sweden side requiring only a draw to stay above their opponents on goal difference, scoring Russia's second goal and striking the post in the second half. If Arshavin showed what Russia had been missing in their first two games, his team-mates displayed class of their own when a fine move resulted in Roman Pavlyuchenko's breakthrough strike after 24 minutes in Innsbruck.

Guessing game over
With much of the talk in the build-up to the Group D decider centring around Arshavin and Zlatan Ibrahimović, the news that both were starting came as something of a surprise. Hiddink had hinted that Arshavin was not match-fit while the condition of Ibrahimović's knee meant the target man was a doubt until the last minute. The Russia coach was at least true to his promise that his side would chase victory from the off. Arshavin's pass into the middle of the Sweden area saw Igor Semshov and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov collide with the goal at their mercy, although Lars Lagerbäck's men threatened in return soon after. Anders Svensson's cross found Ibrahimović, only for the No10's downward header to be collected by Igor Akinfeev with Henrik Larsson lurking.

Fine opener
Arshavin and Bilyaletdinov missed chances as the quarter-hour approached before the former sent in a cross-shot that goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson tipped over. From Konstantin Zyryanov's corner, Yuri Zhirkov's thunderous shot zipped just wide. Then Russia's moment arrived. Arshavin released Zyryanov down the right and the midfielder in turn found Aleksandr Anyukov's run inside the box. The right-back rolled a pass to Pavlyuchenko and the tall striker calmly finished for his second goal of the finals. Sweden almost levelled moments later but Larsson's clever header from a Mikael Nilsson cross bounced back off the bar. At the other end, Pavlyuchenko's next effort struck an upright after another slick interchange involving Arshavin and Bilyaletdinov.

Lead doubled
Five minutes after the break and Russia had their second goal. Makeshift left-back Zhirkov found himself racing away from the Sweden defence before he crossed for the returning hero – on the run, Arshavin had no problem directing the ball past Isaksson's right hand. Sweden were visibly rocked and although their players began to react in the final third of the pitch, the best they could manage was an Olof Mellberg header that flew harmlessly over Akinfeev's crossbar. It was turning into the Andrei Arshavin show and after the little maestro was booked for upending substitute Kim Källström, he was almost through on goal again but was finally outmuscled by Fredrik Stoor.

Spurned chances
With the contest entering its closing stages, Russia should have enhanced their advantage as their enterprising attacking play produced several late chances. Zyryanov went close when his deflected attempt came back off the post before Pavlyuchenko spurned two great opportunities – first heading straight into the grateful hands of Isaksson, then mis-hitting a shot with only the goalkeeper to beat. No matter: the 2-0 scoreline was enough for them to overhaul Sweden by three points and finish second behind Spain.

Greece Euro Campaign Ends On A Sad Note

First international goals for Rubén de la Red and Daniel Güiza earned a second-string Spain team a 2-1 comeback victory as Greece's hopes of ending their UEFA European Championship title defence on a high were spoiled at the last.

Comeback
RCD Mallorca's Güiza rose unmarked with two minutes remaining to head in Sergio García's cross and complete an impressive second-half revival by Spain, who had fallen behind to Angelos Charisteas's header just before the break. However, after a tepid first half, Spain began the second with renewed vigour – Xabi Alonso hitting the post before Real Madrid CF's De la Red made it 1-1 on 61 minutes, rifling in after Güiza had nodded the ball into his path. The same pair almost added gloss to this third successive win for Spain, while Charisteas grazed the outside of the post at the other end, but it was Güiza who had the last word.

Nikopolidis nerves
With the fate of the two sides bookending Group D already decided, and given the belated arrival of the Austrian summer, an end-of-term feel prevailed early on in Salzburg. For Greece's captain for the day, goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, it was exactly that, with the 37-year-old having announced his international retirement in the wake of his error against Russia that sealed the holders' elimination. But while he may have been forgiven a few pre-match nerves at the Stadion Salzburg Wals-Siezenheim, these were quickly eased. The cheers of the Greece supporters behind his goal had barely died down when Nikopolidis was presented with a comfortable save, collecting Güiza's dinked cross after the forward failed to realise how much time Andrés Iniesta's expertly disguised pass had given him.

Alonso special
It was a false dawn in terms of attacking spectacle. Stung by the premature end to their campaign, Greece were circumspect at first despite the wide threat of recalled pair Giorgos Karagounis and Dimitris Salpingidis. Spain had the better of the possession, even if García and Cesc Fàbregas in particular did not make the most of it. Alonso offered a more serious threat midway through the opening period when he almost caused Nikopolidis embarrassment after spotting that he had been drawn off his goalline. The Liverpool FC midfielder nearly added another to his collection of goals from his own half, but with Nikopolidis scrambling, his attempt dropped just the wrong side of the upright.

Charisteas strike
If Spain were not exactly peppering Nikopolidis's goal, however, it was still more than Greece were mustering. Yet Otto Rehhagel's UEFA EURO 2004™ winners in Portugal were hardly renowned for their attacking play either – instead neutralising opponents and making their few chances pay, often from dead-ball situations. They found exactly that route to goal three minutes before half-time, with Karagounis's free-kick finding Charisteas all alone and the No9 burying his header into the top-left corner.

Turnaround
Goaded into action, Luis Aragonés's team were almost level soon after half-time as space opened up for Alonso to rifle an unstoppable effort that Nikopolidis was grateful to see come back off his post. It was a brief let-off for the Blue and Whites, and just after the hour De la Red restored parity with a fulsome finish. Both sides had opportunities to add to the scoring but the stage was set for Güiza, who ensured Spain would go into Sunday's quarter-final against Italy in Vienna on the back of a 100 per cent record in Group D. For Greece, it is home time.

Italy continues to dominate france

World champions Italy qualified for the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals in impressive fashion on Tuesday as they defeated France 2-0 at the Letzigrund Stadion and Romania lost by the same scoreline to the Netherlands.

Pirlo penalty
Romania had begun the evening second in Group C and would have progressed regardless of events in Zurich had they beaten the already-qualified Dutch. But their reverse opened the door to the Azzurri who clinically grabbed the opportunity, inflicting another painful defeat on France and condemning the FIFA World Cup finalists to last place in the section. The game's turning point arrived in the 24th minute when, after fouling Luca Toni, Eric Abidal was sent off and Andrea Pirlo converted the resulting penalty. Daniele De Rossi's second-half strike added gloss to a wonderful evening for Italy, dampened only by the yellow cards for Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso which mean they will miss the quarter-final against Spain on 22 June in Vienna.

Ribéry injury
France almost handed Italy an ideal start when Toni pounced on Abidal's slip, only to shoot narrowly wide. Having started slowly in each of their first two matches, Les Bleus were keen to seize an early grip and Franck Ribéry twice fired efforts wide before, to the dismay of the France fans, the winger injured his left leg in the tenth minute and was carried off. Samir Nasri was sent on, yet France's focus appeared to waver and Claude Makelele immediately needed to clear a Christian Panucci header off the line.

Red card
Italy looked menacing every time they broke and after Simone Perrotta had narrowly failed to collect Pirlo's pass, France finally cracked. Abidal fouled Toni as he bore down on goal, prompting the referee to point to the spot and brandish a red card. Pirlo made no mistake, expertly dispatching the ball into the top left-hand corner. The double blow left France reeling and despite defender Jean-Alain Boumsong replacing the unfortunate Nasri, the two-time champions were in disarray. Toni might have scored three in as many minutes before the half-hour, but after skilfully back-heeling Antonio Cassano's cross fractionally past the post, the FC Bayern München forward twice missed the target with only Grégory Coupet to beat.

Gross free-kick
Thierry Henry had a chance to raise French spirits in the 34th minute but after racing on to Jérémy Toulalan's slick pass, the FC Barcelona forward directed a cross-shot past the post. With the strikers struggling to find their range, Fabio Grosso looked to show them the way just before half-time, curling a brilliant free-kick towards the bottom corner only for his Olympique Lyonnais team-mate Coupet to push it on to the post.

Almighty roar
Despite playing with ten men, France began the second period in the ascendancy, with Karim Benzema volleying over before Henry had two shots comfortably saved by Gianluigi Buffon. News that the Netherlands had opened the scoring against Romania prompted an almighty roar from the Azzurri faithful and the celebrating continued when De Rossi scored on 62 minutes. The AS Roma midfielder's 30-metre free-kick took a cruel deflection off Henry, wrong-footing Coupet and effectively ending the French challenge. Although Benzema subsequently saw his swerving shot brilliantly tipped wide by Buffon in the 74th minute, there was no way back for France, who finished with just one point after losing back-to-back matches for the first time in 15 years.

Dutch on a roll

Second-half goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie ended Romania's hopes of a quarter-final place in Berne as the Netherlands rounded off an impressive Group C campaign with a third successive victory.

Netherlands on top
Romania knew three points would ensure they joined their opponents in the last eight, but Victor Piţurcă's side were always on the back foot and Huntelaar, having passed up one presentable opening in the first half, clinically guided in Ibrahim Afellay's teasing right-wing cross nine minutes into the second. The win was sealed for a largely second-string Oranje team with three minutes left as Van Persie drove in his second goal in as many games.

New-look lineup
With progress already assured following victories against Italy and France, Marco van Basten named a much-changed lineup with only Khalid Boulahrouz and Orlando Engelaar retaining their places. That was little relief for Romania, however, given that the reshuffle brought Arjen Robben, Van Persie and Huntelaar into the XI, and the Netherlands started the match showing their usual command of possession, Romania having to hector and hassle for every touch. Nonetheless, the best the Dutch had to offer in the early exchanges was an Engelaar shot from distance which Cristian Chivu bravely charged down. If the key to tackling Van Basten's side was to deny them space, it seemed Romania had found it with everyone chipping in to cut the Oranje supply lines.

Near misses
The Netherlands were not held entirely in check, as Van Persie headed wide from an Engelaar cross. Romania then threatened for the first time, Adrian Mutu collecting a throw-in and twisting and turning to work space only to pull his shot across the face of goal. Next, Boulahrouz got behind the Tricolorii back line on the right, cutting the ball back for Huntelaar, but the AFC Ajax striker lifted his effort over. Robben was soon guilty of a more glaring miss, running on to a Huntelaar flick only to nudge his attempt wide of Bogdan Lobonţ's right-hand post. Paul Codrea may have been equally disappointed to have missed the target after Răzvan Raţ's teasing pass from the left wrong-footed the Dutch defence as half-time approached.

Huntelaar strike
The Group C winners took up where they had left off after the interval and might have broken through within four minutes of the restart when a long ball found Van Persie with only Gabriel Tamaş for company. But while the Arsenal FC attacker spun his marker, Lobonţ turned his low shot round the post brilliantly. The goalkeeper had no chance five minutes later, however, Afellay's ball from the right finding its way through a crowded penalty area for Huntelaar to guide in expertly.

Late clincher
With news filtering through that Italy had taken a 2-0 lead against France, Romania's situation now looked desperate. Still unable to master possession, they continually found themselves on the defensive but while flying interceptions and timely challenges kept Piţurcă's men in contention, it was goals that were needed. Mutu set up substitute Florentin Petre for an overhead kick that looped over but for all their efforts, Romania were not to conjure up a second Miracle of Berne at the stadium that hosted West Germany's 1954 FIFA World Cup triumph, Van Persie underlining the class divide with the fiercely-struck second goal. The Netherlands will play either Sweden or Russia in the last eight in Basel on Saturday, while Romania finish in third position.

Euro 2008 standings

STANDINGS

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D

Group A

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Portugal	3	2	6
Turkey	3	0	6
Czech Republic	3	-2	3
Switzerland	3	0	3

Group B

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Croatia	3	3	9
Germany	3	2	6
Austria	3	-2	1
Poland	3	-3	1

Group C

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Netherlands	2	6	6
Romania	2	0	2
Italy	2	-3	1
France	2	-3	1

Group D

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Spain	2	4	6
Sweden	2	1	3
Russia	2	-2	3
Greece	2	-3	0

Croatia Storms Into Quarter-Finals

Croatia rested a host of players yet still proved too strong for Poland as they won 1-0 in Klagenfurt to finish on maximum points in Group B and confirm their opponents' early exit.

Klasnić winner
Ivan Klasnić scored the winner early in the second half at the Wörthersee Stadion to end another defiant show from goalkeeper Artur Boruc and further boost Croatia's confidence before they tackle Turkey in the quarter-finals on Friday. Poland's slim qualifying hopes rested on at least a two-goal victory here and a win for Austria over Germany, and neither came off as Michael Ballack struck the only goal in Vienna.

Duo retained
Poland needed goals so it was something of a surprise that Leo Beenhakker chose to omit Euzebiusz Smolarek, whose marksmanship played a big part in securing qualification to UEFA EURO 2008™ as group winners ahead of Portugal. The coach also left out defender Jacek Bąk who had been hoping to make his 97th appearance. As expected, Slaven Bilić made wholesale changes to the Croatia team with only two players retained from the starting XI who had conjured the famous victory over Germany.

Knežević injury
One of those was left-back Danijel Pranjić and when he made an early forward raid it left a gap which Poland were quick to exploit. Marek Saganowski headed on for Wojciech Łobodziński whose cross brought goalkeeper Vedran Runje out to clear, injuring Dario Knežević in the process. Although the right-back played on after treatment, he was eventually forced off in the 27th minute. By that stage Croatia were taking a firm grip on proceedings and only the brilliance of Boruc kept the score at 0-0. Mladen Petrić played Klasnić in but out came the Poland No1 to make another of those blocks that so frustrated Austria four days ago. From a difficult angle, Ivan Rakitić then found Boruc in the way as he attempted to clip the ball across into the area.

Klasnić goal
After a promising start in which Dariusz Dudka got up well to meet a corner only to place his header wide, Poland were largely on the back foot. On the stroke of half-time Boruc came to the rescue again after Klasnić had skilfully worked an opening. In the 53rd minute Klasnić at last got the better of him. The architect was Pranjić and when he picked out the striker in the penalty area, Klasnić stylishly whipped the ball back across Boruc and into the far corner. Despite the introduction of Smolarek, things remained relatively easy for Croatia's defence with Dario Šimić, winning his 99th cap, also looking to attack from right-back when the opportunity presented itself.

Poland chances
A smart turn from Roger Guerreiro almost brought Poland back into the contest but he was narrowly wide of the mark. It was a rare moment of hope for the massed ranks of their supporters seated behind the Croatia goal, though another arrived soon after when Marcin Wasilewski's header forced Runje to stretch. Bilić could afford to give Nikola Kalinić his first run-out at the tournament and only his second cap late on, although Poland did threaten parity when Smolarek fired just wide and substitute Tomasz Zahorski saw a great opening closed by the diving Runje.

Ballack Takes Germany To Quarter-Finals

Germany captain Michael Ballack booked his side's place in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals with a thunderous free-kick, ending the hopes of Austria despite a valiant effort from the co-hosts in Vienna.

Clinical strike
To overtake their opponents and claim the runners-up spot in Group B, Austria needed to beat their neighbours – something they had not achieved since defeating West Germany in 1986. The home team enjoyed long periods of possession but, as in their February friendly loss in this stadium against the same opposition, were made to pay for a lack of a cutting edge up front – Ballack settling the contest in the 49th minute with a characteristically clinical set-piece. Coach Joachim Löw, who was sent to the stands with his Austria counterpart Josef Hickersberger just before half-time, can look forward to a quarter-final against Group A winners Portugal in Basel on Thursday.

Remarkable miss
Hickersberger made three changes to the side that snatched a last-gasp draw with Poland on Thursday, surprisingly giving 21-year-old Erwin Hoffer his second senior start in place of Roland Linz up front. If that was designed to improve the co-hosts' potency, it initially backfired as Germany enjoyed the better of the early exchanges and, but for a remarkable Mario Gómez miss, the home crowd would have been silenced by the fifth minute. Miroslav Klose was the architect of the move, tricking his way down the right and delivering a low cross that bypassed goalkeeper Jürgen Macho, only for Gómez to mistime his shot at the unguarded net, allowing György Garics to head his looping effort off the line.

Austria advance
Gómez then drew a regulation save from Macho with a low angled drive, before Hoffer began to provide evidence of the poaching skills that made him such a prolific scorer in his country's youth teams, narrowly failing to control an Andreas Ivanschitz cross which would have left him clear. Austria nevertheless took heart from that opening and enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure, Jens Lehmann diving to his right to touch behind René Aufhauser's low shot, although Macho had to do likewise to keep out a Lukas Podolski attempt from distance.

Ballack breakthrough
With so much at stake, it was little surprise that tensions were running high on and off the field, and following a heated exchange on the touchline Hickersberger and Löw were dismissed. It was the latter whose side seemed less affected by their coach's absence, however, and within four minutes of the restart Germany were ahead. Ivanschitz pulled down Philipp Lahm as the left-back drove forward and Ballack exploited the resulting free-kick to the full, driving an unstoppable shot high into the net from 25 metres.

Positive omen
Lahm and Podolski both missed the target while Macho saved from Per Mertesacker and Klose as Germany sought to increase their advantage. Nonetheless, Austria never lost heart and Hoffer flashed a shot just wide of Lehmann's goal. Germany have now won their last five games against these opponents and at the final whistle celebrated reaching the last eight for the first time since 1996 – when they went on to lift the trophy. Meanwhile, for the first time no host nation will be represented in the knockout rounds.

Turkey Magic Ends Czechs Euro Dreams

Two late Nihat Kahveci strikes booked ten-man Turkey a place in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2008™ in an exhilarating climax to their Group A match against Czech Republic in Geneva.

Gripping finale
Jan Koller gave the Czechs a 34th-minute advantage with a thumping header before Jaroslav Plašil turned in Libor Sionko's cross to double the lead two minutes past the hour. Turkey gave themselves a fighting chance thanks to Arda Turan's low effort before Nihat capitalised on a Petr Čech mistake to level three minutes from time. With a penalty shoot-out looming, Nihat galloped clear to send Turkey through with a spectacular finish, although there was still time for goalkeeper Volkan Demirel to be sent off for shoving Koller. Tuncay Şanlı took the gloves as Fatih Terim's men set up a quarter-final against Croatia.

Koller in
The two teams kicked off with identical records and a draw would have necessitated a penalty shoot-out to decide who took second place behind Portugal – an outcome both coaches were anxious to avoid. Karel Brückner opted to start with Koller up front, and his height ensured the Czechs had the better of the opening period, with Tomáš Ujfaluši launching long passes forward for him to knock down to Libor Sonko and Plašil. Such direct tactics nearly paid dividends as Sionko headed Marek Jankulovski's free-kick wide.

Tuncay shot
Koller was causing havoc every time the Czech Republic pushed forward, steering one header narrowly over before finding Marek Matějovský for an attempt that was well dealt with by Volkan. Turkey were struggling to get into the game but finally registered their first effort on goal when a Tuncay strike fizzed wide of Čech's upright, although it was the Czechs who continued to look the more likely to make the crucial breakthrough.

Perfect delivery
That opening goal eventually arrived in the 34th minute from a predictable source as Zdeněk Grygera escaped down the right to deliver a perfect cross for Koller to nod his 55th international goal beyond the despairing dive of Volkan and give his side a richly-deserved lead. If their first-half travails were not worrying enough for Turkey, they also had the knowledge that the Czechs had never lost a competitive match in which Koller had scored.

Czechs in control
That statistic seemed ever more relevant in the 62nd minute when Plašil met another fine centre, this time from Sionko, with a sliding first-time volley that Volkan could not keep out. Despite the increased deficit there had been hope for Turkey, with Nihat and Tuncay both going close after the restart as Terim's team finally began to find their feet on a slippery surface. In the countries' previous meeting, Turkey had scored twice in the closing two minutes to earn a draw but such a scenario appeared a long way off as the Czechs threatened again as Jan Polák rattled the upright.

Nihat impact
Suddenly, however, Turkey revived as Hamit Altıntop cut in from the right for a cross that found Arda – the hero against Switzerland – at the far post to halve the deficit. The Czechs still looked like holding on, until an uncharacteristic error from Čech shattered their chances. The No1 dropped another Altıntop centre at the feet of Nihat, who duly prodded in. Two minutes later Altıntop's pass sent Nihat through and the Turkey captain clipped the ball in off the underside of the crossbar under extreme pressure to take his side through. They will play Group B winners Croatia in Vienna on Friday, when Mehmet Aurélio will be suspended along with Volkan.

Yakin goals send hosts out on a high

Co-hosts Switzerland brought the curtain down on their UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign with a stirring performance at St. Jakob Park, signing off with a victory thanks to two second-half goals from Hakan Yakin.

Pride restored
Though it was not enough to take them off the bottom of Group A, the win restored pride in a side who had been left with little else to play for after opening the tournament with successive defeats. Yakin struck on 71 minutes then again from the penalty spot with seven minutes left. Prior to that, a second-string Portugal team – featuring only three starters from their previous victory – had made enough chances to win the game, although they should be back at full strength when they return here for Thursday's quarter-final.

Popular choice
Köbi Kuhn was overseeing his last match in charge of Switzerland and he recalled the ever-popular 37-year-old goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler for his first taste of UEFA EURO 2008™ while midfielder Johan Vonlanthen replaced Tranquillo Barnetta. Though there was nothing at stake in the group, Switzerland fans were determined to give Kuhn and his side a rousing send-off and they were in full voice early on. Portugal, though, were giving more reason to cheer. Luiz Felipe Scolari's reserves were playing for their places and Ricardo Quaresma showed his credentials on seven minutes with a delightful pass flicked from behind his standing leg which Hélder Postiga headed wide. Ten minutes later Nani caught the eye, firing a low free-kick into the box to Pepe whose touch was spectacularly tipped on to the bar by Zuberbühler.

Give and take
It was not all one-way traffic, however. On 19 minutes, goalkeeper Ricardo pushed a Gökhan Inler effort over before blocking Valon Behrami's shot with his legs. In an entertaining encounter, chances were coming thick and fast, and just before the half-hour Ricardo was again pressed into action to palm away Yakin's header. With the latter stages of the competition in mind, Scolari brought on Jorge Ribeiro – brother of Maniche, a star of the 2004 finals – for Paulo Ferreira in the 41st minute as the Chelsea FC full-back had been booked.

Woodwork
The start of the second half brought more missed opportunities. Postiga headed over, Nani hit the post when clean through, and Zuberbühler saved from Quaresma. Quite what Eusébio, watching on from the stands, made of such profligacy did not bear thinking about. Portugal were almost made to pay when substitute Barnetta snapped a shot at goal from close range on the hour – Pepe coming to the rescue with a brilliant block. Four minutes later Vonlanthen had the cow bells ringing again with a rasping drive that clipped the post.

Breakthrough
The breakthrough finally came on 71 minutes when Eren Derdiyok's deft touch slipped Yakin in behind the Portugal defence and the 31-year-old rifled the ball beyond Ricardo. Yakin made sure of the points after 83 minutes with a powerfully struck penalty after Fernando Meira had impeded Barnetta's run in the box. That left St. Jakob Park buzzing, yet it is the Portuguese who live to fight another day.

Greece out of the euro cup

Russia's young stars had been urged to "learn fast" by their coach Guus Hiddink and they came of age in Salzburg as Konstantin Zyryanov's solitary goal earned them a 1-0 win against Greece, thus ending Otto Rehhagel's team's reign as kings of Europe. After both sides had lost their opening matches in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group D, the stakes were high at the Stadion Wals-Siezenheim, but Russia emerged victorious to knock defending champions Greece out of the tournament.

Nikopolidis error
The only goal will haunt Greece goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis long into the night as he inexplicably chased a cross by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov that had already cleared his posts by five or six metres all the way to the touchline, and he was made to pay the full price for his 33rd-minute excursion. The Olympiacos CFP keeper was beaten to the ball by Russia captain Sergei Semak, who hooked it back over his head and Zyryanov was on hand to guide it ever so simply into an unguarded net.

Constant threat
Roman Pavlyuchenko, who recovered from a groin injury to start the match, was a constant threat to Greece and he created the first real opening in the 14th minute with a curling shot from the corner of the penalty area and Nikopolidis had to be at full stretch to tip it over the bar. From the resulting corner, Yuri Zhirkov flashed a shot a metre wide and Russia appeared the stronger of the two teams in the opening exchanges. The closest Greece came to Russia's goal in the first half came in the 20th minute when Angelos Charisteas just failed to connect with a free-kick cross from his captain, Angelos Basinas. Midfielder Igor Semshov cleared the danger in highly irregular fashion, the ball bouncing up off his boot and into his face before passing harmlessly wide.

David villa fantastic form continues

David Villa struck two minutes into stoppage time as Spain defeated a stubborn Sweden 2-1 at the Stadion Tivoli Neu in Innsbruck to guarantee their presence in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals as Group D winners.

Spain through
The game had looked like ending in a draw after Zlatan Ibrahimović's second goal in as many games had wiped out Fernando Torres's 15th-minute opener on a chilly evening in the Austrian Alps. Yet Villa, the scorer of a hat-trick in the opening triumph against Russia, had other ideas as he raced on to Joan Capdevila's pass and dispatched it low into the net. Russia's later 1-0 win against Greece confirmed Spain's progress and completed a clean sweep of groups clinched with a game to spare after the efforts of Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands. To earn a quarter-final against the Dutch, Sweden must now get at least a point against Russia here on Wednesday.

No surprise
Spain coach Luis Aragonés surprised no one by selecting the same XI that had started the Russia game, but there were only hints of the devastating fluidity of that 4-1 win as Sweden hustled and harried effectively. Ibrahimović could even have given Lars Lagerbäck's side the lead inside the opening minute only for the FC Internazionale Milano striker's normally assured touch to escape him when well placed inside the box.

Netherlands Dream Run Countinues

The Netherlands secured their place in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals with a game to spare after producing another devastating display against France in Berne, with Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder all scoring in a memorable win.

Clinical counterattacks
Twenty years after his goals led the Netherlands to the European title, Marco van Basten's 2008 crop underlined their case as serious contenders by building on their defeat of Italy to tie up first place in Group C. There may have been less of the flamboyance they had shown in beating the Azzurri – the Dutch riding their luck at times after Kuyt's early breakthrough – but the speed of their counterattacking play was again in rich evidence, never more so than in the second goal scored by Van Persie after a lightning surge by Robben. Even when Thierry Henry halved the deficit, Robben immediately restored the two-goal cushion to leave France, punished further by Sneijder, bottom of the section with a solitary point – and with everything to do against Italy on Tuesday, when the Netherlands play second-placed Romania.

Early setback
France, under pressure to perform following their opening stalemate against Romania, came out with Henry installed as leader of the line in place of Nicolas Anelka and Sidney Govou drafted in on the right, allowing Franck Ribéry to play as second striker. "Time to step up a gear" declared the front page of the morning's L'Equipe newspaper yet within nine minutes they were behind, Kuyt striking from the game's first corner. Rafael van der Vaart swung the ball in and the Liverpool FC forward got in front of Florent Malouda to nod past Grégory Coupet.

France threat
Kuyt then nearly profited from Lilian Thuram's misdirected header but, at full stretch, steered over. Les Bleus gradually found their stride, however, with Govou stepping past Joris Mathijsen and sending in a low drive that Edwin van der Sar saved with his legs. The volume of the France supporters began to rise as Florent Malouda, Govou and then the busy Ribéry all tested Van der Sar and Domenech's team picked up where they had left off on the restart as Henry pounced on a deflected centre by Patrice Evra – starting instead of Eric Abidal – and shot goalwards only to be denied by André Ooijer's block.

Substitutes combine
The FC Barcelona striker had an even better chance soon after but put too much weight on his lob after Malouda's acrobatic chip had sent him clear. How he was left to rue that miss when the Netherlands' two substitutes combined for the second goal after 59 minutes. Ruud van Nistelrooy sent Robben speeding down the left and his cross was volleyed in by Van Persie off the hand of Coupet.

Spectacular fourth
The excellent Van der Sar palmed away Ribéry's shot as France sought a lifeline and it came when Willy Sagnol provided the low ball for Henry to reduce the shortfall with a neat flick after 71 minutes. Yet hopes of a comeback lasted less than a minute. The tannoy music had barely stopped playing when Robben concluded a three-man move by blasting the ball between Coupet and his near post. Things only got worse for France, for whom this defeat was the worst in UEFA European Championship finals history, as Sneijder rounded off a stunning win in suitably spectacular fashion – driving in a fourth off the underside of the bar in added time.

Buffon Keeps Italy Afloat

Romania coach Victor Piţurcă declared himself "satisfied" with Friday's 1-1 draw against Italy at the Letzigrund Stadion, although he felt the Azzurri were "lucky" to escape with a point after Adrian Mutu's late penalty was saved by Gianluigi Buffon. His Italian counterpart, Roberto Donadoni, said his team had the better of the Group C game and apologised to the 'tifosi' "because we did not get the three points we deserved".

Victor Piţurcă, Romania coach
We didn't win but this is a good result for Romania. We have played the champions and the runners-up of the last [FIFA] World Cup and we still have a chance. If we play as well in our next match [against the Netherlands] we can qualify. It was a fair result, and though we should have scored our penalty, we can be satisfied with 1-1. Of course you could say Italy were lucky. When you have a penalty against you and the player doesn't score, that is a lucky thing for Italy. I wasn't surprised we made so many chances – Italy are not at their best and I counted on this.

The fact Mutu missed a penalty is part of the game, it is nothing new. I am more upset by the way they were able to score against us than by the penalty miss. Penalties have been missed, are missed, and always will be missed. I told Mutu to focus and concentrate and hit the ball very hard but maybe he was influenced by the fact Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world. He didn't miss – it was Buffon who made a great save. We did have our moments and passed the ball around well. We had some bad moments too, as far as our defence was concerned, but it was a more spectacular game today because both teams needed a win.

Roberto Donadoni, Italy coach
We played well, we were determined and I am pleased with the performance. We pushed forward but we also suffered at times because Romania are a team to be reckoned with. They don't concede much space as you saw against France. We were hurt [after losing 3-0 to the Netherlands] and sorry for hurting so many Italian fans. We are sorry tonight as well because we did not get the three points I think we deserved. In terms of chances and general play, we were better than Romania. Their defence is very good so my congratulations to Romania, but I think we had more openings. Just because [Alessandro] Del Piero and [Luca] Toni were top scorers in their leagues you can't expect them to score all the time. I'm not worried about it either. They haven't scored so far but this happens.

I didn't see any bad defending from us. [Gianluca] Zambrotta's [misplaced header which led to Mutu's opening goal] was more of a mishap, an accident. In fact, Zambrotta deserves a word of praise. He did well in all areas of the pitch and linked up well in attack. I liked Toni's performance very much – he gave everything. He fought and he also created for others. Alex [Del Piero] sacrificed his attacking instincts to make passes for his team-mates. He had to ask for a painkiller because he was having a few problems which is why I replaced him, he seemed tired. The next game will be very important and we will use this adrenalin to prepare for France. The players are disappointed because they did not get their rewards, but the disappointment is short-lived. It only lasts overnight because tomorrow we focus on the next game.

Austria Draws With A Late Penalty By Josef Hickersberger

After requiring a 93rd-minute penalty to scrape a draw with Poland, Josef Hickersberger is banking on improved finishing from his forwards when Austria tackle neighbours Germany in their decisive Group B fixture.

Nail-biting night
The brilliance of Poland No1 Artur Boruc and the profligacy of the Austrian forwards contributed to a nail-biting night at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, where Vastic drove in a stoppage-time spot-kick to earn the co-hosts their first-ever point in a UEFA European Championship. They will need three more on Monday to stand a chance of qualifying, and Hickersberger remains undaunted. "With the support of the fans to inspire us, it won't be a hopeless case against Germany," said the 60-year-old. "The team put in a fantastic performance in the first half but we just didn't take our chances to score."

No advantage
Hickersberger played both in the Bundesliga – for Kickers Offenbach 1901 and Fortuna Düsseldorf – and in Austria's only competitive victory against their rivals, a 1978 FIFA World Cup tie which put paid to West Germany's chances of advancing in Argentina. Although he would love to repeat that that feat on home soil, the veteran trainer refused to see any portents in history. "That's far too long ago and doesn't have any bearing on what's going on here," he said. "Any player who thinks that we have any kind of advantage over Germany going into this game needs to get it out of his head over the next few days."

A Dream Victory For Croatia

Croatia defender Josip Šimunić paid tribute to his team's hunger and dedication after their 2-1 victory against Germany in Klagenfurt helped them seal first place in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group B.

'Outstanding game'
Darijo Srna slid in the opener for Slaven Bilić's men after 24 minutes and, instead of being forced back as they were against Austria at the weekend, they added a second through Ivica Olić after Ivan Rakitić's deflected cross had come back off a post. Lukas Podolski then made things interesting again with eleven minutes to go, but Croatia comfortably held on. "We didn't have the best of games against Austria and we wanted to show that we can play a lot better," Šimunić told euro2008.com. "We played an outstanding game and every player on the field gave his heart. We deserved to win. In every duel, our players showed we wanted the ball and we showed initiative going forward. We defended very well and every player did his job all over the park."

Blossoming partnership
One feature of the match was the virtually faultless display by Šimunić and Robert Kovač in the centre of Croatia's rearguard. Šimunić has only recently cemented his place in the middle after being mostly used as a left-back by his country, but he was immaculate at the Wörthersee Stadion, heading away ball after ball that looked destined for Miroslav Klose. "I've actually got a headache," the Hertha BSC Berlin man joked. "Myself and Robert have a good partnership. We actually had a lot of people criticising us before the tournament, but I think that in the last two games we, and the rest of the team, have shown what we can do. We had a big blow before the tournament, losing Eduardo da Silva, and people were writing us off, but we're still showing we can come up with good results."

'Zagreb is on fire'
The 30-year-old was also quick to praise Croatia's fans, who provided raucous backing in Klagenfurt and have been swept up in the tournament back home. "I think this will mean a lot [to them]," he said. "A few of my friends have sent me messages saying Zagreb is on fire. They're celebrating and they have every reason to do so. Our fans are outstanding." The players themselves are not getting carried away yet, however. "It's a nice feeling but we still haven't achieved anything," added Šimunić. "Our goal before the tournament was to reach the quarter-finals and we're playing one game at a time. But we're enjoying it – we're having fun."

Euro 2008 standings

STANDINGS

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D

Group A

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Portugal	2	4	6
Czech Republic	2	-1	3
Turkey	2	-1	3
Switzerland	2	-2	0

Group B

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Germany	1	2	3
Croatia	1	1	3
Austria	1	-1	0
Poland	1	-2	0

Group C

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Netherlands	1	3	3
France	1	0	1
Romania	1	0	1
Italy	1	-3	0

Group D

Teams	Pld	+/-	Pts
Spain	1	3	3
Sweden	1	2	3
Greece	1	-2	0
Russia	1	-3	0

Kuhn: The party will go on

Switzerland coach Köbi Kuhn has vowed "the party will go on" despite the co-hosts' early exit from UEFA EURO 2008™.

Early exit
An injury-time goal in Basel last night gave Turkey a 2-1 win against Switzerland that means Kuhn's side will definitely finish bottom of Group A regardless of Sunday's result against Portugal at St. Jakob-Park. But the coach, who will step down to be replaced by Ottmar Hitzfeld after the tournament, has said the different nationalities represented in Switzerland will ensure that the atmosphere will not deflate and the home fans will overcome their disappointment.

'Life goes on'
"The party will go on, no doubt about it," Kuhn said. "Switzerland is a multicultural country, there are enough Germans, Portuguese, French, Italians living here. It will remain a wonderful party and I'm sure the Swiss will not hold back and celebrate as best they can. And they deserve to celebrate. I am very disappointed but life goes on."

Group A decider could go to penalties

If Turkey and the Czech Republic draw their final Group A match in Geneva on Sunday, second place and a quarter-final berth will be decided on penalties.

Shoot-out chance
The Czech Republic lost 3-1 to Portugal on Wednesday evening and then Turkey beat Switzerland 2-1 – both after added-time goals. That leaves the Czech Republic and Turkey level on points, goal difference and goals scored, and according to Article 7.08 in the official 2008 UEFA European Championship regulations, in that instance, if the two equal teams are playing in the last game, their match is decided by spot-kicks after 90 minutes should it finish level.

Regulations
Article 7.08 reads: "If two teams which have the same number of points, the same number of goals scored and conceded play their last group match against each other and are still equal at the end of that match, the ranking of the two teams in question will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark, provided no other teams within the group have the same number of points on completion of all group matches." The full regulations can be read by clicking here. Whoever finishes second in Group A will play the winners of Group B in Vienna on 20 June. Portugal, as Group A winners, face the Group B runners-up in Basel the night before.

Precedent
The situation has arisen before in a UEFA final tournament. In the 2002/03 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship in Germany, Italy and Sweden went into their last group game exactly level. A last-gasp Italy goal made the score 3-3, and Sweden won the shoot-out 4-1, though they were to lose to Norway on penalties in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, while Turkey have never been in a major penalty shoot-out, the Czech Republic beat France 6-5 to reach the 1996 UEFA European Championship semi-finals and Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany 5-3 in the 1976 final and France 9-8 in the 1980 third-place match, giving the nation a major tourmament record of three wins out of three with all 20 attempts converted.

Experience
Meanwhile, both likely goalkeepers on Sunday have recent experience of major penalty shoot-outs. Turkey's Volkan Demirel saved three spot-kicks as Fenerbahçe SK defeated Sevilla FC 3-2 on penalties in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in February. Fenerbahçe then lost to Chelsea FC, who reached the final only to be beaten 6-5 in a penalty competition by Manchester United FC in Moscow, Petr Čech saving from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sweden Humilates Greece

The lacklustre nature of their loss to Sweden may have been a bitter pill to swallow for Greece, but with Giorgos Samaras insisting that there is "no point crying over spilled milk", the holders' UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign appears far from over.

No spark
The grim looks on Greek faces said it all. It was not so much starting their UEFA European Championship defence with a 2-0 loss to Sweden that was difficult to swallow, but the manner of defeat. Ninety minutes had brought only five shots by the holders, their circumspect performance meaning that as soon as Zlatan Ibrahimović gave the Swedes the lead with a sumptuous strike, a way back never looked on the cards. "Our passing game lacked spark and creativity," admitted centre-back Traianos Dellas. "Sweden played behind the midfield and it was difficult for us to move forward. It became increasingly obvious that the team that scored first would claim all three points. An outstanding goal by Ibrahimović gave the Swedes the edge. That's football."

Waiting game
That strike also drew admiring glances from Giorgos Samaras, who added: "He was off our radars for one second and he delivered. It was an outstanding goal. For a player like him, all it takes is one moment." Petter Hansson soon sealed Greece's fate at the Stadion Salzburg Wals-Siezenheim, though for Nikos Liberopoulos, watching from his vantage point on the substitutes' bench, it was at the back where Sweden were superior. "Watching from the sidelines, it was obvious that we feared the Swedes and they feared us," he said. "They are a very well organised team and had done their homework extremely well. They were patient, waiting for us to take the initiative and Greece are not used to playing like that. We still have two matches to go and we can still turn this situation around."

'Nothing is over'
That optimism was echoed throughout the Otto Rehhagel's camp, and the towering Dellas has been around for long enough to know there is still time for the holders to turn it around. "Nothing is over yet," the 32-year-old insisted. "We will explore our options, and we have to change some things. It's not my place to point out what must be changed – we have a coach who makes the decisions – but we need to remain calm, relax for a couple of days and be stronger against the Russians." Samaras was even more to the point, insisting that there is "no use crying over spilt milk". He added: "The only thing left for us now is to collect ourselves and plan for the two remaining encounters. It was an off day, a bad day at the office. Hopefully we will do better against the Russians."

David Villa Hatrick Ruins Russia

A scintillating hat-trick from David Villa gave Spain a clear-cut 4-1 victory over Russia in their first outing at UEFA EURO 2008™ and confirmed the immense power of the Valencia CF striker's partnership with Fernando Torres.

Thrilling match
In a high-quality Group D encounter, Russia provided moments to indicate that Luis Aragonés's side may still be vulnerable at the back and gained consolation with Roman Pavlyuchenko's 86th-minute header. But Villa's second goal in particular was a stunning team move which may already be one of the goals of the tournament. Only the seventh player in finals history to score three in a game, the 26-year-old's treble was the first in a EURO since Patrick Kluivert's against Yugoslavia eight years ago. Villa then utterly stamped his class on the match, crossing for Xavi Hernández to volley and substitute Cesc Fàbregas to head in the fourth in stoppage time.

Unerring finish
Torres has always asked for a quick supply of the ball at international level and in the 20th minute he got it. Courtesy of a Joan Capdevila interception and a notable right-footed pass from the left-back, the Liverpool FC forward was left one on one with his marker. Torres used good upper body strength to put Denis Kolodin under immense pressure and when the Spaniard skipped clear he allowed goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev to try and dive at his feet before slipping the ball to the right, into the path of Villa who finished unerringly. Such was the drama of the contest that within seconds Russia nearly equalised. Their love of overlapping full-back play had already caused havoc in the jumpy Spain back line, but instead of Aleksandr Anyukov this time it was Dmitri Sychev whose right-wing cross drifted, agonisingly, across Carles Puyol, Marcos Senna and even Andrés Iniesta before Konstantin Zyryanov cracked the ball off the post.

Second goal
Instead of daunting Spain, it seemed as if the players in red took their luck as an indication that this was their night. Within six minutes of Villa's first goal, he and Torres had created three outstanding opportunities – two of which needed smart blocks by Akinfeev. Russia, for their part, were fighting like terriers to impose themselves, repeatedly catching Iniesta in possession, and Pavlyuchenko even hit the bar with a left-footed shot though referee Konrad Plautz had already called a foul. Villa closed a sparkling 45 minutes with Spain's second, however, following a brilliant move. Zyryanov attempted an ambitious pass across the Spain box and David Silva ran to retrieve it, sparking a lightning-quick passing movement through Silva, Capdevila and Iniesta which left Villa sprinting into the box where he slipped the ball between Akinfeev's legs.

End to end
The introduction of Vladimir Bystrov for Sychev made an impact as Russia sought a way back. Guus Hiddink's men pushed forward relentlessly and Bystrov's header from Zyryanov's cross in the 51st minute brought Iker Casillas into action before Diniyar Bilyaletdinov shot narrowly wide eight minutes later. However, Spain were irrepressible. Fàbregas came on for Torres as Aragonés chose to rest his striker and give the Arsenal FC man a taste of the action. Villa almost had his hat-trick in the 66th minute but was prevented by a superb Anyukov tackle, yet the forward did not have to wait much longer. With 15 minutes left, he turned Roman Shirokov inside out and finished expertly with his right foot. It was just that Russia's commitment to attack eventually won some reward in the final minutes. Zyryanov, culpable for the second goal but Hiddink's best player, took a corner which Shirokov nodded on and Pavlyuchenko headed in at the back post. Even then Villa had the last word, though, creating Spain's fourth and Fàbregas's first for his country.