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.