Ronaldo's 9th minute goal turned out to be the eventual winner for Real Madrid. Image retrieved from The Daily Mail UK MATCH RESULTS:
Real Madrid 3 : 0 Galatasaray Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid
Malaga 0 : 0 Dortmund La Rosaleda, Malaga
Ronaldo 9' --
Benzema 29'
Higuain 73'
-- --
The history of football is full of miracles - Mourinho
Fatih Terim's Galatasaray were completely overpowered by Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid at the Bernabeu yesterday evening, with three different goal-scorers for Los Blancos and none for the Turkish giants.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck early in the first-half, smartly collecting a Mesut Ozil pass and chipping the ball past Gala keeper Fernando Muslera into the back of the net. Twenty minutes later, it was Frenchman Karim Benzema who got a goal, collecting a cross from Michael Essien. Galatasaray, for their part, couldn't quite string a decent chance as all but two of their efforts in the first half were off-target.
Any chance of Fatih Terim's side getting something out of the game disappeared in the second half, when Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain pounced on a loose ball created by a Xabi Alonso free-kick to score the coup-de-grace.
Gonzalo Higuain's glancing header puts the ball past Fernando Muslera into the back of the net
But Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho refused to be carried away by their dominating finish. "If we score a goal [in the second leg] they have to score five, but in football I have seen so many incredible things that nothing can surprise me.
"They will do everything to do something historic and I know Fatih Terim will try. The history of football is full of miracles."
Turkish boss Fatih Terim admitted that his side were clearly outgunned. "We faced a massive team who are aiming to win the UEFA Champions League. You just have to congratulate them. The quality between the sides wasn't equal
"Real Madrid were the dominant side and I accept that."
The tie is absolutely open - Pellegrini
Despite their chances, Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund are held goalless at La Rosaleda yesterday evening thanks to Malaga's goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero.
Mario Gotze went one-on-one with the Argentine keeper three times, but the German forward just can't seem to get the ball past Caballero. Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski also had their chances to put Dortmund ahead, but the sturdy Malaga back-line, coupled with Caballero's brilliant saving capabilities made sure Jurgen Klopp's men had no goal to celebrate in Spain.
Malaga's goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero saves the ball from Dortmund's Lewandowski
Manuel Pellegrini's men had chances of their own. Once they shook off the rapid-fire pace of the defending Bundesliga champions in the first half, Malaga got to their groove and started putting pressure on the visitors. Julio Baptista, Jeremy Toulalan and Isco were all on target for the home side, but none managed to score.
"It was an open game and the tie is absolutely open," Malaga boss Pellegrini said. "It was a very good game from both teams, who each tried to get into the opposition box. The crowd were happy."
Klopp was also satisfied with his side's performance, saying, "We gave a good performance against a good team. We had the better chances and a 0-0 draw is a result we can live with."
The price we paid to achieve [the result] is high - Roura
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi had a moment of brilliance yesterday night at the Parc des Princes when, in the very last minute of the game, managed to slot in a crucial second goal past Barca keeper Victor Valdes to bring the scoreline 2-2 against Catalan giants Barcelona.
Lionel Messi struck early in the first half, who magnificently collected Dani Alves' cross to put the La Liga side in the lead. The enigmatic Argentine would unfortunately suffer from a knock that will see him get substituted before half-time.
Barca's Lionel Messi slots the ball in past PSG keeper Sirigu
PSG got their break on the 79th minute when striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic pounced on the loose ball created from Thiago Silva's header - a goal that was given even if replays show the Swede was offside. Twenty minutes later, the French side's keeper, Sirigu, commits to the ball going his way and causes Alexis Sanchez to fall inside the box. Xavi slotted in the penalty in what they thought was the winning goal of the night. But youngster Matuidi forced a draw in the end, making Valdes bend on his back just to save the ball, to no avail.
Barca assistant coach Jordi Roura said the result was not as good as his club would've liked, adding, "While the priced we have paid to achieve it is high."
PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti, for his part, admitted the results was not good for his side. And yet his was proud of his players, saying, "I'm proud of what my players produced. I'm proud of their bravery and of the good attitude they showed."
We took Pirlo out of the equation - Heyneckes
Bayern Munich forward David Alaba's rapird-fire goal in the 30th second of the first half followed by Muller's score in the second half crippled Antonio Conte's Juventus as the Italian club did not manage to put a dent on the scoresheet.
Munich boss Jupp Heyneckes was particularly delighted with the result, adding that it was the result of their good homework. "Our preparation was very good and you could clearly see our tactical plan. We attacked very early and so managed to take [Andrea] Pirlo out of the equation.
"Our aim was to put pressure on them early and take Pirlo out of the game, which worked really well," the German manager added.
Conte, for his part, admitted that despite having a good team, Bayern were simple the better side. "I have to be honest and admit that we simply faced a better side."
Manchester United: Van Persie (80'), Rooney (83' PG), Hernandez (90+2')
Lights on, lights off. From what seemed to be a solid Braga performance against visitors Manchester United after their player Alan scored a penalty and gave them the lead, the floodlights at the Municipal Stadium went out, with it came proverbial calm before the storm, as United's three forwards would strike in rapid-fire fashion to turn the tides.
United's frail defense was again subjected to scrutiny at the whistle. Braga's Alan, Ruben Micael and Eder were all business, as United defenders struggled to deflect their shots on goal. A chance for the home team really came in the 16th minute, with Micael's shot went just over the crossbar. Eder would soon get his shot on goal five minutes later, heading the ball towards De Gea. The Reds got chances of their own, with Nani trying to get the ball in with a header, only for Braga keeper Beto to collect it easily.
Second-half was a whirlwind compared to the first. Evans would knock Alan over inside the penalty box. The whistle is blown, and Alan took the penalty kick with authority, putting his side on the lead with 40 minutes to go. Seventeen minutes later, the floodlights at the Municipal Stadium would go out due to a power failure and this would see a silence in the pitch that would make the way for the tidal wave that is Manchester United's comeback.
The floodlights at the Estadio Municipal de Braga go out due to a power failure
After a suspenseful 12-minute wait, game is resumed. After a few plays of the ball, Sir Alex Ferguson knew he needed to use bigger guns if he wants to hit the target. He brings on Robin van Persie.
This "second-half" of the second half would prove to be the downfall for Sporting Braga. A miscalculation from keeper Beto would see RVP sink in the equalizer from the Reds. A few minutes later, Hernandez would put in a great effort on goal, with the keeper deflecting it out. Rooney moved towards the ball for the rebound but is fouled inside the penalty box. After a brainstorm, the official would point to the spot. Rooney gladly took the opportunity and put his side on the lead in the 83rd minute. Braga would retaliate, but to no avail. Hernandez would then drive the final nail in the coffin for the Portuguese side as he took advantage of confusion inside the box (including his own) to latch the ball into the net with his left food as he was level on the ground.
This win would put United as winners of Group H in the Champions League, helping Sir Alex forget the abysmal way they got kicked out of group stage last year.
The Red Devils have once again come from behind to win 2-1 against CFR Cluj. United seemed to have started a not-so-comfortable trend for their side, as their recent run of games saw them give the lead to their opponents early in the match. And yet, United managed to win a good majority of those games, thanks to their marquee signing, Robin Van Persie.
United lost the lead early on in the first half. Cluj winger Sougou was allowed an easy run by left-back Evra. The Cluj winger would then make an excellent pass to fellow player Kapetanos, who sinks in the opening goal for his side. A quarter of an hour later, Wayne Rooney would attempt to make a pass to Robin Van Persie. The ball bounces of the shoulder of the Netherlands international, straight into the back of the net for the fortunate (perhaps lucky) equalizer.
United, now having a grip on the game, asked a lot of questions in the beginning of the second half. Cluj sat deeper on their half of the pitch, and the Red Devils, through Van Persie once again, would get their eventual winning goal. Rooney makes a fabulous through ball towards Van Persie. Cluj keeper Felgueiras tried to race towards the ball but was outrunned by RVP, who stuck with his left boot to net his second goal.
Robin van Persie hits his brace as he collects Rooney's pass and powers in the winning goal past Cluj goalie Felgueiras
It was a rather nervy game for the Reds, whose patchy defense is proving dangerous. Evra is losing his touch, and his recent string of bad performances warrant him in losing his starting berth.
The Ferdinand-Evans partnership is still to take hold, and United fans can only hope that the duo find their form soon.
On the bright side, the Reds' forward line is capable of compensating. United's midfield tonight, in their 4-3-1-2 looked very fluid. Anderson and Cleverley did well, and Fletcher, too, who had just come back from a debilitating bowel condition.
And perhaps the highlight of United's starting XI tonight is the Rooney-RVP combo, bagging two goals and the victory. Thanks to a spectacular striker in RVP and a driven Rooney, United come home from Transylvania the victors and top of Champions League Group H. Things are looking bright for Sir Alex Ferguson and his team.
It was a nervy and lucky night for the Reds at Old Trafford as they faced Turkish giants Galatasaray, with Carrick's goal holding the lead for the English team. The win kick-starts United's Champions League campaign for this season.
Manchester United looked primed and ready for another dominating performance in the very first minutes of the game, with Carrick clinching in the goal as early as the seventh minute, as he made brilliant ball play with team-mate Shinji Kagawa.
After that, United lost its flair and was quick to go shift to defense mode as Galatasaray looked hungry in the counter-attack. The Reds still asked questions and knocked on the door of Galatasaray keeper Muslera's net, but the first-half certainly could've gone better.
United upped the ante in the first minutes of the second-half, with Nani and Evra doing wonderful exchanges in the Galatasaray half, but the Turkish grit and defensive strength proved solid. It was until Paul Scholes made a brilliant pass to Rafael, who was geared to make the goal but was fouled Burak Yilmaz inside the box. A penalty was called.
With the Southampton penalty fiasco fresh in United's memories, it was decided that Nani should take the penalty. The cushion lead that United needed was nowhere to be found when the Portuguese winger horribly failed to take the penalty shot and was easily saved.
Nani falters on his penalty shot, making way for an easy save for Galatasaray keeper Muslera
From that point, Galatasaray knew there was a great chance to at least share a point with the Reds. The Turkish team went into overdrive and made attack after attack. Questionable referee decisions, apart from United's sheer luck and periods of great defense, made sure the visitors didn't net any goals, giving United the win.
Looking at the game in hindsight, United looked once again to be setting the stage for a repeat of last year's CL campaign. Long periods of sloppy defense plus poor finishing at some points tinge doubt in the Reds ability to progress in the tournament.
Carrick was great for his team once again, as he did great hold of the ball and had stints of brilliant defending, apart from his winning goal.
Evra and Nani had good link-up, but their finishing was a bit poor.
Robin van Persie failed to make his mark in the European stage for his team. Perhaps he's still adjusting to his new club.
A special mention had to be said for Captain Nemanja Vidic, who was United's stalwart defender, neutralizing a lot of Galatasaray's chances.
In the end, it was the scoreline that mattered and United get the full three-points against Galatasaray, who could've easily equalized or won the game. Having said that, the Reds need to better their preparation and performance in their next meeting, for if Galatasaray proved formidable at Old Trafford, who knows what they could do on their own turf?
Euro 2012 trademark and other associated copyrights owned by UEFA.
After a full month of blood, sweat and tears; after all the drama, the excruciating near-goals and the fantastic saves, after the net has been battered many times, it all comes down to this - The Euro 2012 finals match between La Roja and the Azurri, Spain against Italy.
Image retrieved from deviantart.com. Digital art created by ~salm0.
Final match: Spain 4-0 Italy
The goal count should be enough manifestation that this was a one-sided game. Just 14 minutes in, David Silva heads in a beautiful goal from a brilliant Fabregas pass. Twenty minutes later, Jordi Alba, the superb Spanish Left-back (!), makes a brilliant run to make it 2-0 before half-time. Critics are bombing Spain of their lack of a striker and boring play... Do they really need a striker with this kind of play? And is this boring? No to both questions, I think.
Spain's Left-back Jordi Alba makes it 2-0 after a superb goal before half-time.
Video retrieved from youtube.com. Video uploaded by Mehran Ravanbod.
Second half and Italy was on the rally. Bouncing back was the ultimate goal. Put this to extra time, maybe? Or clinch three goals in 45 minutes? The race against the clock was on for the Azurri.
Unfortunately for the Italians, it was simply not their night. Italy had used its first sub on Chiellini in exchange for Balzaretti in the 21st minute (yeah, it was that early), followed by Cassano for Di Natale in the 46th and finally Montolivo for Motta in the 57th. Four minutes after that, Motta gets injured and is carried off the field, leaving Italy with 10 men over Spain's superb 11. There will be blood.
Torres was called in to replace Fabregas in the 75th minute. Nine minutes later, his goal would, without a doubt, sink Italy. And to add insult to injury (sorry 'bout the pun, Mr. Thiago Motta. It wasn't intended...), Chelsea's Juan Mata scores another goal for Spain, winning the match 4-0.
A bit of trickery from Torres draws Keeper Buffon out and helps Mata score for Spain 4-0.
Video retrieved from youtube.com. Video uploaded by Mehran Ravanbod.
With that, Spain silences its critics in breath-taking fashion. They were certainly not boring, not by a long shot. And they're lack of a striker is justified. The're style may have been blasted throughout the media in the recent days, but that brought them to their third consecutive trophy.
Congratulations to Spain for their well-deserved crown. Will there be 4th in a row? With what they just showed us, that is not unlikely.
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The semi-finals ended in dramatic fashion as they were both left undecided until the 11th hour. Favorites Germany and Spain had it tough against underdogs Portugal and Italy. Prior to the semi-finals, Manager Roberto Mancini predicted that it'd be Portugal and Italy to progress to the finals. He nearly had his prediction spot-on. Read further to find out how close he had it.
1. Portugal 0-0 Spain (2-4 on Penalties)
A couple of days earlier, we saw England and Italy engage in the first ever penalty shootout of the competition after a nerve-wrecking, exhaustive two hours. That feat was about to be repeated when Portugal faced Spain in the first semi-final match. Both sides urged to find a goal under normal and extra times, but couldn't get one.
When it was time for the penalty shootout, both missed their first penalties. Both clinched their second and third. It was a 2-2 situation. When the fourth came in, Ramos sank in a goal from the spot but Portugal's Bruno Alves didn't. It was an unlucky shot that bounced off the post. When Spain's Fabregas came in for their last try on the spot, he successfully converted his penalty, bring Spain the 4-2 win. Ronaldo was supposed to be the fifth one to be on the spot for Portugal, but his services were no longer needed.
With that, Spain progresses to the finals by a hair's width margin.
Fabregas shoots in the winning penalty kick for Spain as they progress to the finals.
Germany has impressed so far with its Euro 2012 run, reaching the semi-finals unbeaten from the qualifying rounds to the group stage until the quarter-finals. Then they face underdogs Italy, who almost got knocked out of the tournament with a nervous penalty shootout against England. Italy never knew they'd have another very similar test. Germany's play in the start-up was as solid as ever, until Balotelli pierces through the defense and sank two goals in a span of sixteen minutes. It was then all Germany who rallied to find two goals of their own. Many thought it was over for Loew's men until Mesut Ozil converts a penalty kick in the early minutes of injury time. There was still time. Neuer was the lone defender in the German half of the field with all of his teammates overloading in the attack trying to clinch a crucial equalizer in the final two or three minutes of the match. Sadly, they never found it.
So, after all that drama, it has finally come to this: the Euro 2012 final. It will be Italy against current world and European champions Spain. Italy has a steep mountain ahead of it. Will they be able to pull off another upset? Or will the Spanish earn their third title in a row?
Here's the finals match schedule, courtesy of Soccerway.com. (Images of national team logos retrieved from same.)
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After a singular, potentially £80 million goal, a German blitzkrieg against Olympus, a passing tango from the Spaniards and a Lion pack making all the wrong roars, the Euro 2012 quarter finals are over and now only four teams remain.
Once again, I'm here to give you the highlights of the passed match day, and I tell you, there are a lot of exhilarating action and drama on this one.
1. Czech Republic 0-1 Portugal
A single Ronaldo goal was all it took to sink the Czechs in the first quarter final match of the competition between Portugal and the Czech Republic. Both sides asked questions to no avail and seemed to be on an immovable deadlock until the second half when Moutinho gave a crucial pass to striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who finds the net with an emphatic header for the win.
Check out the video below for that smashing Ronaldo header.
Ronaldo beats keeper Pert Cech to sink in a wonderful header.
Video retrieved from youtube.com. Uploaded by 123KyleT.
2. Germany 4-2 Greece
Joachim Loew had a lot of surprising changes to his side coming in to battle against Greece. No Muller or Gomez was in the starting line-up, for starters, and young guns Schurrle and Marco Reus were to start. A lot of implications surrounded this match, including political and economic ones, a fact the German government did not hide when its chancellor Angela Merkel attended the match. Greece is blasting Germany for imposing on the former more austerity measures to combat their growing debt.
But Loew's side had no bailout talks in mind as he blitzed through the Greece side with four goals to two. A brilliant long goal from defender and captain Philipp Lahm just before half-time sent the German side into overdrive.
Greece thought they got back in the game when Samaras equalized in the 55th minute, but rapid-fire goals from Khedira, Klose and Reus negated that goal in dramatic fashion.
German captain Philipp Lahm fires in a wonder goal just before half-time.
Video retrieved from youtube.com. Uploaded by Euro ZweiTausendZwölf.
3. Spain 2-0 France
Vicente Del Bosque, Spain's head coach, has again opted to use the False Nine tactic against France. Fabregas was in front and center with Iniesta and David Silva beside him. Spain have been accused of playing a "boring" passing game by critics who clamored for the defending champions to show their prowess in goal count. Del Bosque would've none of that.
A goal by Xabi Alonso in the first half was the impetus for Spain, as well as for Alonso himself, who's celebrating his 100th match in the national team. A second goal by him from a penalty sealed Les Bleus fate.
4. England 0-0 Italy (2-4 on Penalties)
The Euro 2012 quarter finals certainly ended with a dramatic bang. A few days prior, a seemingly prophetic Lampard told his teammates to prepare for a penalty shootout against Italy. His statement must've been lost on his colleagues Ashley Young and Ashley Cole. Beside their names being the same, they also now have another thing in common: both of them missed in their shots at the penalty shootout against Italy.
It was all Italy during the normal and extra time but they couldn't budge the England defense. England had a few chances of their own but weren't able to capitalize.
In the end, the Three Lions couldn't pull off a death bite and leave the competition empty-handed as they lose through penalties again.
Italian goalkeeper Buffon saves the penalty shot from Ashley Cole.
And that sums up the quarter finals of Euro 2012. Now, only four remain for the semi-finals. Spain keep their dream alive of retaining the championship and being the first team to win it three in a row. Here are the semi-final fixtures courtesy, once again, of Soccerway.com.
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After all that action, the group stages of the Euros are finally over, and in just a couple of hours as I type in this blog, the UEFA 2012 European Football Championships enter the famous knockout stages. But before that, let me give you a hard-and-fast recap of the final day of the group stages.
Group A:
1. Denmark 1-0 Poland
The first hour of the game showed close saves and near-goals as the two sides were in a fierce, heated deadlock that got loose when Jiracek let one go an found the net just about 20 minutes before full-time. Poland went in the rush to find two goals for them to stay in the competition, but they were denied.
Co-hosts Poland leave the Euros disappointed, that's for sure. They simply didn't capitalize on their chances. They weren't able to connect their finishes.
2. Greece 1-0 Russia
This was a very weird match. Just before half-time, the Greek side's Karagounis somehow fired one into Malafeev's net, scoring the only goal in this match. It was a bit of a shocker since Malafeev seemed to have had it covered, but somehow the ball ricochet's past him and into the back of the net. To quote Coelho, the "Gods of Football" were watching Greece that night.
This shock loss astonishingly knocks Russia out. And considering they were pretty much on a roll in their past two matches... Football is a weird but fun sport, indeed.
Karagounis somehow beats keeper Malafeev to net the winning goal for Greece against Russia.
Video retrieved from youtube.com. Uploaded by t0nysFootballVideos.
Group B
1. Portugal 2-1 Netherlands
The Dutch were determined to win this one. After all, they needed the planets to line up this night. They needed a win plus they also needed Germany to beat Denmark for them to progress. They dreams seemed to have been half-met when van der Vaart finds the goal in the 11th minute. But then comes the previously misfiring Ronaldo, who nets ten minutes later. Ronaldo would pull the coup-de-grace trigger for the Dutch come the second half, when he finds the net again.
This means the Netherlands leave Group B without a single win. Miserable? Definitely.
2. Denmark 1-2 Germany
Denmark, like Netherlands, also needed a win tonight for them to progress. A 19-minute goal from Podolski made that seem less possible, until Bendtner made a crucial pass to his teammate Krohn-Dehli who successfully hit the back of the net for the equalizer. But then, lightning strikes twice, as they say. Just like their heart-breaking loss to Portugal after finding the equalizer, they suffer the same fate when German kid Lars Bender shoots a brilliant goal at the 80th minute.
Group C
1. Croatia 0-1 Spain
Before the match, UEFA's computers predicted a 2-2 draw between the two, to much anger from Ireland fans, since a draw here would kick them out the match. Both sides said the match-fixing allegation was nothing but that, a prediction. How true. Croatia tried to make sure they left this match with a win, to no avail. The deadlock was broken as late as the 88th minute, when Jesus Navas found the winning goal.
Croatia leaves Euro 2012 on a defeat, but a hard-fought defeat.
2. Italy 2-0 Ireland
Contrast to the Croatia-Spain bout, this one had no controversy. It was straightforward football, and the luck of the Irish was simply not to be found and Italian prowess reigned. A goal from Cassano in the 30th minute, and a fantastic finale goal from Balotelli at the 90th minute seals the Irish defeat.
Ballotelli pulls a cool volley to sink Ireland 2-0.
Image retrieved from 3news.co.nz
Group D
1. Sweden 2-0 France
Already knocked-out Sweden made sure they walked out of the Euros with fireworks. Goals from Captain Ibrahimovic and Larsson was enough for Sweden to walk into the sunset with a smile.
2. England 1-0 Ukraine
Rooney starts for England after a two-match ban has been imposed on him. And sure enough, he made sure Hodgson would know of his value when he netted the winning goal for his country, sending co-host country Ukraine out of the competition.
This was an important win for the Three Lions because they needed it to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Rooney heads the winning goal for England.
Image retrieved from nationalturk.com
And with that, the group stages are finished and we enter the quarter-finals! Here's the list of fixtures for that one, courtesy of Soccerway.com.
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The drama and action brought by the first match day of the 2012 European Championships was thrilling and all, but it certainly pales in comparison to the heat match day 2 brought. As the teams slowly learn of their fates in their respective groups, game play, determination and will all multiply exponentially as they race for those essential points.
We saw a few teams get their Euro 2012 journey end cruelly on this match day, and we see those who have one feet already stepping towards the final knockout stages of the tournament. To have a quick look at the group standings, click here. Standings courtesy of Soccerway.com.
Here is a review as well as some of my thoughts on the games in match day 2.
Group A:
1. Greece 1-2 Czech Republic
The Czechs are out for redemption in this game following their big 4-1 loss against Russia in match day 1. Two rapid-fire goals in the first six minutes of the match, provided by Jiracek and Pilar in the 3rd and 6th minute, respectively, was enough to get the victory against Greece. The Greeks did manage to find the net in minute 53 thanks to Gekas, but they weren't able to find the equalizer.
With just one point in their standing so far, Greece is definitely one foot out of the Euro 2012 door.
2. Poland 1-1 Russia
Co-host Poland once again fails to clinch a victory in their second groups stage match, this time against Russia. Russian hero Dzagoev finds the net once again at the 37th minute, thanks to the assistance of Arshavin. Midfielder Blaszczycowski equalized for Poland in the 2nd half, but that's pretty much it.
Poland find themselves lacking points to progress through to the next round, and their next match against Czech Republic would prove highly crucial.
Russian keeper Malafeev unable to thwart the curler from Polish captain Blaszczycowski.
This dramatic 2-3 scoreline is just one of two drama-filled thriller matches for this match day. Portugal pretty much had the game in their hands as the finished half-time with a 2-1 lead. It was about to be a Portugal win when Bendtner finds the net for the second time at the 80th minute. Then, in an eleventh-hour rally, Portugal takes back the lead seven minutes later with a brilliant, brilliant goal from Varela. Match ends 3-2 with Portugal earning a deserved, decisive victory.
2. Netherlands 1-2 Germany
The misfiring dilemma of the Dutch continues as they lose to a very much on-form Germany. It was pretty much the Mario Gomez show in the first half as he scores two goals. Van Persie was pretty much hitting nowhere until the 73rd minute, but that was simply not enough to beat the Germans.
The Dutch have not a single point on their name in their group, and its pretty much the curtain call for them. They need to win their last group match against Portugal, win it with a lot of goals, and have Germany win their match against Denmark if the Dutch want to progress to knockout stages.
Group C
1. Italy 1-1 Croatia
Italy continues its International Football drought as it once again fails to get a win, this time against Croatia. Pirlo scored beautifully in the first half, but the Italians were unable to retain their lead as Croatia's on-form goalscorer Mandzukic nets an equalizer.
Italy needs to win their last match against Ireland if they want to keep their Euro 2012 hopes alive.
2. Spain 4-0 Ireland
The world and European champions Spain show what they are all about by thumping Ireland in dominating fashion, scoring four fantastic goals. Previously misfiring Torres finally got his form back as he scored a brace in this one. Irish goalkeeper Given simply didn't stand a chance against the brutal and highly accurate Spanish attack force.
This loss ends Ireland's run in the Euros, and they must win their last match against Italy to get at least third place and some points for themselves, lest they go home empty-handed, in the most numerical and mathematical of sense.
Torres scoring the opening goal for Spain in the 4th minute.
Ukraine was unable to repeat their magical win against Sweden last time as they lost 2-0 against a French side desperate for a win. Two rapid-fire goals at the second half, both assisted by Karim Benzema, was enough to sink Ukraine and get a win for his side.
This loss puts Ukraine in third place at their group, and they would need a win against England in the final Group match to progress or its game over.
2. Sweden 2-3 England
This match is the second of the 2-3 edge-of-your-seat games for this match day. A 23rd-minute hail-worthy header from Carroll puts England in the lead, putting the Three Lions in the driving seat until half-time. Second half came a weird twist as a scrappy Sweden free kick put confusion on the pitch. There's some dispute over whether it was a goal from Swedish defender Mellberg or an own goal from Johnson. Nevertheless, Sweden takes one back. Mellberg definitely puts his name on the score sheet ten minutes later, putting Sweden in the lead. English coach Roy Hodgson puts on Walcott, which changes the game dramatically. The Sub scores the equalizer for England, and finally, Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck hits the back of the net for the win.
This dramatic Sweden loss puts them out of the tournament, but they have fought valiantly.
Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck sinks the winning goal for his country.
Two match days gone, one crucial day to go for the group stages of the 2012 European football championships. The action will just get higher as teams battle it out the win their groups and progress to the knockout stages of the competition. I tell you, this final match day is something you shouldn't miss!
Euro 2012 trademark and other associated copyrights owned by UEFA.
The 2012 European Championships are one week in and things are certainly heating up. Expectations are being shattered one by one and the underdogs are showing the big guys what they're capable of.
Here's a recap on the first week and first match day of the group stages.
Group A
1. Poland 1-1 Greece
Co-host country Poland opened the competition in a match against Greece. Many expected Poland to sweep Greece off the field on this one but in the end, it wasn't meant to be. Despite being dealt an early blow through a 17th minute clinical goal by Lewandowski, as well as being reduced to ten men by half-time, Greece, with a stroke of luck, managed to take a point with a goal from Salpingidis in the 51st minute.
2. Russia 4-1 Czech Republic
Russia was a slight favorite coming in this match, but that certainly didn't prelude a dominating win. Russia shattered the Czech defense and found the net four times, with man of the match Dzagoev shooting a brace. Cech's form coming in to this match was nothing more than paper weight, resulting to a string of memes popping in the internet mocking him. Here's one example:
Image retrieved from 9gag.com
Group B
1. Netherlands 0-1 Denmark
Bets were certainly overflowing for a Dutch win on this game. Sadly, a lot of people also lost a lot of money after this game was declared over. Despite Dutch coach van Marwijk's move to bring in the full attacking armada of his squad - he brought in Robben, Kuyt, Van Persie, Huntelaar, van der Vaart, Sneijder and Afellay - he was still denied victory over the Danes with a single goal from Krohn-Delhi at the 24th minute of the first half. No amount of rally could give the Dutch the equalizer as they failed to pull a finish on their runs.
2. Germany 1-0 Portugal
Drama was a theme of the game on this fixture as both sides were on a deadlock for most of the game until fortune dealt the Germans an ace when Mario Gomez netted a fabulous header at the 72nd minute. Portugal rose up to the challenge and rallied the best they can, but even with Ronaldo's prowess, Portugal couldn't find an equalizer.
Group C 1. Spain 1-1 Italy
Spanish coach Del Bosque decided to do an experiment for this match against Italy being lining not a single striker. Iniesta, Fabregas and David Silva were his front three. Goals were absent until the 60th minute when Italy's Di Natale scored a brilliant goal. At this point, the experiment seemed to be a failure for Del Bosque until Fabregas replied for the defending champions with a cracking goal of his own three minutes later.
2. Croatia 3-1 Ireland
With 30,000 supporters in the stands, Ireland was poised to pull an upset win. A morale-shattering third minute goal from Mandzukic set the challenge for them. They did reply with a set-piece equalizer from St. Ledger. From then on, Given was tested again and again. Ultimately he did fail, with goals from Jelavic and another from Mandzukic coming in. The luck of the Irish just wasn't there.
Croatia's renown creative midfielder Luka Modric
Image retrieved from Soccerway.com
Group D
1. England 1-1 France
With star striker Rooney out due to a suspension, fellow Manchester United striker Welbeck filled in for him. But this match was all Manchester City it seems, when Joleon Lescott netted a header from a corner to bring England the lead. Minutes later, Samir Nasri, also from City, would score for France an equalizer. France made their rally but Joe Hart made sure none was to come.
2. Ukraine 2-1 Sweden
Many pundits have declared that this match was going to be another "Ibra show", with star scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic in front and center of the Swedish attack force. It took a while for that show to begin, but it did start with Ibrahimovic finding the goal in the 52nd minute. Three minutes later, the show would be ended by veteran Andriy Shevchenko. Then the show was cancelled and put out of contract when Shevchenko finds the goal yet again just six minutes later. Sweden never recovered.
With many of the favorites drawing or losing points, the group stages of the Euros is far from over. The fates of many teams would be hanging until the last match day of the stage. Would be interesting to see how those teams, like Netherlands and Sweden, fight back.
Morgan Freeman's character Alex Cross in the movie Along Came A Spider once said, "It's just day one." But for this Euro 2012, the heat feels like the finals already.
