He did it again!

Just as he did two years ago in the World Cup, Bastian Schweinsteiger had a hand in all of Germany's 3 goals against Portugal.

Their 3-2 victory last night knocked out one of the pre-tournament favourites who failed to perform to the lofty standards we have come to expect of them. Scweinsteiger's Man-of-the-Match performance atoned for his immature sending off against Croatia and it's hard to wonder why he wasn't a starter for German at the beginning of the tournament. He certainly seems a better all round player than Clemens Fritz, the player who he came in for. Perhaps Joachim Löw went for a more attacking approach to the game and it paid off handsomely. Germany's first goal was a thing of beauty, interchanging passes and weaving a delicate pattern through the left flank before Schweinsteiger finished Lukas Podolski's cross. Pure brilliance. Portugal stunned. The two freekicks from which Germany scored showed an unbelievable lack of man marking by the Portuguese, although Michael Ballack's goal should have been ruled out for a blatant push on Paulo Ferreira. However, the ref missed it and the goal stood. When questioned in a BBC post match interview, Ballack even had the cheek to answer that in a game there are always pushes and that it was difficult to say. Come on you used both your hands to conveniently usher Ferreira's body away from the ball! Then again Germany did deserve their win and will now be confident of beating the winners of the Croatia vs Turkey semifinal.

Portugal simply did not deliver. Luiz Felipe Scolari will not have been pleased by the way his team lost their sense of direction. They may have scored two goals but those were only scant consolation in a game where they were second best. Even Scolari admitted that he had failed. It doesn't augur well for Chelsea fans, a manager admitting he has failed the team with his selection. Although his truthfulness may deserve some applause, it's not heartening to know that a manager cannot find a single reason to justify his selection. Their style of play was easy on the eye but lacked an end product that really mattered. Nuno Gomes' goal came about only because Jens Lehmann couldn't hold onto Cristiano Ronaldo's shot from a tight angle. Luck. He should have squared the ball. And to think he had matured after watching his assist against the Czechs. Perhaps not.

Ronaldo had a poor night by his standards and reinforces many people's beliefs that he cannot consistently perform on he big stage. He may have played well in the Champions League final but that was only one standout occasion. I know I've said you can't keep a player as good as him down but the question is how long will it be before he delivers a superlative individual performance in a game of paramount importance? In other words, he wasn't good enough last night when it really mattered. Nani outshone him when he was sent on, combining the right amount of trickery and passing and created their second goal for Helder Postiga. For all the talk of Ronaldo being completely focused on Portugal at Euro 2008, you can't help but wonder whether his mind was really on his football 100%. If you read this (it's a good read, you get his answer in two days right now!) you may start to agree with me. All this talk of him announcing his intentions in two days is utter rubbish. He wants to leave the greatest club in the world (figuratively and subjectively) for Real Madrid. Actually I'm not going to recommend you read the interview, I insist that you do. He speaks of his dream which will be announced soon. If his dream was to stay at Man Utd he would've announced it earlier. He wants to go to Spain, end story. Man Utd should now focus on getting as much money as possible and a couple of decent players in exchange. I'd say £60m and Wesley Sneijder at the very least. Shame Madrid don't have a decent out and out striker. I doubt Ruud van Nistelrooy would want to go back to Man Utd either. Sneijder's stock has risen during Euro 08 and would fit in perfectly on the right of Man Utd's midfield. Get working on it Sir Alex!

From Russia, with love

Last night belonged to one man. Andrei Arshavin. I know I talked about Russia being potentially eliminated from the tournament before he became eligible to play. And I know I said Zlatan Ibrahimovic was much better. Last night, I was proved wrong in spectacular fashion, although Ibrahimovic was not fully fit.

Russia's 2-0 victory over Sweden was easily their best performance of Euro 2008 and their best to watch, Arshavin being a focal point in Russia's best moves. He was involved in the buildup to Roman Pavlyuchenko's goal and he also finished off a sweeping counterattacking move to put the Russians ahead by two. His passing led to numerous goalscoring opportunities and was a key factor in Russia's win. Guus Hiddink's tactic of deploying him just behind Pavlyuchenko paid off handsomely and we were treated to a masterful performance by Russia. It goes to show how highly he is rated in his homeland, Hiddink selecting him in the knowledge that Russia may be out of the tournament by the time he completed his two game suspension. His gamble was fully justified last night and Arshavin showed the world why Hiddink labelled him one of the most intelligent players he has coached.

The support cast also proved to be able performers, notably Konstantin Zyryanov, Aleksandr Anyukov and Yuri Zhirkov in particular. Zyryanov passed the ball neatly in midfield and was involved in many of their best passing moves. Zhirkov provided pace and penetration down the left wing, Anyukov on the right and they were both rewarded with an assist each. Their attacking style has drawn comparison with the Dutch and judging by this performance, a repeat in their quarterfinal could possibly be the best game of the tournament. Their second goal was the perfect indication of how far Russia had come, moving the ball effortlessly within the Swedish half of the field, culminating in a goal for Arshavin. Another point to note was how Hiddink allowed his fullbacks, Zhirkov and Anyukov, so much attacking freedom. They were key to Russia's attacks but this could prove to be their undoing when playing against the Dutch. Their counterattacks have dismantled France and Italy and they could easily do the same to the Russian. Everything points to a mouthwatering encounter when these two teams meet in the quarterfinals and I hope it will not disappoint.

Sweden on the other hand were very disappointing. They were far too careless with the ball and did not offer much going forward. Freddie Ljungberg was their main attacking threat, with Ibrahimovic struggling to make his mark on the game. Henrik Larsson's best effort was a glancing header that hit the upright but that was about as close as Sweden got to a goal. Lars Lagerbäck summed up Sweden's game perfectly saying, "Today they were better than us. We were too passive." Russia completely dominated the game and played Sweden off the park. No ifs and buts. There was only ever one team in it and the lack of fight put up by the aging Swedes surely signalled the end of an era for many of them. Surely now they must rebuild the team around younger players like Kim Källström, Johan Elmander and Ibrahimovic. Too many of the squad were at the wrong end of 30 and it is now time to pass on the torch.

I did not watch Spain vs Greece and still have not seen the highlights as of yet. I only saw Angelos Charisteas' goal. Spain must be pleased to have come back against a Greek team with a strong work ethic, but undeniably lacking quality. Spain made ten changes to the team that started the first two games and came away with another late victory. Rubén de la Red and Daniel Güiza scored their first international goals and this will certainly please Luis Aragonés, knowing that he has ample firepower on his bench should his main strikers fail to perform. Spain will play Italy in the quarterfinals, and I expect them to find their way past them. Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are suspended and ths may tip the balance in Spain's favour. Italy have more experience but I think Spain's firepower may prove to be too much to handle.

Attacking football has been a staple at Euro 2008, giving hope that international football is not all about tactical organisation and defensive duties. Tonight's game features Portugal against Germany, hardly what you would call a game likely to be cagey. I hope it won't be and I believe the players starting the game will prove me right. As long as Cristiano Ronaldo does not fail to perform on the big stage again, we should be in for a treat. And if Joachim Löw starts with Mario Gómez again, it may prove to be a very costly decision. His backing of Gómez is well documented but it's hard to imagine he will start him again. He may yet justify his selection but his first three games have only added to the weight on his shoulders. Kevin Kuranyi has yet to play any telling part in Germany's campaign so far and Löw may be reluctant to throw him into the deep end. Whatever the tactical choices to be made, tonight's game is not to be missed and will hopefully deliver on its promise.

Joy for Italy, despair for France and Romania

Italy celebrated last night while Romania and France were left to contemplate what might have been.

The conclusion to Group C proved to be something of an anti-climax for the Romanians, who had approached the game with such hope and expectation. Facing a second string Dutch side, they lost 2-0. The sad truth is that it was always a step too far. Playing like crap in your decisive game doesn’t help either. Romania seemed far too cagey in a game they realistically had to win. Chances were few and far between and the few that came their way were wasted, the most notable being a shot blazed over the bar by Paul Codrea from Răzvan Raţ’s pull back. Romania were hardworking and passed the ball neatly at times but they lacked a hero, someone who could conjure up a moment of magic. Unfortunately, their talisman, Adrian Mutu had a rather poor game and did not appear to be the inspirational figure Romania wanted. His reluctance to pass to his teammates and his dribbles against one man too many resulted in the ball being lost on several occasions. He went close with a long range effort after a beautiful dummy but, for the most part, his touch and decision making let him and his team down. It says a lot when your most dangerous player struggles to trouble the opposition. Even the captain, Christian Chivu, looked lost at times and his poor first half freekick summed up the match for Romania - knowing what they had to do, but not doing it. You never got the feeling Romania were going to score. They also struggled to control possession of the ball, a key factor as to why so few chances of note were created. But looking back, it has been a good tournament for Romania. Holding both World Cup finalists to draws is no mean feat. However, Mutu will be left to contemplate what might have been for a very long time. Surely thoughts of his costly penalty miss will come back to haunt him endlessly, especially now with the knowledge that it would have put his country through to the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, the Dutch did not blow us away with their attacking football but there were plenty of positives to be taken. Their retention of the ball was crucial to neutralising Romania and their passing had a very healthy completion rate, most notably the two holding midfielders, Demy de Zeeuw and Orlando Engelaar. They created more chances than the Romanians and took their goals well. Klaas Jan-Huntelaar's goal will have given Marco van Basten a healthy headache but he is still likely to play second fiddle to Ruud van Nistelrooy. Robin van Persie's goal demonstrated again what a fine left foot he has and Arjen Robben's first start for the Dutch in the tournament will be a welcome boost to them. He may not have been on fire but his return to fitness will please van Basten. All in all, it was a professional performance from the Dutch and van Basten can eagerly look forward to a quarterfinal with Sweden or Russia, where his team, no doubt will be favourite to win.

The French were miserable last night in their 2-0 loss to Italy. An injury to Franck Ribery and a sending off for Eric Abidal did little for their cause. As well as their uninspiring play, Raymond Domenech must shoulder a lot of the blame. His tactics were inept and subsitutions baffling at best. Replacing Ribery with Samir Nasri seemed straightforward enough, but him hauling Nasri off to be replaced by Jean-Alain Boumsong was perplexing. France needed to chase the game and were already playing with Claude Makelele and Jeremy Toulalan, both defensive midfielders. Why would you rob the team of your last creative source when you need two goals? It's plain stupid. And bringing Boumsong on when there are other options available on the bench was also another puzzling choice. Why Boumsong? Why not Willy Sagnol? Surely he could have shifted his defense around to accomodate the fullback. Perhaps the most damning indicator of Domenech's focus is his midfield selection. Of the 7 official midfielders he selected for the tournament, 4 were defensive midfielders. Not a great stat to show off to a country with a huge array of attacking talent. And yet another puzzling substitution, bringing on Nicolas Anelka for Sidney Govou. Surely he should have picked Bafetimbi Gomis rather than a striker out of form and low on confidence. And to top off a night in which he made a complete fool of himself, he proposed to his girlfriend after the loss. He needs to work on his timing. It needs to be a whole lot better. Why would she say yes to a man most of France hates right now? Then again maybe he's found someone as eccentric as himself.

Italy were good, but only good enough to beat a team as incompetent as the French. They will certainly need to buck up in the quarterfinals where they will meet Spain. Luca Toni was a nuisancee to the French defense and he did everything bar scoring a goal. His best effort was a cheeky flick with his heel, the ball agonisingly flying past the post. Again he proved what a great target man he is and his strike partner, Antonio Cassano linked up with him quite well, feeding the ball to Toni no less than 5 times during the game. Daniele De Rossi's long range freekick only compounded France's misery and Italy cruised to a comfortable victory. Not much to say on the game as I only caught bits and pieces and Italy's average performance was good enough to see off the French. However, they will be without the Milan pair of Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso for the quarterfinal, meaning likely returns for Massimo Ambrosini and Mauro Camoranesi. It could prove to be two costly suspensions for the Azzurri. Only time will tell. Spain may yet press the self destruct button once again.

Ballack's rocket

Well the title says it all. Then again there wasn't much else of note in the Germany vs Austria match. Apart from the rocket of a freekick which Michael Ballack drove home, the match didn't have that many highlights.

The two clear openings created by Austria were wasted by Erwin Hoffer, his first touch letting him down on the first occasion and his indecisiveness proving costly on the second. Austria did have their spell of dominance, stringing passes together and bursting forward without really threatening the German goal. They did manage to win a decent amount of corners but never really found the one killer ball to a striker. Jens Lehmann did not put a foot wrong all game and collected most of Austria's crosses cleanly. Mario Gomez's incredible miss early in the first half summed up his tournament so far. And this is Germany's player of the year, expected to take Euro 08 by storm. He's certainly been off colour in the tournament and Joachim Löw must have baffled many observers by starting him yet again after two dismal performances earlier in the group stage. I doubt he'll make the same mistake again in the quarters. Especially since they have Portugal to deal with. Needless to say, missing against Austria isn't as costly as missing against Cristiano Ronaldo and co. They must step up a gear to have any chance against Portugal who will have their rested stars back for the game. On a lighter note, the sending off of both the team coaches was rather amusing. After arguing with the fourth official, they shook hands and took their seats in the stands, Löw even appearing to be venting his frustration with the German chancellor. So much for separating politics and football.

Moving onto Poland vs Croatia, from what I saw, there were two key points to note in this game (I didn't watch this match as I was watching the other one and only managed to catch highlights). First was Ivan Klasnić's goal, completing his miraculous return to international football. Undergoing a second kidney transplant after his first replacement was rejected, his long road to glory finally came to an end last night when he scored the winner against Poland. His emotional celebration showed just how much it meant to him and he has reiterated many times how grateful he is to just simply being able to play football again. Such a story isn't one you come across everyday and his comeback will surely be a source of inspiration for many. The second point of note was another brilliant performance from Polish keeper, Artur Boruc. His stock will have surely risen after his many saves that kept Poland's scorelines respectable. Celtic had better brace themselves for a barrage of bids for the Polish custodian from Europe's top clubs. Even though Poland may have fallen at the group stage of a major tournament yet again, Boruc can be satisfied with his 3 outstanding performances.

Anyway, may Romania progress from the Group of Death tonight. With the Dutch likely to rest key players, it may not be too much to hope for.

Can you spell classic?

For a long time to come the word classic will be spelt T-U-R-K-E-Y.

Portugal vs Switzerland was on at the same time, and needless to say apart from the goals, I didn't catch much of the match. Not with a cracker of a game on the other channel. From the little I saw, Portugal had the upper hand until Hakan Yakin scored the first goal for the Swiss. He sealed the win with a coolly taken spotkick and ran over to the bench to celebrate with his team. With a bit more luck Switzerland could easily have qualified for the quarterfinals. Köbi Kuhn's reign is over, but the players showed just how much respect they had for the man at the end of the game, unveiling a banner saying "Merci Köbi". I don't have much else to say about the game as I wasn't watching it as much as the other one.

Turkey looked down and out, trailing the Czechs 2-0 with 15 minutes to play. The Turks somehow managed to turn it around, booking their place in the quarterfinals. The first 75 minutes of play were decent, but once Arda Turan reduced the deficit, Turkey had an inspired spell of play, pushing forward at every opportunity and laying siege to the Czech goal. Ironically, it was this style of play that had given the Czechs their second goal, a swift counter attack finished off by Jaroslav Plašil. Turkey were also extremely fortunate not to fall 3 behind when Jan Polák hit the post, which would surely have killed off the game.

The Czechs adopted the strategy of utilising Jan Koller's height as their primary target. The target man was unplayable at times, jumping high above every Turkish defender to knock down headers for his grateful teammates and his goal was a perfect example of how valuable his height was. Servet Çetin had a torrid time trying to defend against the giant beanpole striker who simply played simple but effective football, to the benefit of his teammates. Plašil's goal came on the counter attack when most of the Turks were stranded in the Czech half. His lung bursting run to meet the cross paid off handsomely and the Czechs had one foot in the quarterfinals. In fact, the Czechs were cruising until Turan's goal. It galvanised Turkey and they were completely dominant after that, almost camped in the Czech half of the field. Their efforts looked to be in vain until Petr Čech fumbled a cross from Hamit Altıntop, giving Nihat Kahveci the simple task of sidefooting home. A minute later, Nihat completed the remarkable turnaround. All the pre-game talk was about the possible penalty shootout for the first time in a group game. I was certainly hoping for it. It would have been a treat for neutrals and a historic occasion. However, the drama within 90 minutes was more than enough to satisfy those wanting a good game. Who would have expected one of the best keepers in the world to fumble crosses he usually takes without trying? To be fair, it was raining and the ball was probably a lot more slippery than usual but you'd still expect Čech to take that cross comfortably. And Nihat coming up with such a brilliant finish to give Turkey the lead so late in the game was simply unbelievable. Demirel Volkan's red card was the only sour note of the night, the Turkish keeper foolishly pushing Koller to the ground. When will these players learn? A moment of foolishness cost him the opportunity to play in the quarterfinals. Tuncay Şanlı going in goal was an amusing sight though. You could see him trying to put on a brave face, while wearing Demirel's goalkeeper's jersey inside out. When was the last time you saw an international fixture this dramatic? The term classic and epic is used to describe many matches but I don't think it would be out of place to describe this as one of those classic matches. It had everything, bar penalties. Goals, red cards, comebacks, it had simply everything. I don't think we'll see a better match at the Euros this year. If we do, we can only thank our lucky stars for the privilege of watching such a game. Last night's match showed the world why so many of us watch this beautiful game. Let's hope there will be more to come.

Let us rejoice for Greece is gone!

At least let's hope that's the case. The reigning European champions have been knocked out of the tournament by Russia. Thank God for that.

The football they played was unbelievably dull. Similar to watching paint dry. Boring. All the pre-tournament hype that surrounded them and their brilliant record in qualifying was dispelled immediately after their first game against Sweden. Their lack of cutting edge up front was a key factor in their style of play. If you're not going to score many, you have to shore up the defence. Their top scorer in qualifying, Theofanis Gekas, was ineffective against the Swedes and Otto Rehhagel had to find an alternative. Unfortunately, Angelos Charisteas was not the answer. The hero's from 4 years ago wasted all the chances that came his way, the most telling being a headed attempt that went straight to Igor Akinfeev. Rehhagel described Greece's win in 2004 as a miracle and their performances in this edition certainly showed us why. Although their performance against Russia was a marked improvement on their first game, they still were not good enough to get a result, showing just how far the gap between them and Europe's elite really is.

Russia on the other hand, managed to find the form that had led them to qualifying in the first place. After their lucky goal, they were dominant for the rest of the half, breaking up the Greek defense at will. Roman Pavlyuchenko put in an impressive all round performance but failed to score, wasting two great chances in both halves. Russia should have won by more than a solitary goal, and that may come back to haunt them in their final game against Sweden. Due to their better goal difference, the Swedes only need a draw whereas the Russians must beat the Swedes. However, credit must be given where it is due and based on last night's performance, they certainly have it in them to beat the Swedes. Another plus for them is that they will be able to call upon their star player, Andrei Arshavin, who has now served his two match ban and is available again. He's had a fantastic season, culminating in lifting the UEFA Cup with Zenit St. Petursburg, and could prove to be the spark Russia need to win.

Spain's last gasp win over Sweden proved another thing. They have grit. They will keep fighting till the end to secure a result. This is another reason why Spain may yet defy tradition and live up to their tag as favourites. Although their play wasn't as fluid as in the demolition of Russia, they kept going and were rewarded when David Villa finished Joan Capdevila's pass in stoppage time, confirming Spain's progress as group winners. The injury sustained by Carles Puyol was the only negative on a good night for the Spaniards. While that may not be much of a worry for them now, they will be hoping he will be available for the quarterfinals. While I'm still wary of Spain's uncanny ability to exit tournaments prematurely, this side certainly looks the part, Villa's form being a key reason for their favourites tag. As much of a star he has become, Fernando Torres has been a great strike partner for him as they both complement each other and understand how they play. Joan Capdevila's runs from left back has also been one of Spain's positive points, highlighted by his part in Spain's first game against Russia and his assist for Villa to score Spain's winner against Sweden. They could go all the way. Everyone's been saying it. Everyone is also wary of them slipping up when it matters most.

Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has finally seemed to get his critics of his back. Often accused of not shining in the big games, his first half cameo against Spain was one of his better performances. His first touch was sublime and his goal was just reward for his play. He had to be taken off after the first half so as not to aggravate his knee injury and had he been on the pitch for the entire game, we may have been labelling Spain as chokers rather than favourites. At any rate, he showed us what a world class player he is. Certainly I don't think he's overrated. His performances may be below par at times but you can't keep a player as talented as him silent forever. Sweden only require a draw in their final group game against Russia and I believe they will do it. I like both teams, but unfortunately, only one will go through. Russia have Arshavin and Sweden have Ibrahimovic. And Ibrahimovic is better.

Group of Life

The Group of Death was expected to be the tightest and cagiest of groups and in that sense it has disappointed. Last night's matches were superb entertainment. I was cursing local free-to-air TV for not showing Holland vs France. In the end I was cursing them for not showing both games.

Italy vs Romania was one of the most thrilling games I have watched in recent times and the lack of goals did not take anything away from the spectacle of the game. Romania may not have created as much as Italy but as soon as Mirel Radoi was substituted for Nicolae Dica, the game opened up. Adrian Mutu showed great predatory instincts when he latched onto Gianluca Zambrotta's poor headed backpass and finished superbly into the roof of the net. Romania's joy was shortlived however as poor defending at a corner gave Christian Panucci the easiest task of tapping in from 2 yards out. The rest of the game was thrilling end to end stuff, with Romania committing men forward to knock out the Italians and them doing the same to stay in the tournament. Luca Toni was unplayable at times, the giant striker using his strength to create openings for himself and his goal was unfortunately ruled out on the stroke of half time. The penalty Italy conceded was a bit dubious, but as a neutral, anything goes for the underdog. However, Mutu's penalty was poor and Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a save that kept Italy in Euro 08. His world came crashing down on him and you could clearly see that he couldn't continue playing as he was mentally crushed. As Romania's talisman he should have been stronger than that. Who else would lead the line for Romania once he left the field? Certainly not his replacement. He must show greater character on the pitch in the next game against the Dutch. Although his character may be suspect, his attitude certainly isn't. He stepped onto the field after the game to congratulate Buffon on saving his penalty which was a great show of sportsmanship, an acknowledgement of a great save. Romania will need no motivation in their final game as they know victory will send them through. With the Dutch likely to rest some of their top stars, Romania progressing to the last 8 is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Holland vs France was another fabulous game of attacking football. Mostly from the Dutch. Yet again the French were disappointing. Their run to the final of the last World Cup only highlighted the importance of Zinedine Zidane. Since he retired, the team has struggled without him, and there is no doubt that if Zidane did not come out of retirement for the World Cup, France would not have got as far as they did. Holland linked up effortlessly and the scoreline did not flatter them, with Wesley Sneijder's goal the pick of the bunch for the Dutch again. They were a class apart from the French. Apart from Thierry Henry's cute finish they did not pose much of a threat to the Dutch defense. Experience counted for little in this match and the Dutch underlined their credentials as serious tournament contenders. Then again the Czechs were favourites for Euro 04, having played some similarly scintillating football, only to be knocked out by a Greek suckerpunch. They will have to guard against complacency but they can bask in glory of having handed both World Cup finalists their worst defeats in European Championship history. Having qualified for the quarterfinals, topping their group in the process, expect them to rest a few regulars and give some of the fringe players a run out in their final game. That can only be good news for Romania and neutrals such as myself. Every tournament needs a shock result and I'm hoping that this will be it. Certainly this would rank as Romania's greatest footballing achievement. They managed to qualify from a group containing Portugal, England and Germany at Euro 2000 and this will certainly give them hope in their attempt to emulate their achievements of 8 years ago. Even if they lose against the Dutch, they could still go through if Italy draw against France, as long as they don't concede more goals than Italy and France did against the Dutch. One thing is for sure, the conclusion to the Group of Death is not one to be missed. Come on Romania!

Wesley Sneijder putting victory in perspective - "This is just superb – six points after two games. Italy and France are not the smallest teams."

Victor Piţurcă on Mutu's crap penalty - "He didn't miss – it was Buffon who made a great save."
And another philosophical gem from Piţurcă - "Penalties have been missed, are missed, and always will be missed."

Raymond Domenech suspecting a conspiracy theory - "The Dutch have six points and I am convinced they won't play the same players."

Marco van Basten playing down his teams strengths - "We can defend quite well and we have an excellent goalkeeper and, one way or the other, we stopped their attackers. We have astute, intelligent players in midfield and excellent players in attack."