Nous sommes les champions... (Euro 2016)
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Taz.
Published on 05/06/16 at 12:15
Slovakia would be surprising qualifiers from a strong group but they are no pushovers.
A stunning 3-0 win over Spain was one of the best results in their history and propelled Slovakia to second place in qualifying. Ján Kozák's side produced a resilient performance to secure a 1-1 draw in Kiev and claim an automatic spot at the finals. Slovakia showed similar giant-killing form in their warm-up games, forcing Italy to rescue a 2-2 draw and pushing the Netherlands in a narrow 2-1 defeat. They also defended superbly in a 1-0 away win over Switzerland and victory over Germany twelve months ago was a big landmark.
Kozák is a fiery, outspoken coach but he has a strong relationship with his players and his squad will know their roles precisely. He has played a virtually identical 4-5-1 line-up in the warm-up games and his side are certainly well-organised. Tough-tackling duo Juraj Kucka and Karim Guédé largely stay back and provide the base for the dazzling Chelsea midfielder Marek Hamsik. Kozák has surprisingly dropped talented wingers Vladimir Weiss and Miroslav Stoch from the team in favour of several experienced but limited domestic veterans.
Hamsik is Slovakia's main source of goals but veteran strikers Róbert Vittek and Filip Holosko will compete to lead the line. Both are far from their peak and Kozák's side could struggle for a real attacking threat. Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has formed a solid partnership with Torino centre-back Norbert Gyömbér but former West Brom defender Marek Cech is particularly shaky at left-back and teams will look to exploit this weakness. Kozák's stubborn refusal to pick Weiss or Stoch could prove his undoing in a rigid-looking side.
Slovakia will be difficult to beat but face a struggle to make it through a highly competitive group.
Shedender
Taz.
Group Stage - Matchday One
10 June 2016 - 14 June 2016
Friday 10 June
20:00 - Group A -
Saturday 11 June
14:00 - Group A -
17:00 - Group B -
20:00 - Group B -
Sunday 12 June
14:00 - Group D -
17:00 - Group C -
20:00 - Group C -
Monday 13 June
14:00 - Group D -
17:00 - Group E -
20:00 - Group E -
Tuesday 14 June
14:00 - Group F -
17:00 - Group F -
Taz.
Cheers, glad you like it. That's all for this evening, going to watch the real thing, then I'll start the proper match updates tomorrow hopefully.
Taz.
France's new generation hope to restore faith
Les Bleus wary of opening-day stumble against disciplined Bosnia side
Friday 10 June 2016 - 15.12 BST
80,000 supporters will stream into Stade de France tonight as Euro 2016 finally kicks off.
The hosts France will take on Bosnia in Saint-Denis amid the customary fireworks and flashing lights of the opening day of a major tournament. Les Bleus have flattered to deceive since their ill-fated appearance in the 2006 World Cup final, a series of early exits, timid performances and most infamously, a squad on strike from training in South Africa six years ago. Didier Deschamps has slowly rebuilt the side over the past few years as a new generation of French talent showed their talents on the international stage.
The former Marseille coach has been typically cautious ahead of the opening game. France have not played a competitive match since exiting the World Cup quarter-finals to Germany two years ago and there is still a raw, unproven edge about the side. They must manage the pressure of kicking off a tournament, especially on home soil where their record is formidable. The supporters around the grounds are quietly confident about the new generation's chances of success and there is a feeling that is time for Deschamps to deliver.
"The tournament is a marathon," Deschamps told the media yesterday. "It is a test of our mentality and we cannot expect to walk through the group without real effort. It is very special for us to be at home but our thoughts must only be on the game. We can think about the occasion after the match. The fans are fantastic and I know that they will forgive us for concentrating on firstly getting the right result. Bosnia have several very talented players and there is a lot less pressure on their team, so we have to be very focussed."
Their opponents will be a Bosnian side that saw off the challenge of Wales to gain an automatic place at the finals. Safet Susic's side possess two superb creative talents in Miralem Pjanic and Sejad Salihovic and Edin Dzeko was Europe's best marksman in qualifying. The Real Madrid striker lends the type of clinical edge that could punish French nerves and his duel with his classy club team-mate Raphaël Varane could be fascinating. All parties involved will hope that the match sets the tone for the remainder of the finals.
Taz.
20:00 STARTING LINE-UPS
Bosnia: Begovic - Mujdza, Bicakcic, Rogulj, Kolasinac - Pjanic, Prcic, Salihovic - Susic - Ibisevic, Dzeko.
France: Mandanda - Corchia, Varane, Umtiti, Clichy - Matuidi - Pogba, Cabaye - Griezmann, Payet - Benzema.
20:01 CHANCE FOR THE HOSTS!
After a glitzy opening ceremony, we are barely ten seconds into the game and the first chance arrives as Paul Pogba cuts out Kaja Rogulj's pass and finds Karim Benzema. The striker spots Dimitri Payet zipping clear on the left flank but the winger scoops his shot just over the bar.
20:17 SAVE FROM MANDANDA
It's been one-way traffic so far but Bosnia finally thread together a decent move to test Steve Mandanda. Sead Kolasinac weaves his way past Sébastien Corchia and finding Tino Susic. He plays a one-two with Edin Dzeko and his stinging shot is parried by the French keeper.
20:21
The first goal of Euro 2016 and Stade de France is rocking. Bosnia are pinned back in their own box as Pogba and Blaise Matuidi trade the ball in acres of space in the midfield. Kolasinac reacts far too slowly for Antoine Griezmann, who twists into the area and cuts the ball across for Benzema. The Real Madrid man hammers the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box and Les Bleus are ahead.
20:27 DZEKO GOES CLOSE
Bosnia have been shocked into life by going behind and Dzeko should score here. Miralem Pjanic collects a cleared free-kick and finds Sejad Salihovic. Dzeko times his run perfectly to evade Raphaël Varane but his point-blank shot is straight at Mandanda, who palms it away.
20:34
France have begun this game superbly and they claim a second goal via Bosnian right-back Mensur Mujdza. The defender makes a complete hash of clearing Griezmann's free-kick, leaving Asmir Begovic completely exposed, and Benzema reacts brilliantly to nod the ball towards goal. His header cracks against the post and bounces off Mujdza into the net. He won't want to rewatch that one.
20:46 HALF TIME
France lead comfortably thanks to some clinical finishing from Benzema and Dzeko's glaring miss.
Taz.
21:02
Some dreadful marking from the corner and Bosnia are on the ropes here. Griezmann finds Matuidi in plenty of space in the area and the PSG man nods the ball down for Cabaye. He lets the ball bounce and drives a half-volley past a crowd of players. Safet Susic will not be impressed.
21:06
We could be in line for an absolute rout here. Bosnia's confidence looks seriously dented by conceding so early after the break and Benzema bags a fourth goal for Les Bleus. Kolasinac again drifts totally out of position and Payet is having a whale of a time on the right flank. He whips in a great ball to the near post and Benzema clips it past Begovic, who should do much better there.
21:22 SUBSTITUTION FOR FRANCE
The hosts have really stepped up to the occasion and their attacking play has been a joy to watch against an admittedly poor side. Didier Deschamps has his eye on the next game opts to keep Griezmann and Matuidi fresh, introducing Loïc Rémy and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
21:32 GREAT BLOCK
France are beginning to sit back and conserve their energy for Tuesday's match against Romania but substitute Yoann Gourcuff nearly fires home a fifth goal. Dimitri Payet has been an absolute menace and he finds Gourcuff on the edge of the box. The Lyon man's powerful drive is heading for the top corner but Bosnian centre-back Ermin Bicakcic throws himself at the ball, sending it just wide of Begovic's right-hand post.
21:36 RED CARD FOR FRANCE!
Samuel Umtiti was a surprise choice to start for the hosts but the young centre-back picks up a needless second yellow card for chopping down Bosnian substitute Aidin Mahmutovic on the halfway line. Les Bleus will play the final nine minutes with ten men.
21:48 FULL TIME
France eased off in the closing half hour but a comprehensive 4-0 win is the perfect way to begin a tournament on home soil and Benzema was excellent. Bosnia must pick themselves up quickly after an error-strewn performance. They made it easy for Deschamps' men at times.
Dan
Taz.
Taz.
Ireland 0-0 Romania
Ireland begin their Euro 2016 campaign with a tepid draw against Romania
Last Updated: 11 June 2016, 15:53 BST
Ireland and Romania failed to break the deadlock in the second match of Euro 2016.
Both sides struggled to find a killer edge on a hot summer afternoon in Lens although Romania will rue their bad luck after hitting the woodwork on two occasions in the first half. Martin O'Neill's side registered just one shot on target in a frustrating match with only fleeting moments of genuine quality, although Aiden McGeady also hit the bar for the Boys in Green. The Irish coach had goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to thank after a series of impressive saves kept Romania at bay but both sides require improvement to escape Group A.
The game began slowly as the two teams acclimatised to the weather and Romania were the first side to pose a real threat after a flat opening twenty minutes. Ovidiu Anton brought down Alexandru Maxim's corner and laid the ball off for Nicusor Stanciu. The right winger sent a rasping drive towards goal but McCarthy did well to push the ball wide. Five minutes later, Maxim flicked the ball on for Ciprian Marica, who turned Richard Keogh and broke into the box. The Levante striker's effort hit the foot of the post and bounced away.
Romania hit the upright once more on the half-hour. Constantin Budescu expertly timed his run to receive Maxim's pass on the edge of the box and blast a first-time shot. McCarthy was well-beaten by the rising strike but the ball smashed against the crossbar. Despite often looking short on numbers in attack, Ireland improved in the second half and almost went ahead five minutes after the break. Séamus Coleman's cross found McGeady at the near post but the winger's header also cracked into the woodwork after catching out Silviu Lung.
Maxim was the focal point of Romania's attack and the Stuttgart midfielder nearly claimed the winner in the fifty-seventh minute with an audacious long-range strike. Both sides were frequently bogged down in a midfield battle after the break as fatigue set in but O'Neill will be glad that his goalkeeper kept his nerve after a vital eighty-sixth minute save. Budescu cleverly linked up with Stefan Radu on the flank and the left-back's cross found Cristian Manea, who forced McCarthy into an acrobatic mid-air save to deny his header.
Player Ratings
Ireland A. McCarthy 7 - Coleman 7, Wilson 7, R. Keogh 7, Ward 6 - J. McCarthy 6, Noble 6 (Kiernan) - McGeady 6, Gibson 5 (Meyler 5), Brady 6 - Long 5 (Doyle 5).
Romania Lung Jr 6 - Matel 7 (Manea, Latovlevici), Gardos 7, Chiriches 8, Radu 7 - Bourceanu 6, Anton 6 - Stanciu 6, Maxim 6, Budescu 5 - Marica 5.
Taz.
Hiddink remains unfazed by tough group
• Greece up first for the Netherlands in Euro 2016's Group of Death
Published: 16:01, 11 June 2016 - By ADAM SMITH for MAILONLINE
Guus Hiddink has backed his Netherlands side to escape Euro 2016's trickiest group.
The former Chelsea boss will lead the Dutch side out against Greece this afternoon in Marseille in the opening game of Group B. The two opponents are joined by a promising but inconsistent Portugal side and unfancied Slovenia in the group and the sixty nine year old believes that a good start is vital for the Netherlands' chances of winning the tournament for the first time since 1988. Hiddink praised his side's confidence and blend of personalities as he prepared to go toe-to-toe with a fellow former Chelsea boss in Claudio Ranieri.
"If we continue to play with belief in ourselves, we are capable of winning the tournament," the hugely-experienced Dutch boss claimed. "It is a difficult group but there will be tough games throughout the tournament. We will be able to come into those matches with a little more knowledge of the pressure. The players have learned a lot over the past two years and there are some terrific young guys in the team. Greece will test the other side of our game, I have seen a lot of promise in our attacking play but we need to do the dirty work too."
"Claudio is a humble, honourable guy, I can see why we have worked with some of the same clubs. He will encourage his team to work hard and press our midfield, so we have to be ready for that. They have a lot of hard-working, physical players. The personality of our squad is important and the older players like Robben or van Persie will help with the expectations. I can think back to Russia in 2008 and while the pressure was different there, we had to work very hard to come back after losing the first game. I hope we can start off well."
Hiddink has recalled several experienced personalities to provide some backbone to his side. Nigel de Jong is expected to start alongside Jordy Clasie in centre midfield, while Robin van Persie will lead the line for the Netherlands. The Manchester United striker is one of four stars of Old Trafford in the starting line-up and Hiddink will hope that the United connection of van Persie, Memphis Depay, Stefan de Vrij and Daley Blind will serve him well against an inconsistent Greek side, who field Fulham striker Kostas Mitroglou up front.
Taz.
17:00 STARTING LINE-UPS
Netherlands: Cillessen - Van der Wiel, De Vrij, Douglas, Blind - Clasie, De Jong, Strootman - Robben, Van Persie, Depay.
Greece: Kapino - Torosidis, Papastathopoulos, Papadopoulos, Stafylidis - Kourbelis - Maniatis, Tachtsidis - Kone - Salpingidis, Mitroglou.
17:08 JUST OVER FROM DEPAY
Nigel de Jong finds Memphis Depay twenty-five yards out and the Dutch starlet goes for the spectacular, skinning Dimitris Kourbelis and floating a long-range effort just over the bar. The twenty two year old looks full of confidence.
17:16 VAN PERSIE HITS THE BAR
Daley Blind does brilliantly to sprint down the left wing and delicately bring down Kevin Strootman's lobbed pass. The Manchester United defender curls the ball into the box for his team-mate Robin van Persie, who smashes a perfectly-timed volley against the crossbar.
17:17
Guus Hiddink's side have started superbly and it was only a matter of time before the first goal arrived. It's a great passing move as Memphis Depay receives Kevin Strootman's pass on the edge of the area. The Manchester United winger swivels and flicks the ball out wide to Blind on the overlap. The left-back pings a cross to the far post where Arjen Robben beats Kostas Stafylidis to prod the ball past Stefanos Kapino.
17:30 CHANCE FOR GREECE
Greece have their first opportunity and are inches away from equalising. Kostas Mitroglou does well to hold off de Jong and find Vasilis Torosidis. Dimitris Salpingidis slips past Douglas to meet Torosidis' through ball but drives his low shot into the side netting.
17:40
Panagiotis Tachtsidis sends Jordy Clasie flying as they battle to meet a van Persie corner and Nicola Rizzoli promptly points to the spot. The veteran steps up and takes a nerveless penalty, blasting the ball into the top corner and giving Kapino absolutely no chance.
17:47 HALF TIME
An excellent start from the Netherlands. They have looked threatening going forward and Robben is giving Torosidis the runaround.
Taz.
18:02
Greece come racing out of the blocks and Claudio Ranieri's men are right back in this game. It's a well-worked move from a free-kick as Tachtsidis plays the ball to Panagiotis Kone. The midfielder is supported by Giannis Maniatis bombing forward and the Olympiacos man catches Douglas out of position. Salpingidis takes full advantage, running into space and drilling the ball past Jasper Cillessen. Game on!
18:11
Hiddink's men have attacked superbly in this game and quickly restore their two-goal advantage. Robben collects the ball from Kapino's poor goal-kick and the winger trades passes with de Jong and slips past Kyriakos Papadopoulos. He runs onto Gregory van der Wiel's clever through ball before cutting it back across the box for Jeremain Lens. The substitute is unmarked and confidently sweeps the ball home.
18:12
Lens is once again in the right place and the Netherlands have a fourth from kick-off! Robben intercepts Papastathopoulos' wild pass and drives forward, playing a one-two with Depay. Van der Wiel has been brilliant at right-back and Robben sets him away down the flank. The defender whips the ball into the area and Lens beats Papastathopoulos to prod in his second goal in two minutes.
18:18
Are Greece still in this? We've had four goals in a crazy fifteen minutes and Salpingidis claims his second of the evening. It's poor from the Netherlands backline as the veteran races through the gap between Douglas and Stefan de Vrij. It's a fantastic cross from Stafylidis, who leaves the ball hanging in the air for Salpingidis to plant a firm header past Cillessen.
18:25 CLOSE FROM MITROGLOU
The Netherlands are under pressure and Douglas picks up a booking as the centre-back drags down Petros Mantalos on the edge of the area. Mitroglou steps up to take the free-kick and he misses by inches with a swerving effort.
18:46 DISALLOWED GOAL FOR GREECE
Hiddink's decision to replace the shaky Douglas with Joël Veltman seems to have paid off but there is a final scare. Torosidis floats the ball into the box for Mitroglou and the striker slides it past Cillessen but the linesman rules him offside by the slimmest of margins.
18:51 FULL TIME
A magnificent game to begin Group B and the Netherlands hold firm to get the win despite some considerable late pressure. Both sides threw defending out of the window after the break in a breathless second half.
Dan
Fola
Taz.
Taz.
Portugal 1-0 Slovenia
Early strike from Ronaldo proves enough for wasteful Portugal
Last Updated: 11 June 2016, 21:56 BST
Cristiano Ronaldo's fourth-minute strike secured three points for Portugal against Slovenia.
After the Netherlands claimed an impressive 4-2 win over Greece in the earlier Group B game, Ronaldo's early goal in Bordeaux was enough to see off the challenge of a resilient Slovenian side. Portugal missed several excellent chances after Ronaldo's opener and suffered a genuine scare in the first half when Slovenia hit the crossbar through Jasmin Kurtic's free-kick. Fernando Santos will ponder just how Portugal failed to hit the back of the net more than once as Nani in particular struggled to find the target.
Kurtic shined for Srecko Katanec's men and he nearly put Slovenia in front in the second minute. Bruno Alves tugged down Robert Beric on the edge of the box and the Sassuolo midfielder curled a free-kick inches wide. It was the wake-up call Portugal needed and they took the lead within two minutes. Ronaldo started and finished a swift counter-attacking move, winning the ball from Dominic Maroh on the halfway line, releasing Nani on the right flank and meeting his cross at the far post to sweep the ball past Samir Handanovic.
Slovenia nearly equalised in the twelfth minute as Kurtic continued to show his ability with a dead ball. He slammed his free-kick into the crossbar to the relief of Rui Patrício. Man of the match João Moutinho then split the defence to send Nélson Oliveira clear on goal but the striker could only produce a weak effort that was easily palmed away. Nani's first in a catalogue of misses arrived in the forty-first minute. Oliveira did well to hold up João Mário's pass and release the Manchester United man but Nani fired the ball straight at Handanovic.
The worst was yet to come for the winger and Santos was left with his head in his hands on the touchline in the sixty-seventh minute. Éder's through ball caught Miral Samardzic out of position and Nani looked certain to score as he advanced on the goalkeeper before producing a woefully mishit strike that drifted harmlessly wide. Portugal's inaccuracy was nearly punished at the death as Slovenian striker Tim Matavz intercepted Fabio Coentrão's dreadful backpass. His shot was on target but rushed and Patrício clutched it tightly.
Player Ratings
Portugal Patrício 6 - Pereira 6, Pepe 7, Alves 7, Coentrão 6 - Mário 6, Carvalho 6 (Veloso), Moutinho 7 - Nani 6 (Vieirinha), Oliveira (Éder 6), Ronaldo 7.
Slovenia Handanovic 6 - Maroh 6, Cesar 7, Samardzic 6 - Stojanovic 5 (Bezjak 5), Stevanovic 5, Kurtic 7, Crnigoj 6, Pucko 5 (Kampl 5) - Beric 5 (Ilicic), Matavz 6.
Shedender
Taz.
Taz.
Poland 0-0 Austria
Austria survive Kavlak dismissal to claim a point in Group C stalemate
Last Updated: 12 June 2016, 15:55 BST
Poland were left cursing their inability to kill off ten-man Austria after a goalless draw in Group D.
Adam Nawalka's side dominated much of the play at Parc des Princes but failed to find a winning goal against Austria, who ended the match with ten men after midfielder Veli Kavlak was sent off in the second half. Poland took double the amount of shots of their Group D rivals but star striker Robert Lewandowski endured an unusually erratic afternoon in front of goal. The Poles will hope that they do not live to regret their failure to see off a sluggish Austrian side in a fiercely competitive group including 2012 champions Spain.
Despite struggling to create any real attacking threat, Austrian coach Marcel Koller is likely to be quietly pleased with a compact defensive display from his side. Lewandowski has been one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past two seasons but Poland were largely restricted to long-range efforts in the first half. Goalkeeper Cican Stankovic made an excellent save from Dominik Furman's twenty-five-yard strike after a poor clearance and then did well to hold onto Jakub Blaszczykowski's speculative low drive.
Lewandowski finally had a good chance on the brink of half time as Furman picked out a gap between Lukas Spendlhofer and Aleksandar Dragovic for the Bayern man to skip through on goal. The Austrian fans held their breath but Lewandowski lifted his shot over the bar. Nawalka's side continued to pour forward after the break and Lewandowski nodded Daniel Dziwniel's corner narrowly wide on the hour, before Furman again sent a long-range piledriver inches wide of the upright as Austria camped out in front of the area.
Damien Perquis made a vital clearance to hook Philipp Hosiner's cross-shot off the line in Austria's finest chance of the match before Kavlak was handed a second yellow card for a needless collision with Blaszczykowski. Looking to make the best of their one-man advantage, Poland chased the winner and Blaszczykowski had two excellent chances to score in added time. The Dortmund man sent a free header over the bar before Stankovic made a crucial save to palm away a stinging volleyed effort from Kamil Glik's cross.
Player Ratings
Poland Szczesny 6 - Piszczek 7, Perquis 7, Glik 8, Dziwniel 7 - Kyrchowiak 6, Salamon 6 (Matuszczyk 6) - Furman 6 (Klich 6) - Blaszczykowski 6, Rybus 5 (Zyro 6) - Lewandowski 5.
Austria Stankovic 7 - Janeczek 6 (Horvath), Spendlhofer 7, Dragovic 7, Alaba 6 - Harnik 6 (Garics), Baumgartlinger 7, Kavlak 6, Fuchs 6 - Hosiner 6, Weimann 5 (Zulechner 5).
Taz.
Belgium eye big chance
Red Devils hope to become more than dark horses before Albania clash
Sunday 12 June 2016 - 16.02 BST
Marc Wilmots believes Belgium are ready to step into the limelight at Euro 2016.
The Belgians will take on unfancied Albania in their first game of the tournament this evening in Nice. Few have mentioned the Red Devils as potential champions and there has been much discussion of how a team that is making their first appearance at the competition since 2000 deserve their impressive world ranking. Belgium have lost key players to injury, lack real width and there are still doubts over the future of their coach but Wilmots insisted that he and his side were ready to prove the doubters wrong.
"A win will give us more confidence," the forty-seven year old said in his pre-match press conference. "We have arrived here believing that we can perform well in this tournament. There have been some difficult moments on the way but they have made us stronger. Albania are a hard-working, solid team and I don't think it will be an easy game. There are very few of those in major tournaments. We have to rise to the occasion and move the ball around well. A defeat before the Italy game could be very damaging for us."
Thibaut Courtois is still recovering from a calf injury and Simon Mignolet will stand in for him in goal. Right-back Thomas Meunier has also been ruled out of the Albania game and he will be replaced by the attack-minded Luis Pedro Cavanda. Romelu Lukaku is preferred to Christian Benteke in attack, while Wilmots has bowed to public pressure in his homeland to play the impressive Jan Vertonghen at centre-back alongside captain Vincent Kompany. Toby Alderweireld is expected to join Marouane Fellaini and Radja Nainggolan on the bench.
"Belgium are a very dangerous team," Albania coach Gianni De Biasi warned as his side prepare for their tournament debut. "They have some outstanding individual players but we must try not to be overawed. It's a wonderful moment for Albanian football and the country as a whole. We don't get many days like this and it will be fantastic for our supporters. We have worked hard to improve our defending and it's going to be a big test for us. The beauty of these tournaments is that anything can happen. We want to make history."
Taz.
Albania 0-3 Belgium
Vertonghen bags a brace as Red Devils cruise past Albania
Last Updated: 12 June 2016, 18:56 BST
Dark horses Belgium began Group C with a straightforward victory against Albania.
The battle between the world's current number one team and a side many have described as the weakest at the finals went according to the script in Nice. Kevin de Bruyne opened the scoring for Marc Wilmots' men in the first half and a brace from centre-back Jan Vertonghen, including a fantastic late free-kick, earned Belgium three points in a confident performance. Albania failed to manage a shot on target as the underdogs struggled to rise to the occasion in their first ever match at a major tournament.
Albania frequently struggled to contain one of the strongest attacking line-ups at the tournament as Belgium were given free rein to roam down the flanks by their opponent's narrow shape. After a poor clearance, Axel Witsel collected the loose ball and moved it out wide to De Bruyne, who forced Etrit Berisha to turn the ball behind the post. From the resulting corner, Hazard floated the ball into the box for the towering Romelu Lukaku. The striker's header bounced off the bar but De Bruyne reacted quickly to poke the ball over the line.
Lukaku's aerial presence was a consistent threat for the Red Devils and the Everton striker was disappointed not to claim a second in the twenty-seventh minute when he nodded Hazard's cross just wide. Belgium finally doubled their lead in the forty-fourth minute. Steven Defour whipped a free-kick into the box and in the ensuing scramble, De Bruyne steered the ball towards goal. His shot squirmed through the legs of Berisha and Vertonghen raced in behind the Albanian goalkeeper to bundle the ball into the back of the net.
De Bruyne was in search of a second goal and it nearly arrived nine minutes after the break. The Wolfsburg midfielder struck his free-kick just wide after Ilir Azemi brought down Hazard. He enjoyed plenty of space on the left flank and carved out another chance for Lukaku, although Berisha redeemed himself with a good save from his half-volley. Belgium's prowess from set pieces will send a warning to their Group C rivals and Vertonghen capped off the win in the eighty-fifth minute, curling home a magnificent free-kick from twenty-five yards.
Player Ratings
Albania Berisha 6 - Dallku 4, Cana 5, Mavraj 6, Hysaj 5 - Muzaka 6 (A. Sadiku 6), Kace 8, L. Sadiku 6 - Xhaka 6 (Meha 6), Ahmedi 5 (Rama 6) - Azemi 5.
Belgium Mignolet 7 - Cavanda 7, Kompany 8, Vertonghen 9, van Damme 7 - Defour 7 (Fellaini) - Hazard 7, Witsel 7, Dembélé 6 (Nainggolan 7), De Bruyne 9 - Lukaku 7 (Benteke).
Taz.
Conte focuses solely on Azzurri
Incoming Chelsea boss blasts critics ahead of Denmark clash
19:08, 12 June 2016 - By Jacob Murtagh
Antonio Conte insisted that his move to Chelsea would have no effect on Italy's Euro 2016 chances.
The forty six year old has been the target of criticism for a perceived lack of focus on the Azzurri ahead of today's Group C game against Denmark. Conte reacted angrily to recent reports in his press conference prior to Italy's opening game at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, labelling doubts over his commitment to the national side as "insulting". The former Juventus coach declared that his side were outsiders to win the tournament after a series of injuries robbed the Azzurri of the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Marco Verratti.
"It is a difficult moment for Italian football," the three-time Scudetto-winning coach admitted. "Questions about my commitment are not helpful in any way and for a coach of my record, they are quite insulting. My focus is totally on the national side. It would be foolish to say that I have not consulted with certain people at Chelsea but that has no impact on our preparations. We have been very unlucky on the way to the tournament but we must pull together and find a good team spirit. We ask the fans and the press to stand by us."
Conte has also came under fire for leaving out attacking starlet Domenico Berardi, who joined Manchester City for £22.5million this week after scoring seventeen goals for Sassuolo this season. Italy are expected to start with Berardi's new team-mate Mattia Destro alongside Giuseppe Rossi up front against Denmark. Conte will stick with his familiar 5-3-2 with wing-backs setup against the Danes, who lost Daniel Agger to an ankle injury that could rule him out of the rest of the tournament in training on Friday morning.
"We know the scale of the task in front of us," Denmark boss Morten Olsen said as he prepares for the final tournament of his sixteen-year reign. "Italy will be fierce opponents but we have a very strong team morale, which is crucial at major tournaments. We will play to our strengths and make it hard out there for our opponents. An amazing game means that we haven't done our job properly. We've seen that Italy can be caught out by smaller nations and we have the mentality to capitalise on their mistakes."
Taz.
20:00 STARTING LINE-UPS
Italy: Buffon - Darmian, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Pasqual - De Rossi - Marchisio, Florenzi - Rossi, Destro.
Denmark: Schmeichel - Andreasen, Sørensen, Bjelland, Boilesen - Højbjerg, Kvist - Kusk, Eriksen, Krohn-Dehli - Braithwaite.
20:06 GREAT SAVE FROM SCHMEICHEL
Italy nearly take the lead early on in Lille. Leon Andreasen heads clear Giorgio Chiellini's long throw but the Italian defender collects the loose ball and finds Alessandro Florenzi unmarked on the edge of the area. The Inter midfielder lets fly with a powerful low effort through a crowd of players and it's heading for the bottom corner until Kasper Schmeichel dives headlong to push it wide.
20:09 MORE HEROICS FROM SCHMEICHEL
A poor clearance falls to Florenzi and the Danish defence are way too slow to react as Daniele De Rossi has plenty of time to set himself and strike the ball towards goal. Schmeichel leaps to his right and palms the ball away to rescue his side once more.
20:14 INJURY MISFORTUNE FOR ITALY
Antonio Conte can barely believe it but the Azzurri have lost two strikers to injury in as many minutes. Giuseppe Rossi limped off after Andreas Bjelland's fierce challenge but his replacement Simone Zaza soon pulls up clutching his thigh. Stephan El Shaarawy comes on for the Inter man.
20:23 OFF THE BAR!
The opening goal can't be far away for Italy. Denmark are again camped in front of their own goal as El Shaarawy finds Chiellini on the edge of the box. The Juventus man quickly moves the ball right for Florenzi, who rattles the crossbar with a curling shot from eighteen yards.
20:43 CHANCE FOR DENMARK
Finally an effort on goal for Denmark, who have struggled to resist wave after wave of attacks from the Italians. Michael Krohn-Dehli flights a free-kick into the box and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg heads the ball straight at Gianluigi Buffon. The veteran goalkeeper launches it long to the substitute El Shaarawy... he breaks down the right flank and crosses for Destro in the middle... and it's off the post for Italy!
20:47 HALF TIME
Italy can count themselves highly unlucky not to be ahead. Schmeichel has been superb for Denmark but the opener can't be too far away.
Taz.
21:02 OFF THE LINE!
Chiellini's long throws have been a real asset for Italy and the centre-back creates havoc once more. Florenzi comes out to collect it, turns Frederik Sørensen and drives the ball towards goal but Martin Braithwaite makes a vital block as the shot heads for the bottom corner.
21:05
Out of nowhere, the Danes take the lead! Andreasen buys a free-kick from Manuel Pasqual and Michael Krohn-Dehli steps up to curl the ball into the box. Buffon leaps to claim it but he collides with De Rossi in the air and the ball trickles agonisingly over the line.
21:22 ITALY GO CLOSE
Denmark are firmly parking the bus here and Italy are struggling to get the ball into the box past their compact defence. Chiellini plays a one-two with Pasqual and lays the ball off for El Shaarawy, who has looked bright since replacing Zaza. From twenty-five yards out, he takes a pot-shot and it misses the crossbar by inches. The frustration among the Azzurri is palpable but the Danes are proving stubborn opposition.
21:28 SUBS FOR BOTH TEAMS
Conte takes a final roll of the dice but opts for a like-for-like change. Florenzi has hit the woodwork for Italy but he is replaced by Napoli midfielder Jorginho. Morten Olsen brings on some defensive reinforcement, introducing Jakob Poulsen for Christian Eriksen.
21:45 SCHMEICHEL SAVES AGAIN
Schmeichel can be proud of his performance today and he adds an absolutely crucial stop to his tally to deny Italy in the third minute of added time. All eleven Danish players are in their own box as El Shaarawy charges down Sorensen's clearance. The striker finds Marchisio, surrounded by Danish defenders but he swivels and picks out Jorginho. He takes a touch and smashes the ball towards goal but Schmeichel manages to brush it just over the crossbar. What a massive save from the Leicester goalkeeper.
21:49 FULL TIME
Schmeichel's heroics have earned Denmark a brilliant opening win. You have to feel for Italy, who endured some awful luck and should have won this game comfortably. Antonio Conte looks furious as he shakes hands with his beaming compatriot Morten Olsen.
Taz.
Spain 2-0 Switzerland
Muniain at the double for reigning champions in Group D win
Last Updated: 13 June 2016, 15:55 BST
Spain's bid to win a third consecutive European title kicked off with a 2-0 win over Switzerland.
Iker Muniain was the hero for the defending champions, scoring twice and missing a late penalty in only his eighth full international appearance. It was a measured start for the pre-tournament favourites in Toulouse but the PSG winger's performance will have delighted Vicente del Bosque, who handed Muniain the chance to start ahead of David Silva. The twenty three year old will have made a few enemies in Swiss colours after a flamboyant display that included a theatrical-looking fall to win a spot kick.
La Roja began the game in confident fashion and Pedro got plenty of joy taking on left-back Ricardo Rodríguez. The Barcelona man forced Roman Bürki into a fine early save after cutting inside and taking aim at the bottom corner. Del Bosque's men eventually took the lead in the eighteenth minute. Diego Costa shrugged off Timm Klose's challenge, broke down the right flank and whipped the ball to the far post. Muniain slipped in behind the unaware Silvan Widmer and the starlet was left unmarked to convert a simple opportunity.
Bürki was again on hand to deny Costa moments later as Spain pressed forward. Juan Mata then found Andrés Iniesta from a free-kick out wide and the diminutive midfielder steered a header towards the back of the net, only for Tranquillo Barnetta to clear off the line. The three-time champions soon found their second goal straight from the tiki-taka playbook. The ball was swiftly traded between seven different players and Juan Mata was the man to take the final shot. Bürki parried the ball clear but Muniain raced in to smash home the rebound.
Vladimir Petkovic's side were much-improved after the break and Valon Behrami almost earned a reward for an industrious display in the sixty-eighth minute. The midfielder bent an audacious shot past David de Gea but his effort bounced off the inside of the post. Xherdan Shaqiri should have done better with the follow-up, hitting it straight at the goalkeeper. Referee Viktor Kassai controversially awarded a penalty after Muniain went down under minimal contact from Stephan Lichtsteiner but Bürki stood tall to deny the winger a hat-trick.
Player Ratings
Spain De Gea 7 - Azpilicueta 7, Piqué 7 (Bartra), Ramos 7, Bernat 7 - Martínez 7, Iniesta 6 (Fàbregas 6) - Pedro 7, Mata 7, Muniain 9 - Costa 6 (Negredo).
Switzerland Bürki 6 - Widmer 6 (Stocker 6), Djourou 6 (Schär), Klose 5, Rodríguez 5 - Behrami 8 - Barnetta 5 (Lichtsteiner 6), Dzemaili 7, Xhaka 6, Shaqiri 6 - Seferovic 6.
Taz.
Hodgson believes in youthful side
England manager is confident of good start against Czech Republic
Monday 13 June 2016 - 16.01 BST
Roy Hodgson believes that it is England's young squad's time to shine at Euro 2016.
England will begin the group stages against the Czech Republic this afternoon and Hodgson called for optimism ahead of their tournament opener. The sixty eight year old has came under pressure for a series of poor performances in the warm-up games on the way to France but he insisted that he had full faith in his youthful twenty-three man squad. Hodgson also backed third-choice goalkeeper John Ruddy, who will start against the Czechs following an injury crisis that will see Joe Hart and Fraser Forster miss the opening game.
"This emergence of young players is very exciting for England," Hodgson said in his pre-match press conference at England's base in Chantilly. "We have a lot of new faces in the team and it is a pleasure to coach them. We must be careful not to rush into declaring ourselves world-beaters but there would be no point turning up if we didn't believe in our own qualities. The build-up to the tournament has not been ideal but we have adapted to the injuries and learned a lot. John Ruddy has came into the team and he feels ready for the challenge."
There have been questions over the best position of captain Wayne Rooney, whose place in the starting line-up has been challenged by the form of Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck. After trialling Rooney in midfield in a dismal 0-0 draw against Austria last weekend, the Manchester United striker is expected to lead the line in attack today. Hodgson responded frostily to doubts over the thirty year old's ability to play as England's main striker, despite his last international goal coming in October against Lithuania in qualifying.
"I find a lot of the things that are written about Wayne to be very perplexing," the former Liverpool and West Brom manager said. "He does not need prove himself to anyone, he's a highly experienced, very successful player. We tried something a little different against Austria and it was a good experiment for me. He is our captain, a vital member of the team and it would take an awful lot for me to consider leaving him out. It is good to have depth in the team and I expect Daniel and Danny to work well alongside Wayne when their time comes."
Taz.
17:00 STARTING LINE-UPS
Czech Republic: Cech - Kaderabek, Mazuch, Sivok, Limbersky - Darida, Jiracek - Dockal, Kolar, Krejci - Tecl.
England: Ruddy - Walker, Jagielka, Stones, Shaw - Henderson, Milner - Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Sterling - Rooney.
17:04 GOOD BLOCK
Ladislav Krejci steps up to take a corner from the right at Stade de France and Vladimir Darida heads it down for Daniel Kolar. The midfielder takes a swing at the loose ball and it's heading for the back of the net until Jordan Henderson sticks out a foot at the right moment and deflects it clear. An early scare for England.
17:12 BOOKING FOR ENGLAND
John Stones will have to be very careful for the remainder of the game after picking up a needless booking. The newly-signed Chelsea centre-back sends Czech striker Stanislav Tecl flying right in front of Paolo Tagliavento, who brandishes a yellow card.
17:22 FINE SAVE FROM CECH
It's been a while coming but England finally thread a good move together for their first chance of the match. Henderson finds James Milner, who weaves around Darida and threads it through for Adam Lallana. He catches Ondrej Mazuch out of position and slips the ball through for Wayne Rooney. The skipper breaks into the box but Rooney is crucially forced wide by Tomás Sivok and Petr Cech manages to turn away his low shot.
17:44 LALLANA LIMPS OFF
It's not been a classic here in Saint-Denis. England have struggled to find any momentum and Roy Hodgson has another thing to worry about as Darida leaves Lallana on the floor after a full-blooded challenge. The midfielder leaves the pitch for extended treatment.
17:46 HALF TIME
The referee calls time on a sluggish first half. The ball has been stuck in an attritional midfield battle and aside from Rooney's pot-shot, England have failed to find any form of a spark. This is a big fifteen minutes for Hodgson and his team.
Taz.
18:00 SUB FOR ENGLAND
Lallana was clutching his leg as the first half ended and it's no surprise to see him replaced at half time. Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse comes on for his England debut. It looks to be a like-for-like change for Hodgson's men, who desperately need some creativity.
18:08
Some lazy defending is punished and England slip behind at Stade de France! Krejci's corner is headed away by Rooney but Darida quickly recycles the ball back to the left flank, dragging Ward-Prowse away from his man Sivok. Krejci curls a cross to the near post and the veteran centre-back makes an intelligent run into the free space, beating John Ruddy to the ball and glancing it into the net.
18:15 CZECHS GO CLOSE
England need a shot in the arm here and the Czech Republic should be two goals ahead. Sivok has been a menace in the air from set pieces and Krejci tees him up perfectly, chipping a free-kick into the box. Sivok rises above Kyle Walker but his header flies narrowly wide.
18:22 JUST OVER FROM STERLING
Rooney smashes his free-kick at the wall but Luke Shaw recovers the ball and centres it for Raheem Sterling, who beats Petr Jiracek but heads narrowly over the bar. Andros Townsend replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for England as Hodgson drives his players on.
18:36 FREE-KICK FOR ROONEY
The England captain has found it particularly difficult in the heat but he has a good opportunity from a free-kick for England after Mazuch trips Sterling. He steps up from twenty-five yards... and it's close! There was plenty of swerve on the ball but it misses Cech's right post.
18:44 ENGLAND CHANCE
The Czechs are defending in numbers and England just can't break them down. There are ten men behind the ball as Sterling again goes close. Ward-Prowse flicks the ball on for Rooney, who holds it up and lays it off for the winger. Jiracek charges him down but Sterling manages to get a shot away from thirty yards. It's dipping but not quite enough and the ball touches the crossbar as it drifts over.
18:49 FULL TIME
Neither side made it out of first gear in the worst game of the finals so far but Roy Hodgson must be fuming at his side after a lacklustre display. It's a terrific three points for the Czechs but there is a lot of work to do for England, who barely managed a shot on target.
Taz.
Ukraine 2-0 Russia
Bezus and Zozulya fire Ukraine to the top of Group E
Last Updated: 13 June 2016, 21:58 BST
Ukraine began Euro 2016 on a high after a superb 2-0 win over neighbours Russia.
An excellent team performance from Mykhaylo Fomenko's side earned all three points in their first game in Group E. Ukraine moved the ball around superbly as a unit and Roman Zozulya opened the scoring in the first half, before the instrumental Roman Bezus added a second goal on the brink of half time. Fabio Capello encountered a familiar problem in Lyon as Russia struggled for numbers in attack, often leaving lone striker Alexandr Kerzhakov isolated in the Ukrainian half as Fomenko's men dominated possession.
The game began slowly at Stade des Lumières and Ukraine took the lead in the twenty-fourth minute with their first real chance. Maxym Koval lofted the ball into the Russian half and Georgi Schennikov disastrously misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing Zozulya to steal it and race through on goal. The Dnipro striker blasted the ball past Igor Akinfeev to put Ukraine ahead. Fomenko's side nearly doubled the lead just a minute later after a brilliant passing move between Andriy Yarmolenko, Zozulya and Bezus, only for Akinfeev to save well.
Ukraine's full-backs both shined as Russia found it tough to support Kerzhakov. Capello's side's best chance of the first half arrived when Roman Shirokov took on Denys Garmash and cut the ball back for Yuri Zhirkov. The veteran winger drove the ball into the side netting from ten yards out. Ukraine landed the killer blow in the forty-fourth minute. Russia were far too slow to readjust after Oleg Husev's corner and the ball fell to Bezus on the edge of the area. The impressive Dnipro man guided a first-time effort into the top left-hand corner.
Akinfeev was the stand-out player for Russia and the manner of defeat could have been even more demoralising without a string of impressive second-half saves. Ukraine left-back Eduard Sobol cleverly slipped in behind Igor Smolnikov to meet Yarmolenko's through ball and Akinfeev produced a brilliant, arching stop. Russia looked sunk and Alexandr Samedov's tame free-kick was the closest they went to reducing the deficit. Garmash was unlucky not to bag a third goal for Ukraine late on as his powerful strike grazed the crossbar.
Player Ratings
Ukraine Koval 7 - Fedetskyi 7, Khacheridi 8, Rakitskyi 8, Sobol 8 - Sydorchuk 7, Garmash 7 (Rotan) - Gusev 7, Bezus 8, Yarmolenko 7 - Zozulya 8 (Devic).
Russia Akinfeev 7 - Smolnikov 4, V. Berezutskiy 5, Granat 6, Schennikov 6 - Samedov 5, Denisov 6, Shirokov 6 (Mamaev 6), Glushakov 6, Zhirkov 5 (Kombarov 6) - Kerzhakov 5 (Kokorin 6).