(Soccer365.com) Chelsea are set to step up their bid for Real Madrid winger Robinho, according to the player's agent.

Robinho has long been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, and following the appointment of fellow Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari as the Blues manager, a move away from the Bernabeu now seems more likely.

Scolari only takes up his post on Tuesday but it is understood the former Portugal coach has already signaled out Robinho as a key summer target, with a reported 25million pound bid being readied for the Brazilian ace.

It is also thought Madrid are looking to raise funds in order to make an appropriate offer for Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, heightening the chances of Robinho's departure.

Robinho's representative Wagner Ribeiro is aware of Chelsea's interest and believes the two clubs should begin formal talks in the coming days.

"It is not new but now with the arrival of Scolari to the bench they have increased the contact," Ribeiro said.

"I expect there to be an official contact between the clubs this week after the end of the Euros."

Robinho, who enjoyed an impressive campaign for Real last term, will reportedly be offered a lucrative four-year deal.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fernando Torres struck the only goal of the game as Spain ended their 44-year wait for a major international trophy by beating Germany in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna.

The Liverpool striker netted the clincher in the 33rd minute, doing superbly to pick up a Xavi through-ball, skip past the challenge of Philipp Lahm before dinking his shot over Jens Lehmann and into the far corner of the net.

Torres had earlier seen a header hit the post as dominant Spain finally banished their reputation of underachieving on the big stage by winning their first major trophy since Euro 1964.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Soccer365.com) Philipp Lahm fired a last minute winner to give Germany a 3-2 victory over Turkey in a thrilling Euro 2008 semi-final in Basel.

The match looked set for extra-time at 2-2 before the Bayern Munich wingback fired home to give Germany a shot at a fourth European Championship title.

Germany coach Joachim Low named an unchanged starting line-up which saw Simon Rolfes preferred to influential midfielder Torsten Frings, who was returning from a rib injury.

Turkey coach Fatih Terim had several selection headaches and were without several players through injury and suspension. Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan, Volkan Demirel and Emre Asik were all banned, while Nihat Kahveci, Emre Gungor, Servet Cetin and Emre Belozoglu were nursing injuries.

Turkey could well have taken an early lead through former Sheffield United forward Kazim Kazim (known as Colin Kazim-Richards in the UK), who drilled a right-footed shot against the bar.

The Turks were rewarded for their early attacking trust with a goal from Ugur Boral after 22 minutes. The Fenerbahce favourite out-foxed veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann seconds after Kazim hit the bar for the second time in quick succession.

But Germany hit straight back just four minutes later following a crisp cross from Lukas Podolski from the left wing, picking out Bastian Schweinsteiger in the box. The Bayern Munich hitman had little trouble sliding the ball past quarter-final penalty hero Recber Rustu in the Turkey goal.

Frings got his chance at the start of the second period, coming on for Simon Rolfes.

Germany could have been awarded a penalty seven minutes into the second stanza as Philipp Lahm was chopped in half by Sabri Sarioglu close to the box but referee Massimo Busacca waved play on as Turkey looked to get physical in the tackle.

But the three time champions hit the lead when veteran striker Miroslav Klose beat Rustu to a Lahm cross for a 2-1 lead after 79 minutes.

Turkey had other ideas and beat Lehmann for the second time as Semih Senturk nipped in at the near post to slot home for the equalizer with just four minutes remaining.

Just as the game looked destined for extra-time, Lahm played a quick one-two with Thomas Hitzlsperger, before unloading a fabulous shot to sink Turkey at 3-2 with seconds remaining.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas expects a far sterner test from Russia when they meet in the Euro 2008 semi-finals on Thursday in Vienna.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas expects a far sterner test from Russia when they meet in the Euro 2008 semi-finals on Thursday in Vienna.

Spain humbled Russia in the group stages 4-1, but Fabregas expects much more in the knock-out stages and has cautioned his teammates: "If we think it will be the same, we will be very mistaken."

Barcelona Midfielder Xavi Hernández is confident that Luis Aragones' superstars can end a 44-year European Cup winning drought: "I'm very happy because we have taken a step towards making history, but we haven't done it yet.

"We've got a tough nut to crack in Russia, but the team is ready in all senses and we want to win the tournament.

"We want to keep faith with our playing style. This game will be very different but the key will be if we can keep control of the ball.

"We certainly haven't become over-confident. There is no danger of that with this team or with this coach."

Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink has warned his players not to repeat their opening game performance: "If we play as we did before we don't even have to start this game. We may as well hand over our wallets to Spain.

"We have tried, of course, to improve. The team has learnt a lot in a very short time. We hope to continue that. That's always the question if the team with not as much experience can continue.

"It's always the advantage of more experienced teams like Spain, they are used to playing tough matches every four or five days."

However, midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov wants revenge for the embarrassing 4-1 defeat.

"I wanted to play the Spanish," said Bilyaletdinov. "The whole team made mistakes against Spain and now we've fixed them.

"It's not a group game, it's for real. It's a stronger atmosphere, you have to concentrate and not make mistakes.

"Everybody is talking about us winning the tournament but to do this we must win the next two games, two very difficult games."

Russia have minor injuries worries from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Ivan Saenko and Alexander Anyukov but the trio is expected to be ready by Thursday, while Spain has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) Russian ace Andrei Arshavin has revealed he is determined to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The Zenit St Petersburg playmaker's future has been the subject of speculation following his sensational performances at this year's European championship. He has been linked with a move to Arsenal, but said: "I have supported Barcelona all my life.

"Barcelona are my dream. I never thought I would have a genuine chance to play for the club. Let's see how the situation unfolds.

"For now I can't say anything for sure. At the moment I'm a player of team Russia and I'm only thinking about doing well in the semi-finals."

Russia take on Spain in the semi-final on Thursday and will be looking to overturn their 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Spanish in the group stage of the competition. Arshavin missed that match through suspension and is looking forward to the semi-final.

"For me the first game has no meaning any more. This is a semi-final and things can be decided by a single mistake," he concluded.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) Germany midfielder Torsten Frings may make an inspirational return in the Euro 2008 semi-finals against an injury-riddled Turkey side in Basel despite cracking rib.

"It speaks for him that he wants to play. I just returned from training and he did everything there," said assistant coach Hansi Flick.

Captain Michael Ballack confirmed: "Torsten is fit again, he has trained. He is pain-free, it is no risk when he plays."

The Chelsea star added: "We know Turkey are missing a lot of players through injury and suspension but they have shown a never-say-die attitude."

"Whoever you face at this stage you're going to get an even match. Their mental strength is a major factor, they can adapt to any opponent and they have a great motivator as a coach. We expect a very close game," reflected Ballack.

Germany coach Joachim Loew hinted: "We may go back to two strikers. Or Three. Or never change a winning team.”

Meanwhile, the Turkey camp has been hit by numerous suspension and injuries which has left Gokhan Zan as the only fit center half.

With regular defender Servet Cetin highly doubtful, Turkey coach Fatih Terim may be forced to start with left-back Hakan Balta alongside Gokhan.

"It could be that we are reduced to just 13 or 14 players because of injuries," admitted Gokhan.

"We beat Croatia and now face a top-class team in the form of Germany. We will clear this obstacle and are not afraid of anyone even though we have a lot of injuries and suspensions."

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

(Soccer365.com) Zenit st Petersburg manager Dick Advokaat says any club in Europe would be lucky to have star Russia striker Andrei Arshavin on their books.

Arshavin has attracted a lot of attention at Euro 2008, with some excellent displays of footwork and strike play, and Advokaat admits he would be hard pressed to keep the 27-year-old at the Russian club.

Advokaat said: "I can understand that he wants to play in Europe.

"I think he has some clubs in his mind, some in England and others in Spain, because they are the only two countries he would like to play in."

He added: "We had a meeting and he said at his age this is the time to move on.

"If you lose one of your main players you don't like it as a coach but you have to be realistic.

"It is difficult to say which league would suit him best. We play more or less 4-3-3 and our wide players have a lot of freedom.

"I'm not sure other coaches will give him the freedom but you have to otherwise it's difficult to use him. He needs the freedom to do what he thinks is best for the team.

"I have worked with him for two years and he is a very talented player.

"He's just turned 27, he's very quick, he has an excellent shot on both legs and besides scoring he can also provide for other players."

Arshavin will be in action when Russia take on Spain in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Soccer365.com) Spain boss Luis Aragones is thrilled with his side's performance at Euro 2008 thus far, especially after they sent world champions Italy packing in the quarter finals on Sunday.

Spain boss Luis Aragones is thrilled with his side's performance at Euro 2008 thus far, especially after they sent world champions Italy packing in the quarter finals on Sunday.

Spain, often derided for their lack of big match temperament, won the match on penalties and showed great resolve under pressure.

Aragones enthused: "I would like to congratulate first of all my players for their remarkable behaviour and maintaining their morale during the match.

"It was very difficult as the Italians closed down all the spaces, which made it difficult to play our natural game.

"Like all the Spanish camp I'm delighted by this victory."

He added a word of caution though, saying: "But we've done nothing more than win a small battle. I think Spain just about deserved to win but we didn't play good football and neither did Italy.

"We did the job and in Spain we have always talked about not getting past the quarters but now we have a chance of getting to the final. The team is convinced they can win this."

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who slotted the winning spot kick, said: "This is wonderful, it is impossible to find the words to express such an emotion.

"We are just simply delighted. This is an important victory for this young side. We have been waiting for this for a long time."

Spain will play Russia in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) David Villa insists Spain will not be haunted by past ghosts when they face world champions Italy in the last Euro 2008 quarter-final in Vienna on Sunday.

Spain are on a nine-match winning streak and unbeaten in 19 games overall, but while recent form would suggest they are favourites heading into the Italy clash, history and past performances indicate otherwise.

Despite often looking formidable during qualifying for major tournaments, the Spanish have earned an unwelcome reputation as being a team of chokers on the biggest stages - particularly in quarter-finals.

Only once have Spain managed to get beyond the last eight in World Cups, while in European Championships they have only been able to do it on two occasions - going on to win on home soil in 1964 and then finishing as runners-up in 1984.

Those are not the only statistics and quirks of fate that appear to be against the Iberian nation either.

The date of June 22 - Sunday's date - has also not been kind to the Spanish, with the team suffering defeats on that day in the 2002 World Cup (against South Korea), Euro 96 (against England) and the 1986 World Cup (against Belgium) - all in penalty shoot-outs and all at the quarter-final stage.

As well as all that, Spain have also not recorded a victory against Italy in a competitive match since 1920, although they have had plenty of friendly success including a 1-0 win over Roberto Donadoni's men in Elche in March.

However, Villa is adamant that will all mean little when they take to the field at the Ernst Happel Stadion on Sunday.

"All that is not going to help Italy nor is it going to damage us, all that is past," said the Valencia striker.

"History is not against us but perhaps favours Italy slightly, but tomorrow is a completely new match.

"If they (Italy) want to beat us they have to play better than us. We are not thinking of the past, we have our thoughts focused on beating them.

"Tomorrow we are going to play 90 minutes and the winner will go through to the next round and until the first ball is kicked, nothing that has happened before will have any relevance."

Villa also played down talk of revenge for what happened in the 1994 World Cup, when Italy knocked Spain out at the quarter-final stage in a match where Luis Enrique had his nose broken by the elbow of Italian defender Mauro Tassotti late on in the match.

That happened inside the area but no penalty was given and Spain ultimately tumbled out 2-1, with Tassotti subsequently given an eight-match ban.

That incident has been well-publicised in the Spanish media in the build-up to Sunday's match, but Villa insists that talk of wanting vengeance this weekend is wide of the mark.

"Luis Enrique suffered in that match in the United States as did the whole country, not just because we lost but because we saw his image with a broken nose, but there is no revenge," said Villa, who is currently the leading scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals.

"What we want is to win and to be in the semi-finals, and to carry on in this European Championship. We have a lot of hope for the tournament."

Spain coach Luis Aragones rested 10 of his starters from the opening two games for Wednesday's final group match against Greece, but he is poised to draft all of them back in for the Italy match.

The veteran coach, who is stepping down after the tournament, feels his team are in a positive frame of mind for the game.

"The team are convinced (they can win), they will play 110%. We have to have positive thinking and the team has that. I know that if the team has to 'die' on the field, they will," he said.

While Spain should be able to select their first XI, Italy coach Donadoni will be without centre-back Fabio Cannavaro, who picked up an ankle injury days before the start of the tournament, plus suspended midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo.

Aragones is not putting much stock in their absences though, saying: "They are three important players for Italy, but for us they are still a competitive team, a good team and they have other good players to come in in place of them."

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) The Netherlands were left ruing missed chances as surprise package Russia booked their place in the Euro 2008 semi-finals with a well-deserved 3-1 win at St Jakob Park on Saturday.

The Netherlands were left ruing missed chances as surprise package Russia booked their place in the Euro 2008 semi-finals with a well-deserved 3-1 win at St Jakob Park on Saturday.

The Russians looked to push forward right from the off and created a number of opportunities early on; the best of them falling to Roman Pavlyuchenko in the sixth minute, but the striker woefully ballooned his header over the crossbar after finding himself completely unmarked inside the six-yard area.

The Dutch had a golden chance to open the scoring just before the half-hour mark as Rafael van der Vaart's wicked free-kick curled in behind the defence, but Ruud van Nistelrooy couldn't quite get foot-to-ball on the far-post, and the threat sailed harmlessly behind for a goal-kick.

But just nine minutes into the second-half and Guus Hiddink's men were in front as Sergei Semak picked out the near-post run of Pavlyuchenko, and the Russian captain connected a beautiful volley to leave goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar no chance.

Marco van Basten's men pushed hard to draw the scores level and came close on a number of occasions through Wesley Sneijder, but the Real Madrid ace couldn't find target and Akinfeev remained relatively unchallenged.

But with just four minutes remaining in the match the Dutch were level as Sneijder swung over a telling free-kick, and Van Nistelrooy left the Russian defence in his wake to head home the vital equaliser.

The Russians looked to have gone down to ten men in the dying seconds of normal time after Denis Kolodin picked up his second yellow card, but after consulting with the linesman the referee bizarrely rescinded the booking as the ball was adjudged to have already gone out of play.

The match went to extra-time and Pavlyuchenko, who was having an inspired evening, almost put his side ahead seven minutes in, but his fierce 20-yard strike cannoned off the cross-bar to the despair of the Russian supporters.

Russia continued to dominate the closing stages and the pressure eventually took its toll as Andrei Arshavin burst into the box before crossing over to Dmitri Torbinski, and the substitute just managed to squeeze the ball in at the far-post.

The goal seemed to completely knock any dwindling hope out of the Netherlands, and the Russians took full advantage of the situation, with Arshavin turning his defender before firing in a low drive, and a deflection off Andre Ooijer left Van der Sar with little chance as the ball rolled through the 'keeper's legs to seal the memorable victory.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com's Martin North) Four summers ago, Jose Mourinho traded his Portuguese employers for greater challenges at Stamford Bridge. Fresh from Champions League success and brimming with confidence, he immediately set about his task of quenching Roman Abramovich’s insatiable thirst for silverware. Now, Luiz Felipe Scolari will embark on the same journey, but under entirely different circumstances.

by Martin North

Portugal’s elimination from Euro 2008 signaled Scolari’s last involvement before he takes the Chelsea reins on July 1st. Press conferences with “Big Phil” are typically off-the-wall, but his unveiling at Stamford Bridge is likely to be a soberer affair than the “Special One’s” arrival in 2004. Failure with another talented Portuguese side will rile the highly competitive Brazilian. Even more depressing is the task that awaits him at Chelsea.

After the first trophy-less season since 2003-04, Abramovich ruthlessly sacked Avram Grant only three days after the agony of Moscow. Grant’s successor is charged with not only wrestling back domestic superiority from Manchester United, he must also conquer Europe, Abramovich’s supreme goal.

The prospect of achieving that target this season hinges on Scolari’s ability to forge team unity despite the inevitable comings and goings this summer. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy is keen to improve Chelsea’s image, but the attitude of “us against the world” that Mourinho fostered is unlikely to change under Scolari. The Chelsea players will either buy into his philosophy or risk falling foul of his notorious temper. Some may prefer to make way before the “Felipão” show comes to town.

Now at Inter, Mourinho is supposedly busy courting Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. Drogba seems certain to leave. Lampard has openly expressed his interest in a move abroad. Scolari will not have long to assess those left behind. He is already familiar, however, with the Portuguese contingent on Chelsea’s books.

Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and the incoming Jose Bosingwa all took part in the loss to Germany. Although Bosingwa and Carvalho were generally solid, Scolari will have been less impressed with Ferreira. The makeshift left-back was at fault for the first and third Germany goals. It will be a surprise if he remains anything more than a squad player at Stamford Bridge.

Portugal suffered from a chronic over-reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo. For all of Deco’s myriad talents, goal-scoring is not one of them. Simao Sabrosa was a shambles, his tournament thoroughly disappointing after an excellent season at Benfica. The lack of a world-class striker was obvious as Portugal missed two glorious chances that bounced off Joao Moutinho’s knee and Pepe’s head.

Scolari must take his share of the blame. His refusal to withdraw the hapless Simao was strange given his celebrated decision to remove Luis Figo from the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against England. When Moutinho picked up an injury in Thursday’s first half, Scolari choose to replace him with the honest but limited Raul Meireles instead of the hugely talented Miguel Veloso. Two goals down at the time, Scolari should have shown more adventure.

Only a moment of brilliance from Ronaldo kept the Portuguese in the game. His superb control and run into the heart of the German defence created Nuno Gomes’s goal and turned the half time momentum in Portugal’s favor.

After the break, Ronaldo found it much harder to influence affairs. The majority of Portugal’s attacks were directed through Deco and Simao, often disintegrating when faced with some highly organized German defending. Portuguese moves were either bottlenecked down the middle or moved out wide where wayward crossing did Ronaldo no favors.

The Manchester United star will now face infinite questions over his future until he reveals his intent. He came to Austria and Switzerland determined to prove his accepted status as the world’s best player. If Ronaldo is looking to move, the Golden Boot would have been a persuasive incentive for Ramon Calderon to reach for his checkbook.

As it is, his tally of only one goal from Euro 2008 may serve to remind Ronaldo that Manchester United’s attacking philosophy and the Premier League’s intensity suit his game particularly well.

If he does stay at Old Trafford, Ronaldo will face his former national boss when United travel to Stamford Bridge on September 20th. By then, both will be fully focused on their domestic duties. Early success in the title race would give one of them a head start in forgetting the disappointment of this summer.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 04:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) After a slow start, Euro 2008 has started to provide the sort of drama that we all hoped for. The hosts and holders have made an early exit, but the tragedy and elation will heighten for the remaining players as we reach the higher climbs of the tournament. With the Group Stages consigned to the history books, Soccer365’s Martin North takes stock of the storylines so far.

On The Up

Holding midfielders

The “Makelele” role is more important than ever. The tournament’s most compelling attacking units have employed a pivot-player to liberate their more creative weapons.

Orlando Engelaar and Nigel de Jong provided the platform for Wesley Sneijder’s heroics against Italy and France.

Brazilian-born Marcos Senna is preferred to Cesc Fabregas by Luis Aragones. Fabregas’s talent lights up the Premier League, but for Spain he is reduced to an impact sub in favor of Senna’s darker arts.

Dean Gaffney look-alike Petit patrols the trenches for Portugal, allowing Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo to make their forward forays.

The tournament’s surprise package so far, Turkey has employed Mehmet Aurelio – yet another Brazilian convert – as the defensive rock in tandem with the energetic Arda Turan.

Marco van Basten

Compared to some of his counterparts at Euro 2008, the 43 year-old Van Basten is still in his managerial infancy. After taking the Holland job in 2004, he was quick to establish his authority and put faith in youth by dropping veterans like Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and Mark van Bommel. His feud with Ruud van Nistelrooy came to an end last year but the Oranje flattered to deceive during qualification for Austria and Switzerland. In 12 games they scored only 15 goals, finishing second in Group G to Romania. Their punishment was a draw that paired them not only with the Romanians, but also the 2006 World Cup Finalists Italy and France. Extraordinary victories over the two group favorites have silenced the critics and the manner of success can be credited in no small part to Van Basten. His decision to leave Clarence Seedorf at home has been vindicated as Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart, Orlando Engelaar, Nigel de Jong and Dirk Kuyt have combined to form the tournament’s most exciting midfield. At the beginning of the second half against Italy, Van Basten stemmed the Azzurri tide with the introduction of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, both scoring to put the win beyond doubt.

Flying full-backs

With counter-attacking sides in the ascendancy, the benefit of athletic full-backs who can stretch the field is clear.

The galloping Danijel Pranjic has starred for Croatia on their left flank. On the right, Vedran Corluka is fast becoming one of the best young defenders in Europe.

33 year-old Giovanni van Bronkhorst has reeled back the years and contributed as much as anyone to Holland’s early success. His goal against Italy was just reward for a swashbuckling performance.

Italian fortunes have improved with Fabio Grosso back in the side. The left-back was one of Italy’s most consistent performer’s at the last World Cup. Gianluca Zambrotta has begun to find some form after a poor start against Holland in the first game. The more he and Grosso figure, the better the Azzurri’s chances in the knockout rounds.

Guus Hiddink knows the value of a good full-back and he has an excellent one in Alexander Anyukov for Russia. The pacy right-back was instrumental in Russia’s victory over Sweden.

Goalkeeping

If you find yourself on the ropes in international football, it helps to have a world class goalkeeper behind you. Petr Cech’s tragic mistake against Turkey aside, the standard of goalkeeping in the tournament thus far has been excellent.

The usual suspects have performed as expected. Italy would be on their way back home if it weren’t for Gigi Buffon. His penalty save against Romania is par for the course for the world’s best keeper.

Holland’s win over Italy would have been by a finer margin had Edwin van der Sar not brilliantly saved Andrea Pirlo’s free kick. Instead of their lead dwindling to one goal, the Dutch then proceeded to sweep downfield and add a third.

Less experienced keepers have also shined. Volkan Demirel has been vital to Turkey’s dramatic run to the quarter-finals. His two-game ban for a tame push on Jan Koller deprives the Turks of a wonderful shot-stopper. Croatia will severely test his replacement.

Even one of the worst teams boasted a first-rate goalkeeper. While his teammates managed only one goal in three games, Artur Boruc ensured Poland were not completely embarrassed. His “thou shalt not pass” defiance was impressive in the face of repeated attacks.

Lagging Behind

Spectacular goals

Goals in the group stage are down from Euro 2004 – 57 this year compared to 64 in Portugal. The high standard of goalkeeping may be one reason for the drop. Certainly, concerns over this year’s match ball seem to be ill-founded. Several goalkeepers, including Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech, complained that the “Europass” ball deviated wildly in flight. Cech said that he expected to see “lots of goals from 30 meters out.” That hasn’t happened.

The last World Cup kicked off with two stunning goals from Philipp Lahm and Torsten Frings that set the tone for a month of spectacular net-bursting efforts.

To date, Euro 2008 has seen very few long range shots find their target. Michael Ballack’s arrowed goal against Austria was the first and only score of the group stage from a direct free kick, not counting Daniele De Rossi’s deflected strike against France.

Instead, the trend has been toward razor-sharp finishes from sweeping counter-attacks; Russia’s two goals against Sweden are perfect examples. The majority of Holland and Spain’s 17 goals so far have come on the break.

Don’t bet against seeing some fireworks as the competition heats up. With the likes of Ballack, Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres still involved, breathtaking, bending shots could be just around the corner.

Refereeing

Manuel Mehuto Gomez’s farcical dismissal of Joachim Low and Josef Hickersberger was symptomatic of the refereeing in the tournament so far. Too often, officials and their decisions have become the story.

But the major problem remains consistency. How can Marcin Wasilewsk’s challenge on Sebastian Prödl be penalized yet Johan Elmander escapes after flattening David Silva in the box? A foul should be a foul, no mater where it occurs.

Referees clearly need help but they have received scarce assistance from their linesmen. Bad offside calls have peppered the tournament so far. It seems like every game has seen at least two or three obvious errors by flag-happy assistants; Perhaps another reason for fewer goals.

Czech Rep/France/Greece

Ranked 6th, 7th and 8th in the world respectively, Euro 2008 has been a massive disappointment for the Czechs, French and Greeks.

Karel Brückner’s men started slowly against Switzerland. Lucky to escape with a win, there was no improvement against Portugal and the capitulation to Turkey was a major step backward for one of Europe’s most consistent teams of the last 15 years.

Although not as embarrassing as their exit from the 2002 World Cup, France’s dismal showing appears to have sounder the death knell for the illustrious generation that won World and European glory. Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram have already announced their international retirements. The likes of Coupet, Vieira and Henry may follow suit or find themselves phased out.

The Greeks were nowhere near being the “new Greece,” and that’s a good thing for football. The class of 2004 showed what can be accomplished with organization, drive and togetherness, but their success came at the expense of flair and creativity. Without the inspirational ability of a Zidane or Cruyff, football becomes mundane. Greece was the Cinderella of European football but what did they give us? What game-changing moments of skill or breathtaking play did they offer us? That Ex-Leicester City midfielder Theo Zagorakis won Player of the Tournament in Portugal speaks volumes.

Zero wins this summer may be bad for Greece, but thankfully it shows that football has moved on.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) Bastian Schweinsteiger set-up two goals and scored another as three time European Championship winners Germany shocked Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal 3-2 in a pulsating Euro 2008 quarter-final in Basel.

Bastian Schweinsteiger set-up two goals and scored another as three time European Championship winners Germany shocked Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal 3-2 in a pulsating Euro 2008 quarter-final in Basel.

Germany could not have started any better and were two goals up after just 26 minutes as many pundits' tournament favourites Portugal were rocked early on.

The opening goal came thanks to an electric run down the left flank by forward Lukas Podolski, who picked up Schweinsteiger racing into the box. The Bayern Munich midfielder crashed the ball past Ricardo Pereira for the lead after 22 minutes to make up for being sent off against Croatia earlier in the tournament.

Schweinsteiger turned from scorer into provider four minutes later, picking up tall striker Miroslav Klose in acres of space from an accurate free kick. The Golden Boot winner at the 2006 World Cup had no trouble heading past Pereira for a surprising 2-0 lead with Portugal containing the likes of Manchester United super star Ronaldo and Barcelona playmaker Deco.

But Portugal maintained their composure and reduced the deficit five minutes before half-time through Benfica centre forward Nuno Gomes. The goal was set-up following a typical speedy run and shot by Ronaldo which forced a low save from Arsenal veteran Jens Lehmann - but Gomes was on hand to smash the loose ball home with the German defence scrambling.

Real Madrid defender Kleper Pepe should have leveled the game for Portugal 12 minutes after the break from a vicious corner, but somehow put his header over the bar from four meters out with Lehmann beaten.

Pepe will surely rue the miss as Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack stole a yard on some sloppy Portugal defenders to head home from another Schweinsteiger tracer bullet free kick.

There was a suggestion that Ballack pushed defender Paulo Ferreira in the box to create space for the header, but the goal stood as Germany looked to keep their proud cup record going with a 3-1 lead.

Sporting's Helder Postiga stole a late goal for Portugal with just three minutes remaining to setup a thrilling end to a terrific encounter.

Germany held on for the win and will face the winners of Croatia versus Turkey in Ernst Happel on Friday.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) France striker Thierry Henry has admitted he considered giving up international football after France's Euro 2008 exit, but has since changed his mind on the matter.

The Barcelona frontman could not help his side avoid a first round exit after being considered one of the favourites for the title, and was the only person to score a goal in the tournament for Les Bleus.

Henry also refused to allow the blame to fall on manager Raymond Domenech's shoulders, despite the mentor having his job under review as a result of the side's poor showing.

Henry said: "This defeat doesn't change my future.

"Quitting the national team went through my head but I know what is going to happen now. We win or lose all together.

"It's not only the manager's problem, even if I know lots of people will talk about him. We had the same manager in the 2006 World Cup final."

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(Soccer365's Martin North) France and Italy must be sick of each other. Eight years ago, France prevailed when they met in the final of Euro 2000. Six years later, Italy had the ultimate revenge in Berlin.

The two giants were drawn together in qualifying for Euro 2008 then found themselves in the same finals group, the so-called “Group of Death.” Both were still expected to qualify mind you.

Unfortunately for the French, Holland and Romania had other ideas. Both conspired to foil the favorites in very different ways. Where Romania stifled, the Dutch overwhelmed.

The flowing football of a youthful Holland team has been in stark contrast to the stodgy fare served up by aging French and Italian squads. Crushing defeats to Van Basten’s Orange Swarm had Domenech and Donadoni not only fighting for Euro survival, but also their jobs.

So instead of a procession, yesterday’s latest installment of the French-Italian rivalry became a winner-takes-all showdown. It was France who flinched first.

The loss of Franck Ribery to injury after only 10 minutes was painful enough. Eric Abidal’s clumsy challenge on Luca Toni and subsequent dismissal was a mortal wound from which there would be no Gallic recovery.

Andrea Pirlo dispatched the resulting penalty with characteristic precision. It was his delightfully weighted pass that had released Toni behind the French defence, one of several chances Pirlo provided for his misfiring striker.

In fact, had Abidal not dived in so recklessly, Toni would probably have missed given his current form. He is yet to score in the tournament despite playing 90 minutes in all three group games. Of his 12 shots to date, only 3 have been on target.

Spain’s David Villa, who the Azzurri will now meet in the Quarter-finals, has already scored 4 goals from 11 shots in only 2 games.

On yesterday’s showing, beating Spain will require substantial improvement. The defence remains a work in progress – Zambrotta and Grosso are first-rate full-backs but Xavi, Iniesta and Co. will fancy their chances of unlocking a Chiellini/Panucci partnership in the center.

They weren’t overly troubled by the French attack. Thierry Henry pouted but his most significant contribution was a toe poke that deflected Daniele De Rossi’s free kick into his own net. Despite a disappointing debut season at the Nou Camp, Henry appears to have a future at Barcelona. Whether his international career continues all the way to South Africa must now be in doubt.

Apart from Karim Benzema, there are no obvious candidates to replace Henry for Les Bleus. Benzema huffed and puffed but too often he found himself playing in the hole while Henry spearheaded the attack.

Surely the pair would have been more effective in the opposite positions. Henry’s creativity should have thrived in the space and channels created by Benzema smash-and-grab ability stretching the field. Instead, Henry led the line and Benzema lacked the maturity and guile to fashion clear-cut openings for his Captain.

Only Domenech knows why these roles weren’t reversed. There will undoubtedly be calls for his resignation following a departure that rivals the 2002 World Cup in terms of embarrassment. Claude Makelele has already announced his international retirement and more will follow. After scoring only one goal in three games, an introduction of new blood from Clairefontaine is desperately required, especially in attack.

Italy benefited greatly from their own injection of youth. De Rossi’s box-to-box energy gives the Azzurri engine room increased horsepower. The Roma midfielder’s forcefulness is a nice complement to the elegance of Pirlo. His presence, alongside the snapping Gennaro Gattuso, will be crucial if Italy hope to limit the space in which Spain’s creative midfielders operate.

If they can disrupt the Spanish rhythm, and if Toni finally finds his shooting boots, Italy could face a rematch with Holland in the Semi-finals. Their experience will be invaluable as the tournament progresses, but will this prove to be a tournament too far for the World Champions?

The average age of their starting line-up against France was 28.9. Compare that with the Dutch, who comfortably beat Romania with a back-up team aged 25.5.

But have the Dutch peaked too soon? Since the Group format began in 1980, only once – France in 1984 – has team won every game on its way to the trophy. Holland will certainly take some stopping. At present they are a quite irresistible force – 9 goals in the Group stage is a feat equaled only by, yep you guessed it, The Platini-led French in 1984.

If they do meet again, Holland vs. Italy will be a classic duel between youthful urgency and veteran endurance. The pace-making Dutch have the legs for a sprint; Italian hopes depend on outlasting them in the ensuing marathon.

by Martin North

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(Soccer365.com) Holland made easy work of the Group of Death completing their sweep with a 2-0 win over Romania at the Stade de Suisse on Tuesday. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie each scored in the second half.

The Dutch finished off with 9 points from the three Group C matches, with 9 goals while only allowing 1 goal and will have full confidence heading into their quarterfinal match-up with either Sweden or Russia.

Despite Marco van Basten using a shuffled line-up with only Khalid Boulahrouz and Orlando Engelaar retaining their places from earlier matches and Romania needing a victory to make it to the next round, Holland took early control and never looked back.

The only complaint from the coach might been with the poor finishing as Huntelaar, Van Persie, Arjen Robben and others having chances to open the scoring in the first half only to see their attempts go begging.

Huntelaar finally made good on a chance when he guided in Ibrahim Afellay's low cross from the right flank past Bogdan Lobont in the 54th minute.

Van Persie made good on his final and probably most difficult attempt to finish off Romania in the 87th minute. The Arsenal midfielder beautifully controlled a cross with his chest at the top of the box, fought through a hard challenge and did well to keep his feet before blasting a left footed shot into the top of the net.

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(Soccer365.com) Captain Michael Ballack secured Germany’s place in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals with a superb free-kick in the 1-0 win over co-hosts Austria on Monday. The pre-tournament favorites will face Group A winners Portugal in Basel on Thursday.

After the two teams went to the break level at 0-0, Germany broke through in the 49th minute. The set piece was set up when Austria’s Andreas Ivanschitz pulled down Philipp Lahm. Ballack stepped up and drilled his right footed laser freekick over goalkeeper Jürgen Macho and into the upper right corner.

Until that moment, the host nation had shown well with possession but could not find the final touch to beat Germany’s Jens Lehmann.

Despite Austria pushing for the equalizer and several great counter attack opportunities, Germany could not add to the lead.

With the win Germany advance to the elimination round for the first time since 1996 when they last won the tournament.

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(Soccer365.com) Nihat Kahveci scored twice in a dramatic final four minutes to earn Turkey second spot in Group A and a quarter-final clash with Croatia as they beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in a Euro 2008 thriller in Geneva.

The Czechs looked home and dry in the 61st minute when Jaroslav Plasil added to Jan Koller's first-half opener to put his team 2-0 ahead.

But in an amazing end to the winner-takes-all match, Arda Turan halved the deficit in the 75th minute before Nihat came to the party.

The Turkey captain drew the sides level in the 86th minute when he took advantage of a ghastly error by Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech to poke home into an empty net.

And the Villarreal striker sparked delirium among the Turkish fans when he curled home an unstoppable winner with two minutes remaining.

There was still time for Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel to receive his marching orders for an off-the-ball incident involving Koller, but his team held on to record their first win over the Czechs in 12 attempts.

Group B winners Croatia now lie in wait for the Turks in Vienna on Friday.

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(Soccer365.com) Germany captain Michael Ballack admits the defeat to Croatia was a wake-up call for his side as they look to make their mark on Euro 2008.

One of the pre-tournament favourites, Germany were outplayed by the Croatians last Thursday as they slipped to a 2-1 loss in Group B.

Joachim Low's men travelled to Vienna on Sunday ahead of their decisive clash with Austria on Monday.

A draw with the co-hosts would be enough for Germany to qualify for the quarter-finals, but Ballack insists they are looking for more following their recent disappointment.

"Everybody is a bit tense after this loss, which is normal," said the Chelsea midfielder.

"If it were any different, then there would be no reaction. But we go into the game with this tension and the pressure to win, which brings a few more percentage points out of you.

"We have this pressure but we have shown in past that we can deal with it.

"I hope that we show a reaction on Monday and win the game.

Ballack also admits the atmosphere inside the Germany training camp has altered over the last few days.

Rather than the relaxed feel which surrounded the squad on their arrival in southern Switzerland almost a fortnight ago, the seriousness of the task in hand has come to the fore.

"Football is not always harmonious," admitted Ballack. "The voices in the team have got louder and people have been

giving their opinion, but it is all constructive.

"What is decisive is that it is positive and aimed at the success of the side, but every player knows it and the important thing is that a reaction comes of it."

"We have lost a game, but still have a chance. We are still in the tournament and the situation has not changed.

"We have got to win every game from now on in."

While Ballack admits he would have been happier heading into their final group game having already secured a place in the last eight, he knows what to expect in Vienna on Monday.

The crowd will be largely Austrian and hostile, and the stakes for the hosts are even higher as they look to cause an upset against their more illustrious neighbours.

"I think we are favourites and Austria know they have nothing to lose, given the way they have been talking," Ballack continued.

"It will be tough with a full stadium and the home fans getting behind them, but we knew this would be the case before the tournament began.

"Although it would have been nice to be sitting here already qualified, that is not the case and we need to put our foot down.

"But with the right attitude and the performances of recent months, we have nothing to fear."

Coach Low has promised to make changes to the side which lost to Croatia, although it is unclear how the Germany team will look on Monday.

The 4-4-2 system will probably be maintained, but the personnel are expected to be different. Marcel Jansen is definitely out injured while Bastian Schweinsteiger is suspended.

Lukas Podolski may be moved up front with Kevin Kuranyi or Oliver Neuville given a chance alongside him, leaving two spaces on either wing to occupy assuming Clemens Fritz reverts to full-back as he did in the latter stages of the Croatia game.

Those decisions will be made after the final training session in the Austrian capital on Sunday evening, and Ballack insists all of the 23 squad members can perform better than they did on Thursday.

"All the players who were on the pitch against Croatia can improve and we know that," he said.

"We will have to wait and see what the team looks like and I think every player will be motivated, whoever plays tomorrow.

"I remain 100% convinced we will win, and it is less important who is on the pitch than how we go about the game."

Low's assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick also admitted "we have to change something", although he is confident he will not witness a repeat of the Croatia match.

"You have got to look at the quality in the team and I am absolutely sure that if we can show that, then there will be only one winner, and that is us," Flick said.

"There is definitely no plan B for us."

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(Soccer365.com) Group D Leaders Spain grabbed a last minute 2-1 win against Sweden after goals from David Villa and Liverpool ace Fernando Torres in Innsbruck to book a place in the knockout stages.

Group D Leaders Spain grabbed a last minute 2-1 win against Sweden after goals from David Villa and Liverpool ace Fernando Torres in Innsbruck to book a place in the knockout stages.

Torres broke the deadlock in the 15th minute after Xavi Hernandez played a low ball in towards the front post for Villa, who in turn found Valencia club-mate David Silva on the edge of the box and his cross back in towards the six-yard box was stabbed home by the stretching Torres.

Sweden leveled things up in the 34th minute through Ibrahimovic in what was a closely-fought first half.

Spain fans felt their side should have won a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Silva went crashing under an aerial challenge from Johan Elmander, but the referee waved play on as the half finished level.

Spain waited until stoppage time to steal a win after a powerful run from Villa - brushing off a weak tackle from Petter Hansson to hammer past Andreas Isaksson for the in form striker's 4th Euro 2008 goal.

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(Soccer365.com) France coach Raymond Domenech has laid the blame for their 4-1 loss to Holland at the feet of his superstar players, saying they did not do their jobs.

Big names like Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery, Patrice Evra and Nicolas Anelka, on paper a formidable side, did not perform on the night and were outplayed by a cohesive Dutch unit.

Domenech raged: "Certain players did not do what they had to do.

"The players have to show themselves worthy of wearing the French shirt. Big players have to know how to get over things like this and to come back.

"Really this hurts. Our defence was always our strength. We were unlucky at times, but they have quality and we were missing something.

"We were not efficient and that has been our recurring problem for a while now. You can't do much about that. Every time we came back into the match they scored, and that's what killed us.

"As long as our destiny is in our own hands we can go through. We must not give in. We must play a high-level match we are capable of."

France face Italy next, and both sides need a win if they are to reach the quarter finals, and both stand a real chance of being knocked out of the tournament.

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(Soccer365.com) Adrian Mutu scored a goal and missed a penalty as Romania held world champions Italy to a thrilling 1-1 Euro 2008 Group C draw in Zurich.

The pressure was firmly on Roberto Donadoni's shoulders after Italy's 3-0 defeat to Holland in their opening game, while Romania had shown they are no mugs by holding France to a 0-0 draw.

The Italians were reeling on 55 minutes when Mutu pounced on a defensive error by Gianluca Zambrotta to give his side the lead - but it was 1-1 a minute later as Christian Panucci tapped in from close range following a corner.

Panucci was then shell-shocked 10 minutes from time when referee Tom Ovrebo harshly awarded a penalty for a challenge in the box - but Gianluigi Buffon was Italy's saviour as he brilliantly saved Mutu's spot-kick.

It was one of the games of the tournament so far, with chances coming thick and fast at either end.

Mutu had a fierce left-footed strike saved by Buffon on 15 and minutes later Cristian Chivu's free-kick deflected off Panucci's backside, totally wrongfooting the Italy stopper, but smacked against the upright.

Romania keeper Bogdan Lobont was also a busy man, pulling off a one-handed save to deny Luca Toni's header before breathing a sigh of relief on 45 minutes as Toni's headed goal was ruled out for offside.

After the break, Mutu broke the deadlock when Zambrotta's back-header from a long punt into the Italian box left Buffon well short, and the former Chelsea striker dinked a half-volley into the roof of the net.

The Italians were level soon after, though, when a deep corner was headed back into the danger zone by Giorgio Chiellini and tapped in by Panucci.

Daniele De Rossi's header was well palmed away by Lobont on 75 - but it was his goalkeeping rival Buffon who stole the headlines late on.

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(Soccer365.com) Chelsea have confirmed Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari as their new manager.

The Brazilian was one of the favourites to succeed Avram Grant in the Stamford Bridge hotseat but the timing of his appointment has come as a huge surprise.

Scolari is currently managing Portugal at Euro 2008 and was not expected to make a decision about his future until after the tournament.

A statement from Stamford Bridge read:

"Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Luiz Felipe Scolari will be the club's new manager from July 1, 2008.

Felipe has great qualities. He is one of the world's top coaches with a record of success at country and club level, he gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours. He was the outstanding choice.

Out of respect for his current role as Head Coach of the Portuguese national team, and to ensure minimum disruption to this work, there will be no further comment from Chelsea FC nor from Felipe about his new role until his employment with us commences."

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(Soccer365.com) Cristiano Ronaldo scored one and set up the others as Portugal beat Czech Republic 3-1 in Group A to edge towards the last eight of Euro 2008.

Deco put the Portuguese ahead early on in Geneve but Libor Sionko equalized within nine minutes and the game looked to be heading towards a draw until Ronaldo produced a typical moment of magic to put his side back ahead just after the hour.

Sionko missed a good chance to draw the Czechs level for a second time but the former Rangers man headed over and substitute Ricardo Quaresma added a stoppage-time third for Portugal to ensure they maintained their 100% record.

Luiz Felipe Scolari named an unchanged side from the opening win over Turkey, while there were starts for English-based duo Marek Matejovsky and Milan Baros for the Czechs.

Karel Bruckner's men actually started the brighter of the two sides but it was Portugal who went ahead in the eighth minute. Ronaldo played a neat one-two with Nuno Gomes and, after Petr Cech had initially done well to save at the feet of the Manchester United winger, Deco scrambled home from close range.

Czech Republic instantly hit back, though, and Baros had already gone close with one header by the time Sionko dived to nod in Jaroslav Plasil's corner on 17.

Deco fired over as Portugal sought the lead again, while Cech was down well to keep out Ronaldo's low drive almost immediately after.

The Czechs threatened as well as the game swung from end to end, but they struggled to get a sight on goal and it was Ronaldo yet again who went close with two efforts just before half-time.

Portugal continued to look the more dangerous at the start of the second half but Gomes shot straight at Cech with their best opportunity eight minutes in.

The Chelsea keeper saved again, this time from Simao Sabrosa, just before the hour mark but he could do nothing in the 63rd minute when Ronaldo smashed Deco's cross low into the far corner with a crisp first-time effort from inside the box.

Jan Koller came on up front ten minutes later as the Czechs looked for an equaliser but it was his strike partner Baros who went close 12 minutes from time - the Portsmouth striker heading a cross well wide when Sionko was better placed behind him.

Sionko really should have earned his side a draw six minutes from time but he failed to get any real direction on his header and Ricardo was easily able to tip his tame effort over the bar.

Czech Republic poured forward in the dying moments but they were a dealt a sucker punch in the first minute of extra time when a long punt upfield released Ronaldo, who closed on Cech and simply squared for Quaresma to slide home into an empty net.

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(Soccer365.com) Cesc Fabregas admits he would love to see his Spain teammate David Villa playing at Arsenal.

Villa lit up Euro 2008 on Tuesday as he grabbed a sensational hat-trick in Spain's 4-1 demolition of Russia in Innsbruck.

Cesc, who came off the bench to grab the fourth, says Villa would make a huge impact in the Premier League and he would love to see Arsenal sign him ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool - who have been linked.

"He would be amazing for the English league," Fabregas said of Villa.

"I would like to have him in my team because as you can see he can make the difference.

"He's an amazing player. He has mobility, he scores goals. He plays well at the back of defenders, in front of them, he's a tremendous player."

Fabregas himself was delighted to finally get his first goal for his country after 27 caps.

"It means a lot to me, the first goal in 27 games. It was time," said the Gunners midfield star.

The Arsenal ace also insisted that Spain will not be taking anything for granted after their opening success.

Spain started the World Cup two years ago in similar fashion when they hammered Ukraine 4-0 - only to bow out in the second round to France.

"We have to learn from mistakes like at the last World Cup, when everyone thought that we were going to win the tournament because of our victory against Ukraine 4-0 in the first game," he said.

"So, we don't want to get too excited and just go game by game and that's how we will win."

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(Soccer365.com) A wonderful strike from Zlatan Ibrahimovic set Sweden on the way to a 2-0 Euro 2008 Group D victory over defending champions Greece.

The Inter Milan striker ended an international goal drought lasting over two-and-a-half years mid-way through the second half with a rasping drive to bring to life a dour encounter in Salzburg.

Peter Hansson doubled the Swedes' lead soon after with a messy goal that sealed victory over a negative and uninspiring Greece side.

The tone for a scrappy game was set in the opening two minutes when Angelos Charisteas was booked for a lunge on Hansson but it was Charisteas who had the first shot of the game, a low drive straight at Andreas Isaksson after a fine jinking run on seven minutes.

Anders Svensson saw a left-footed volley from outside the box flash just wide after 11 minutes as Sweden claimed the ascendancy and their best chance fell to Ibrahimovic as the half-hour mark approached.

West Ham's Freddie Ljungberg delivered a cross from deep on the left but Ibrahimovic could only flick his header onto the roof of the net with keeper Antonis Nikopolidis in no man's land.

The Greeks' contentment to keep the ball at the back drew cries of derision from the crowd but on one of the rare occasions they got men forward, Angelos Basinas drew a fine save out of Isaksson, who was forced to turn the Mallorca midfielder's long range shot around the post a minute before the break.

Sweden began the second half brightly and Christian Wilhelmsson had a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring three minutes after the interval but the Bolton flop lifted his lob over the bar from the corner of the penalty area with Nikopolidis again out of his goal.

Hansson nearly turned a Traianos Dellas cross into his own net but on 67 minutes, Ibrahimovic put the Swedes in front with a goal-of-the-tournament contender.

Collecting a throw-in on the right, the Swedish player-of-the-year played a neat one-two with Henrik Larsson before unleashing a wonderful 20-yard drive across Nikopolidis into the far top corner.

If the Swedes' first goal was sublime, the second was ridiculous.

Ljungberg found himself one-on-one with Nikopolidis in the 72nd minute but it was the Olympiakos keeper who came out on top, blocking the ex-Arsenal star's effort. The ball however looped up into the air towards the net and was bundled home by the knee of Hansson, despite the efforts of Nikopolidis and two of his defenders.

Isaksson was forced to block Vassilis Torosidis' shot from a tight angle with five minutes left, but Greece rarely threatened and now must take three points from their clash with Spain on Saturday to stay in the tournament.

Sweden however go into their clash with Russia knowing that a win will almost certainly send them through to the quarter-finals.