An injury time penalty, which drew Austria level with Poland, gives the co-hosts a fighting chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Poland Coach Leo Beenhakker made a couple of changes to the Polish side that lost 2-0 to Germany on Sunday and they miraculously paid off.

The Dutch tactician bolstered his attack when logic should have told him to reinforce his back line after the Poles’ shambolic defensive display against the Germans.

Southampton striker Marek Saganowski replaced injured former Celtic target man Marek Zurawski while Brazilian born Roger Guerreiro was brought in as a trequartista, having put in a impressed as a substitute on Sunday.

The pair, starved of service for much of the game, contrived to give the Orly an unlikely lead after 31 minutes.

Saganowski brought down a diagonal at the far post, held off a couple of Austrian defenders and pushed the ball across goal to Roger, who evaded Martin Stranzl to put the Poles ahead.

Aside from a single Jacek Krzynowek shot from distance on 19 minutes, it was the Orly’s first real effort on goal.

There was a hint of offside too with replays showing that Roger was ahead of the last defender when the ball was played to him.

The Austrians looked like they were going to run away with the game in the first 20 minutes, breaking forward at every opportunity.

Josef Hickersberger’s high-octane game plan was simply too much for the Poles, who could not cope with the sheer pace and energy of the Austrians.

Poland continued to operate a high defensive line, which appeared to suit Hickersberger’s jet-heeled attackers.

Marek Harnik latched onto a sloppy back pass and burst through the Polish back four after 10 minutes, forcing Artur Boruc into a save.

The Celtic goalkeeper was called into action several times before his teammates conjured a goal, asserting his right to be considered one of the best ‘keepers in the world.

Christoph Leitgeb followed Harnik’s example minutes later and dueled with Boruc alone, but the 28-year-old keeper snuffed out the danger again.

Boruc’s outstanding performance clearly lifted his side and deflated the Austrians who looked crestfallen on being thwarted time and again.

With growing confidence, the Poles began to hold on to the ball better and went into their dressing room at half time with smiles on their faces while the Austrians looked around in disbelief.

Austria’s desperation carried on into the second half. Barely a minute after the restart, captain Andreas Ivanschitz raced through on goal and demanded a penalty after Pawel Golanski appeared to pull him back.

The 24-year-old dived to prove his point, but English referee Howard Webb was unimpressed and ordered him to get up.

Poland promptly countered through Roger who showed wonderful vision to pick out Ebi Smolarek from the left hand side, deep in his own half.

Smolarek, however, fluffed his lines on meeting Austrian goalkeeper Jurgen Macho and the Orly’s chance to double their lead disappeared.

Roger continued to add flair to the Poles, teeing up Jacek Bak at the far post after 62 minutes who forced Macho to a low save.

The former Chelsea and Sunderland stopper was worked again from outside the area, pushed the ball to safety and then began berating his defenders, who had been playing far too deep, telling them to get out of his area.

Not that that helped. The Austrians conceded a free kick on 68 minutes 10 yards outside the box, which Krzynowek used to singe Macho’s hands further.

The 30-year-old, who now plays in Greece for AEK Athens, was equal to it though and tipped it over the bar.

Tired and increasingly downcast, the Austrians kept giving away possession and reverted to a long ball game, which suited the physical Poles who out-muscled their opponents in the air.

All Hickersberger’s side could muster was the odd corner, which either ended up comfortably in Boruc’s hands or on the opposite touch line so poor was the Austrians’ delivery.

Set pieces provided the only threat to Boruc’s goal, but they were all too often hit high and wide. Ivica Vastic’s effort in the 76th minute probably reached Switzerland.

Vastic was finding his range though. Seconds later he swung in a free kick from the right, which Boruc failed to deal with and fumbled for another wasted corner.

Beenhakker reacted to Austria’s tepid resurgence in bullish fashion, replacing Saganowski with another attacker Wojciech Lobodzinski.

Roger was also sacrificed for a forward-thinking Pole after 85 minutes. Rafal Murawski announced his arrival with a fierce dipping free kick, which forced the best out of Macho again.

The Poles kept pushing and spent the remaining minutes in Austria’s final third, earning a couple of corners that were used to run the clock down.

Not to be penned in, the Austrian’s launched one last attack from a free kick placed just inside the Poles’ half.

Hit deep into the box, Sebastian Prodl was hauled down by Mariusz Lewandowski, prompting Howard Webb to award a penalty.

And the 38-year-old Vastic, so useless at corners and the like, proved cold-blooded from the spot, drilling the ball to Boruc’s right.

The draw leaves both teams with a slight chance of making the quarterfinals, but Croatia and Germany remain favourites to progress.

One thing’s for certain - it will not be a waltz.
Austria (probable): Macho; Garics, Prodl, Stranzl, Pogatetz; Aufhauser (Samuel 73), Leitgeb, Ivanschitz (Vastic 64), Korkmaz; Harnik, Linz (Kienast 64)

Poland (probable): Boruc; Wasilewski, Jop (Golanski 45), Bak, Zewlakow; Dudka, Lewandowski, Krzynowek, Guerreiro; Saganowski, Smolarek

Ref: Webb (Eng)

Ref From channel4.com

Croatia humbled but should have humiliated Germany, knocking the tournament favourites off their perch in what turned out to be a powder keg of a game.

Slavan Bilic’s side won 2-1 and played some outstanding possession football, while Germany imploded and had Bastian Schweinsteiger sent off.

Dario Srna’s 22nd minute strike sounded an onslaught that did not end until referee De Bleeckere blew for full time.

The Vatreni kept the Mannschaft at arms length for much of the game, keeping the ball better than their rivals.

Bilic solved the problems which made Croatia’s first match against Austria such a nervy encounter, adding a fifth man, Ivan Rakitic, to midfield, deploying a 4-4-1-1 formation.

The change paid dividends and played to Croatia’s strengths, giving their talented middlemen more time on the ball.

Tottenham signing Luka Modric kept Germany on the back foot throughout the first half, bisecting the Joachim Löw’s defence on a couple of occasions.

Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder had to be at their very best to cut out the 22-year-old’s telegraphic passes, which almost set Ivica Olic one on one with Jens Lehmann.

Germany boss Joachim Löw fielded the same side that had been so convincing against Poland, but his team could not get started let alone impose its energetic game on the Croats.

The Germans looked just as capable as their opponents in the opening stages, but could never get behind the Croats.

Löw’s men utilised the flanks and tried to find front men, Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez, who were often judged offside.

The Vatreni signalled their intent from the 11th minute when Olic beat Lehmann to a cross, only to be ruled to have fouled the former Arsenal stopper.

Olic was a constant thorn in the Germans side, twisting and turning them
inside out, earning Croatia several dangerous free kicks.

His work preoccupied each of the German back four, freeing up space for their five-man midfield in the final third.

Srna stole into one of those gaps in the 22nd minute, beating Marcell Jansen to Daniel Pranjic’s cross to open the scoring.

Croatia then proceeded to torment Germany and should have doubled their lead minutes later through Portsmouth trequartista Niko Kranjcar who was teed up by Olic just inside the box, only to rifle the ball over the bar.

Kranjcar was to go close again, but not before Michael Ballack burned Stipe Pletikosa’s gloves with a wicked swinging free kick from 35 yards after 32 minutes.

The German’s should have gone into the dressing room at half time 3-0 down, but Kranjcar could not find the net, not even when Corluka’s pass from the right, touched on by Olic found him free again four minutes from the interval.

The 23-year-old snatched at the ball and Lehmann easily saved it, giving Löw’s side a reprieve.

The Germans came out in the second half with a lot more purpose, but just when they looked like getting a handle on the game it slipped out their grasp.

Schalke youngster Rakitic mishit a cross, which surprised Lehmann, hit the post and fell in front of Olic who deserved 63rd minute goal.

Down but not out, the Germans set about getting themselves back in the game and duly did so against the run of play.

Philipp Lahm launched a ball in from the right, which Lukas Podolski smashed in with the power we have all become accustomed to 10 minutes before the end to set up a nervy finish.

Croatia’s win, however, was never in doubt as Löw’s substitutions changed the game for the wrong reasons.

Bastian Schweinsteiger’s introduction started off well enough with a shot that flashed across Pletikosa’s goal, but ended in disgrace as he earned himself a red card for pushing Jerko Leko after 92 minutes.

A melee ensued, demoralising the Germans who were eventually put out of the misery by the referee’s final whistle, which also heralded Croatia’s qualification for the quarter-finals.
Croatia (probable): Pletikosa; Corluka, R. Kovac, Simunic, Pranjic; Srna (Leko 79), Modric, N. Kovac, Rakitic, Kranjcar (Knezevic 84); Olic (Petric 71)

Germany (probable): Lehmann; Lahm, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Jansen (Odonkor 45); Fritz (Kuranyi 81), Frings, Ballack, Podolski; Gomez (Schweinsteiger 65), Klose

Sent Off: Schweinsteiger (G) 91

Ref: De Bleeckere (Bel)

Ref From channel4.com

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Portugal have a great chance of winning Euro 2008 if they can play as they did in the 3-1 win over the Czech Republic.

Ronaldo scored one goal and set up another in the win which put Portugal on the brink of the quarter-finals.

"Our main aim was to get to the next phase. I’m very happy to have helped my team-mates to win," said Ronaldo.

"We played well in the first match and again in this match. If we carry on like this, we have a good chance."

Ronaldo scored with a low drive to put Portugal back into the lead in the second half after Libor Sionko had cancelled out Deco’s opener.

And the Manchester United winger handed substitute Ricardo Quaresma a goal on a plate when he squared for him to tap in late on and seal the win.

Ronaldo added: "We played very well, although Czech Republic played very well in the first half. It was very difficult to penetrate their defence.

Paulo Ferreira played down Portugal’s chances of winning the tournament

"We know how to sacrifice everything for the good of the team.

"We have now got a big chance but must respect our opponents because they too have a mission - they want to win, as we do."

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was surprised with the decision of opposite number Karel Bruckner to start with Milan Baros up front rather than Jan Koller.

"We had planned to play against a starting XI that would include Koller," said Scolari, who later in the evening was named as the new Chelsea manager.

"The fact Baros was there didn’t make life easy. We faced difficulties because they had four or five in midfield and we had two wingers so we didn’t know what to do."

The victory maintains Portugal’s 100% start following their opening-day win over Turkey.

Ref From BBC SPORT