An early penalty earned Croatia a 1-0 win over Austria, but the hosts dominated for long periods and will feel unfortunate to come away empty-handed.

Jurgen Macho was preferred to Siena man Alex Manninger between the posts for Austria and Milan stopper Dario Simic missed out for Croatia.

The Austrians were looking to do better than co-hosts Switzerland who lost their opener against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

But their European Championships started in nightmare fashion when they fell behind within four minutes.

Rene Aufhauser clumsily knocked Ivica Olic off his feet for a clear penalty, even if Emanuel Pogatetz was booked for his protests, and Tottenham new boy Luka Modric calmly stroked the spot-kick home right down the middle.

A Modric free-kick agonisingly whistled across the face of goal and the Croat fans drowned out the worried local supporters.

Samuel pulled back Niko Kovac whose dramatic dive impressed the referee sufficiently to show the yellow card.

Andreas Ivanschitz whipped in a dangerous ball from a free-kick, but Sebastian Prodl headed wide of the target.

Pogatetz was lucky not to be sent off after half an hour when he clashed with Olic, bringing him down and aiming a kick at the Croatian hitman.

Olic’s amateur dramatics didn’t draw the red card from the referee, but Pogatetz was clearly rattled.

Petric had a fantastic chance for 2-0 when a ball dropped to him unmarked on the edge of the box, but he hurried his swing and his effort flew over the bar.

Austria battled back before half-time and so nearly levelled when Ivanschitz’s ball caught Josep Simunic out of position but Martin Harnik’s cut back ball from the byline was cut out by a Simunic recovery.

Joachim Standfest should have done better when he was allowed a free header from a deep cross but he headed wide as Croatia’s defence snoozed.

Croatia went into the break 1-0 up, but Austria had given them something to think about.

Robert Kovac was booked for upending Linz who had broken away and Modric tripped Standfest moments later as the tackles started to fly in.

Modric continued to cause trouble and won a corner that Niko Kovac headed over from six yards.

The oldest player in the tournament Croatian-born 38-year-old Ivica Vastic came on for Samuel in an aggresive substitution for Austria and was given a rousing reception.

Meanwhile, Livorno defender Dario Knezevic replaced Niko Kranjcar.

Prodl picked up a well deserved booking for felling Olic after the livewire broke past him, but his cynical foul successfully broke up a dangerous move.

Parma’s Igor Budan replaced Petric with 19 minutes remaining, but Austria were piling on the pressure.

Substitute Umit Korkmaz was full of life and earned a free-kick from the wing, but Stipe Pletikosa punched it away.

The Croats were hardly able to get the ball out of their own box and Pletikosa had to tip the ball out of box again before he made hard work of a routine save from Vastic.

Harnik forced a corner with nine minutes left but Budan headed clear and the ball was eventually scuffed away.

There were shouts for handball in the Croatian box against Knezevic, but the referee wasn’t interested.

Korkmaz’s shot was parried by a diving Pletikosa as Austria camped in Croatia’s box.

Croatia pushed forward with time running out for the Austrians and collected two corners, but they couldn’t convert two promising balls into shots on target.

In the final minute of stoppage time Ivanschitz’s free-kick flashed through the box, but it went wide without a touch and a hard-fought win was Croatia’s.

Austria showed that they won’t be pushovers, but they looked worryingly short of firepower, as did the victorious Croats.
Austria (probable): Macho; Prodl, Stranzl, Pogatetz, Aufhauser; Samuel (Vastic 60), Standfest, Gercaliu (Korkmaz 69), Ivanschitz; Harnik, Linz (Kienast 73)

Croatia (probable): Pletikosa; Corluka, R Kovac, Simunic, Pranjic; Srna, N Kovac, Modric, Kranjcar (Knezevic 61); Petric (Budan 71), Olic (Vukojevic 82)

Ref From channel4.com

Portugal’s Euro 2008 campaign opened in impressive fashion with victory over Turkey in Geneva.

Pepe opened the scoring after 61 minutes, surging from defence to beat Turkey keeper Volkan Demirel after a slick exchange with Nuno Gomes.

Portugal deserved their win, with Cristiano Ronaldo hitting the post from a first-half free-kick and Gomes twice denied by the woodwork after the break.

And Raul Meireles slid home the second in injury time after a flowing move.

Portugal were runners-up in their own country to Greece four years ago, but this vibrant performance was a clear statement that they intend to go one better this time around.

Turkey, with former Sheffield United midfield man Colin Kazim-Richards prominent, were always in the game but lacked a crucial cutting edge.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and Ronaldo were finally able to put the speculation that has provided the backdrop to their Euro 2008 build-up behind them and get on with the action.

Scolari continues to be linked with the vacancy at Chelsea, despite his insistence that he will not discuss his long-term future until after the tournament.

And Ronaldo’s Manchester United future continues to be the subject of daily debate as Real Madrid maintain their pursuit of the man who played a pivotal role in the Premier League and Champions League to Old Trafford.

Portugal dominated a lively opening 45 minutes in which they were unlucky not to take the lead.

They thought they had taken the lead in the 16th minute when Pepe powered a header past Turkey keeper Volkan Demirel from Simao Sabrosa’s cross, but the celebrations were cut short by a linesman’s flag.

Ronaldo had been quiet in the early stages, but he burst into life on the half-hour with a trademark run that ended with a shot that was pulled disappointingly wide.

He came within inches of giving Portugal the lead eight minutes before the interval, but a dipping 25-yard free-kick from an angle was brilliantly turned on to the post by Volkan.

The woodwork denied Portugal again four minutes after the break when referee Herbert Fandel played an excellent advantage when Gokhan Zan flattened Simao, but Gomes flicked the loose ball against the post.

Ronaldo then tested the excellent Volkan again with a precise low finish after escaping the attentions of Hamit Altintop, but the Turkey keeper was once more equal to the task.

Turkey had shown great resilience, but they were broken after 61 minutes thanks to a moment of real adventure from central defender Pepe.

He surged forward and played a slick exchange with Gomes before sliding a finish past the onrushing Volkan from 12 yards.

Portugal had played some wonderful flowing football - but fortune was against them again as they almost doubled their lead three minutes after Pepe’s strike.

Ronaldo curved in an inviting cross from the left, and Gomes rose only to see his header bounce off the bar to safety.

It was his final contribution of the game as he was quickly replaced by the more youthful figure of Manchester United winger Nani.

Turkey had battled manfully, but they had shown little as an attacking force, although Portugal keeper Ricardo had to be alert to come off his line and deny Middlesbrough’s Tuncay as he tried to get in on the end of Nihat Kahveci’s cross.

Substitute Emre Asik wasted Turkey’s best chance with nine minutes left, heading Nihat’s corner wide when unmarked only eight yards out.

And as Turkey pushed forward, Portugal broke to add a second in the dying seconds as Ronaldo found Joao Moutinho, who set up substitute Meireles for a side-footed finish.

Portugal: Ricardo, Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Ferreira, Petit, Joao Moutinho, Ronaldo, Deco (Fernando Meira 90), Simao (Raul Meireles 82), Nuno Gomes (Nani 68).
Subs Not Used: Rui Patricio, Bruno Alves, Hugo Almeida, Miguel, Jorge Ribeiro, Quaresma, Veloso, Postiga, Quim.

Goals: Pepe 61, Raul Meireles 90.

Turkey: Demirel, Altintop (Senturk 76), Cetin, Zan (Asik 55), Balta, Kazim-Richards, Emre, Aurelio, Erding (Sarioglu 46), Sanli, Nihat.
Subs Not Used: Rustu, Zengin, Topal, Karadeniz, Metin, Gungor, Turan, Boral, Akman.

Booked: Kazim-Richards, Zan, Sarioglu.

Att: 31,000

Ref: Herbert Fandel (Germany).

Ref From BBC SPORT

Switzerland’s influential captain Alexander Frei has been ruled out of the rest of Euro 2008 with the knee injury he suffered in the opening game.

Frei, 28, limped off in tears during the 1-0 defeat against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Swiss team doctor Cuno Wetzel told a news conference on Sunday that Frei would be out for six weeks with a partially ruptured, left knee ligament.

“He was an important player. He was a goal-getter.” said coach Koebi Kuhn.

“But he’s out. We have to move forward.”

Wetzel added: “Alex Frei knew immediately that he had been hurt badly.”

The doctor said Frei would speak publicly on Monday, but now wanted “to have some time to himself”.

The Borussia Dortmund forward missed much of the Bundesliga season because of injuries.

He has had a hip operation, two muscle tears and a calf injury in the last 13 months, but had battled back to full fitness in recent weeks.

Petr Cech admits his side had some luck against the Swiss
Frei suffered the injury in a challenge with Czech defender Zdenek Grygera shortly before half-time in the opening game of the tournament.

After the game he was sent to hospital for a scan and Kuhn said: “It is a shock, a disaster to lose our captain in the first game - I can only hope it is not too serious.”

Frei became Switzerland’s all-time top goalscorer last week when he scored his 35th goal in 59 internationals, and was seen as vital to the team’s chances of getting out of a tough group that includes Portugal and Turkey.

“He’s our best striker, we need him back in the team,” defender Johan Djourou said after the match.

“We will take a lot of confidence from the way we played against the Czechs, especially in the first half, but if we lose Alex it will be very difficult to get back into the tournament.”

Meanwhile, Kuhn said his team should be proud of their display, despite the defeat.

“I told them they can leave the stadium with their heads held high,” stated Kuhn, who will step down as coach at the end of the tournament.

“Now we have to forget about this game and concentrate on the next match, against Turkey.”

Kuhn added: “Our chances of going through have certainly not increased but we still believe.

“Everything is still possible and we are not going to give up. We must build on what we did here today.

“We had the chances to at least have drawn the match, and we could easily have won it but that is football, it is not about justice. This game is over for us now but not the Euros.”

Ref From BBC SPORT