Dutch Coach Marco Van Basten couldn’t hide his surprise and delight after last night’s 3-0 win over Italy in Group C.

The Oranje stunned the world champions and took advantage of a controversial Ruud Van Nistelrooy opener to run away with the three points in Berne.

Even Van Basten was surprised by the outcome of the encounter with former Milan teammate Roberto Donadoni.

“This is a dream start,” he enthused. “We didn’t expect to win 3-0 against Italy – a team with so much experience and quality in their team.

“It was a truly good team performance from the whole of our team.

“The first game is always a big match and this was a fantastic and historic evening.”

While Holland now just need to beat France on Friday to book a place in the quarter-finals, the pressure is on the shell-shocked Azzurri who must beat a gutsy Romania outfit.
Ref From channel4.com

An unlucky Italy got off to a disastrous Euro 2008 start, losing 3-0 to Holland including one extremely controversial Ruud Van Nistelrooy goal. With France’s 0-0 draw against Romania earlier today, the Azzurri prop up the Group C standings and have a damaging goal difference.

The world champions began their Euro 2008 campaign against seeds Holland, a team they had not lost to in 30 years. Their last European Championship meeting was the epic semi-final in 2000, won by the Azzurri on penalties despite Gianluca Zambrotta’s dismissal 34 minutes in. Roberto Donadoni surprised many by leaving Daniele De Rossi on the bench in favour of an all-Milan midfield, while Gianluigi Buffon took the captain’s armband. Holland were missing Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie and Mario Melchiot.

Injured Fabio Cannavaro was given permission to sit on the bench as a non-playing captain, but only because a physiotherapist moved to the stands to keep inside the limits.

Antonio Di Natale’s cross was just a little too fast for Luca Toni to tap in from five yards, then Andrea Barzagli charged down a Ruud Van Nistelrooy effort. Wesley Sneijder’s free kick hit the wall and as the move continued Buffon smothered a hopeful long-range attempt from Rafael Van Der Vaart.

The first major scare came on 17 minutes, as Van Nistelrooy ran on to a Dirk Kuyt through ball, but Buffon did just enough to put him off and the Real Madrid striker went too wide to get the finish into an empty net!

Marco Materazzi risked an own goal as he flicked a Sneijder free kick off the head of Van Nistelrooy at the back post.

Holland took the lead in extremely controversial circumstances. Van Der Vaart’s free kick was punched by Buffon, but only as far as Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, whose shot was redirected from four yards by Van Nistelrooy. He seemed to be clearly offside, but the linesman considered Panucci to be keeping him onside, although he was off the pitch having collided with Buffon. Toni was particularly angry and was booked for dissent.

Italy had a great chance to equalise moments later from an Andrea Pirlo corner kick, but it was cleared off the line by Van Bronckhorst with Edwin Van Der Sar beaten.

However, on the counter-attack the Dutch doubled their advantage with a sensational goal from Sneijder. A long cross-field pass was nodded back into the middle by Kuyt for Sneijder’s right-foot volley between Buffon and the near post. Italy were left wide open as they poured forward to seek an equaliser.

A brilliant Di Natale volley from Camoranesi’s cross went through Khalid Boulahrouz’s legs, but Van Der Sar performed a lucky reaction save. Zambrotta also went into the book for a late tackle on Kuyt.

Camoranesi intercepted a pass from 20 metres, but the through ball could not find Toni. Yet it could’ve been 3-0 on the stroke of half-time when a pass cut out Materazzi to reach Van Nistelrooy and an outstretched Buffon foot deflected it over the bar. Di Natale had another promising opportunity and smashed a shot on the bounce too high to trouble Van Der Sar.

Donadoni made no substitutions, though Gattuso was booked for repeated fouling. Zambrotta ran on to an inspired Pirlo pass, skipped past Kuyt at the byeline and flashed a shot across the face of goal.

Fabio Grosso replaced Materazzi, moving Panucci into central defence and Zambrotta over to right-back in a completely reshuffled back line. Ambrosini dispossessed Nigel De Jong and the Dutchman was booked for hauling back the Milan midfielder to end a potential counter.

Toni couldn’t get enough power on his turn and Pirlo’s ambitious free kick hit the side-netting as Italy began to pile on the pressure. Alessandro Del Piero came off the bench for another tactical adjustment, replacing Di Natale. Within minutes of stepping on to the field, Del Piero shrugged off Andre Ooijer and his right-foot swerver was smothered by former Juventus teammate Van Der Sar.

Del Piero gathered another Pirlo assist and curled just over from a promising angle. Robin Van Persie has been struggling with injury, but replaced Van Nistelrooy for the final 20 minutes. Donadoni gambled all the way to recover from 2-0 and threw on Antonio Cassano for Camoranesi and the dream trident.

A minute after coming on, Cassano’s flicked pass over the top allowed Toni to spring the offside trap, but the Bayern Munich hitman incredibly ballooned his chip over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.

There was an equally clear chance moments later, as Grosso rode Kuyt’s tackle and his angled drive from eight yards was beaten away on the ground by Van Der Sar, then Del Piero was anticipated before he could tap in.

Yet again the Azzurri knocked at the door, but Van Der Sar performed a stunning save on Pirlo’s free kick into the top corner. But once more Holland struck on the counter-attack to make it 3-0. Buffon did remarkably well to deny the first effort from Kuyt, but could do nothing on a Van Bronckhorst free header that hit Zambrotta on the way in.

The action continued with substitute Afellay’s cheeky cross-shot clipping the crossbar and Van Persie flashed an effort wide as the Italy defence went to sleep. Del Piero had the chance to at least get a consolation goal in stoppages, but it was deflected out for a corner off Toni’s stop.
Holland: Van der Sar; Ooijer, Mathijsen, Bouhlarouz (Heitinga 77), Van Bronckhorst; De Jong, Engelaar; Sneijder, Van Der Vaart, Kuyt (Afellay 81); Van Nistelrooy (Van Persie 70)

Italy: Buffon; Panucci, Materazzi (Grosso 54), Barzagli, Zambrotta; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Camoranesi (Cassano 75), Toni, Di Natale (Del Piero 64)

Ref: Frojdfeldt (Swe)

Ref From channel4.com

Romania and France kicked off the Group of Death with the first draw of Euro 2008, the goalless encounter bringing delight to the Italian and Dutch camps.

France, shorn of their most recognisable faces – Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira – due to injury, had the best of the opening encounters and after nine minutes carved the first real opportunity as Franck Ribery’s ball behind the defence allowed Nicolas Anelka to unleash a shot just high and wide of Bogdan Lobont’s goal.

However, for all their possession Les Bleus were finding it a cagey and claustrophobic affair and around the 15-minute mark Daniel Niculae’s speculative effort from range suggested that Victor Piturca’s side were just as capable of being the side to break the deadlock.

Claude Makelele was the next to attempt to unlock the Romanian defence but his ball over the top was slightly too close to Lobont, who rushed out to deny Anelka the chance to capitalise. The loose ball was eventually played back to the Chelsea striker who floated just beyond Karim Benzema. The stars were starting to align for Raymond Domenech’s men, but the killer instinct was yet to rear its head.

For each of France’s crafted attacks, Romania had a direct reply. Cristian Chivu’s delightful chip in to the area outfoxed Niculae as well as William Gallas, the Tricolorii striker appearing to believe he was destined to be second to the ball – a quicker reaction may have punished the Cockerels.

Niculae was the first to attract the referee’s attention on 27 minutes when he was booked rather unfortunately for handball, having been pushed and jostled by Gallas as he leapt to meet Razvan Rat’s cross.

As halftime approached the Gallic nation pushed closer, firstly with Anelka nodding a short corner just over the bar and then firing into the side netting, while Cosmin Contra picked up a yellow card for petulantly kicking the ball away.

Next it was Ribery’s turn to get involved, playing a neat one-two with Benzema that ended with a deflection which almost tricked Lobont before drawing a caution-earning foul from Dorin Goian. But still no breakthrough could be found before half-time by an increasingly frustrated French side.

The momentum stayed with the beaten World Cup Finalists after the halftime oranges and Florent Malouda took just minutes of the second period to carve through the yellow wall, but yet again his shot was wayward and Romania survived.

At the other end Adrian Mutu attempted his own dribble only to be brutally scythed down by Willy Sagnol, who was booked for his exertions. However, the Fiorentina man’s free-kick failed to even progress past the French wall as a game devoid of true quality drifted on.

As the minutes passed, the pressure increased on French boss Raymond Domenech – dressed on the touchline like a sombre Butlins representative – and his side resorted to more and more desperate efforts. Jeremy Toulalan fired over the crossbar before Benzema side-footed straight at Lobont.

As a sour-faced Michel Platini looked on, Domenech threw in the relatively untested Bafetimbi Gomis in place of the uninspired Anelka – the St Etienne striker earning only his third cap. How France must have wished they could channel some of the former Juventus ace’s magic, or indeed that of current Bianconeri star David Trezeguet, who was left at home.

As the last ten minutes approached Benzema was withdrawn for Samir Nasri. It was a disappointing introduction to the big stage for the Lyon ace, but the fires of his talent need the oxygen of opportunity and Romania’s solid back-four doused any flicker of flames before they could take hold.

Romania also ringed the changes with skipper Mutu making way for Marius Niculae, his last action to wildly blast a free-kick over the crossbar. Even without their talisman though the Eastern Europeans continued to frighten France with their counter-attacks.

As time ticked down the game turned scrappy with France looking the more ragged and agitated while Victor Piturca’s Romanian’s kept their cool. A goal couldn’t be found in injury time and the first shock of the tournament was confirmed as the game ended 0-0.

No winners in Zurich, but celebrations in the Italian and Dutch camps as the final whistle blew.
Romania: Lobont; Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat; Nicolita, Cocis (Codrea 63), Radoi (Dica 93), Chivu; D Niculae, Mutu (M Niculae 78)

France: Coupet; Sagnol, Gallas, Thuram, Abidal; Ribery, Toulalan, Makelele, Malouda; Benzema (Nasri 77), Anelka (Gomis 72)

Ref: Gonzalez (Spa)

Ref From channel4.com