Czechs through as Poland check out - EURO 2012

Czech Republic 1-0 Poland
Petr Jiráček scored the only goal of the game in Wroclaw to send the Czech Republic through to the quarter-finals and eliminate the co-hosts.

The Czech Republic must have been few people's favourites to emerge as Group A winners after their heavy opening loss to Russia, but Petr Jiráček's second-half goal won them the section as they left the co-hosts heartbroken.

Jiráček had struck the joint third fastest goal in UEFA European Championship history in the defeat of Greece on Tuesday which reignited his country's hopes, and although he waited until 18 minutes from the whistle this time around, the VfL Wolfsburg midfielder's second strike of the tournament was even more warmly welcomed. The Czechs will now contest a quarter-final tie in Warsaw next Thursday, while the co-hosts must settle for watching it on television.

The designated home team had won all five previous encounters between the pair, and that trend continued with the Czechs given home status in Wroclaw. The gusto with which the Polish national anthem was sung left no doubt as to which team would enjoy the crowd's favours, however, as did the collective holding of breath when Theodor Gebre Selassie's cross was deflected into the path of Václav Pilař. Beautifully poised in front of goal in the Czechs' opening two matches, the winger was uncharacteristically hurried and did not connect cleanly.

It was the same story at the opposite end for Robert Lewandowski, whose shot squirmed wide off his left boot after Jakub Błaszczykowski had stolen onto a loose Czech pass before feeding his team-mate. The ominous clouds that had gathered overhead finally broke just before kick-off, and the spectacular electrical storm raging above the pitch was then mirrored on it by Poland. Sebastian Boenisch and Eugen Polanski both shot wide when well positioned before Boenisch's dipping long-range effort was expertly turned aside by Petr Čech. For the Czechs, who had taken the collective decision to grow beards until their tournament was over, it was their closest shave for some time.

Missing the creativity of the injured Tomáš Rosický, the Czechs struggled for inspiration. However, as the elements finally relented, it became simultaneously clear that Michal Bílek's men had ridden out their own storm. Jaroslav Plašil's deflected shot was well held by Przemysław Tytoń, and when the Poland goalkeeper then spilled Pilař's low shot, he quickly plunged onto the loose ball ahead of the lurking Milan Baroš.

With only Pilař providing drive from midfield, the Czechs looked to their full-backs for impetus after the break. A Gebre Selassie centre from the right zipped invitingly across goal, and, on the left, a burst forward by the excellent David Limberský ended with him stabbing into the side netting. Another defender, Tomáš Sivok, might have provided the breakthrough had he expected a Plašil free-kick to reach him, but instead of heading cleanly, the ball ricocheted off his brow and Tytoń blocked.

With Poland seemingly a spent force, a Czech goal appeared likely, and when Tomáš Hübschman won possession, he sent Baroš haring forward on the break. The veteran forward showed his worth by waiting patiently before releasing the ball to Jiráček, who cut inside before firing beyond Tytoń. Marcin Wasilewski had the opportunity to deny the Czechs, if not save his own side in the closing stages, but headed over, and Michal Kadlec cleared off the line to leave the co-hosts in tears.

This news brought to you by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

Karagounis fires Greece into last eight - EURO 2012

Greece 1-0 Russia
Giorgos Karagounis's goal in first-half added time put Fernando Santos's side in the quarter-finals at their opponents' expense.

Eight years after lifting the Henri Delaunay Cup with victory over Portugal in Lisbon, Greece finally won another game on the UEFA European Championship stage, resurrecting that famous 1-0 scoreline to take their place in the last eight of UEFA EURO 2012 at Russia's expense.

Russia had started the night in Warsaw as Group A leaders but were undone by a goal on the stroke of half-time by one of Greece's survivors of 2004, captain Giorgos Karagounis. It was the 35-year-old who took advantage of a Russian defensive lapse by bursting through to beat Vyacheslav Malafeev with a low drive. It was some way to mark his record-equalling 120th international appearance, and a blow from which Russia failed to recover.

The result of it all was that Greece leapt from the foot of the standings to claim second place and the prize of a quarter-final in Gdansk against the Group B winners. For Russia, by contrast, a campaign that began with an impressive 4-1 win over the Czech Republic ended in sheer frustration.

Greece entered the game under orders to avoid a repeat of their slow starts against Poland and the Czech Republic. There was early encouragement when Karagounis's early corner was met at the near post by Kostas Katsouranis but his shot lacked the height to trouble Malafeev.

It was not long before the game settled into a pattern of Russia dominating possession and Greece sitting back, getting men behind the ball and frustrating them. Ten minutes in, Andrey Arshavin got his foot to an inswinging Alan Dzagoev cross but without sufficient power to bother Michalis Sifakis, deputising for the injured Kostas Chalkias in Greece's goal.

Minutes later, Aleksandr Kerzakhov unleashed a volley from the edge of the box but, typical of his luck in this campaign, the ball flew just wide. Russia had control of the middle of the park though it was from a rare opening down the flank that Yuri Zhirkov sped away from Sokratis Papastathopoulos but his exciting run concluded with a white, not red shirt, on the end of his cross. Kyriakos Papadopoulos did well to cut out another cross, this time by Arshavin, then Kerzhakov missed his kick when teed up by Dzagoev's header before Zhirkov flashed a shot just over.

After all that, an innocuous-looking situation in first-half added time brought the opening goal at the other end from Karagounis. When a Greece throw-in came down the line, Sergei Ignashevich misdirected his header infield and Karagounis scampered clear, cutting into the box in front of Zhirkov and beating Malafeev with the power of his shot. 

Dick Advocaat responded by introducing Roman Pavlyuchenko for Kerzhakov but Russian advances continued to crash against the white wall of Greece's defence. Indeed, the Greeks so nearly extended their advantage shortly before the hour as Vassilis Torossidis, surging into the box, put a ball across goal, but Aleksandar Anyukov got there just ahead of Fanis Gekas.

Greece came close again as Giorgos Tzavellas curled a free-kick over the Russia wall and on to the angle of post and crossbar. By the end Advocaat had sent on Marat Izmailov for defender Anyukov and one more opportunity came Russia's way, Dzagoev nodding Arshavin's cross past Sifakis but beyond the far post. It was the story of their night. Although Karagounis's booking rules him out of the quarter-final, for Greece, by contrast, this felt like the reprisal of their greatest tale.

This news brought to by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

Bento full of belief ahead of Dutch decider-EURO 2012

Portugal could lose and still go through but Paulo Bento is adamant his team must "control the game" against the Netherlands, who "have to go for it" to stand a chance of qualifying.

Paulo Bento says his team will be going for victory against the Netherlands

UEFA EURO 2012 Group B may be a minefield of ifs, buts and maybes heading into matchday three, but for Portugal coach Paulo Bento and Netherlands counterpart Bert van Marwijk there is only one equation that matters: win and let the rest look after itself.

The Dutch are firmly stuck behind the eight ball after successive defeats and know all too well that they must win by a two-goal margin and rely on Germany to beat Denmark. However, they and the Republic of Ireland are the only two teams to have scored just once in their first two fixtures – taking that tally to three on Sunday is the minimum requirement.

It is a tall order yet Van Marwijk is not a man prone to hyperbole and was keeping his cards typically close to his chest at Saturday's press conference. History is not on his side, either, with the Netherlands victorious against Portugal only once in ten meetings; they have lost six. Bento, therefore, has plenty of reason for optimism.

"If I didn't believe in the possibility of succeeding then I wouldn't be here," the Portuguese said. "There's not any other way of playing this game – we have to believe in the possibility of reaching the goal that we have had from the very start. That all depends on our ability, our organisation and our talent. We have shown enough to suggest we can be confident and have belief in a great result."

It is when that other encounter in Lviv is thrown into the mix that things get complicated. For the Selecção das Quinas, however, victory will suffice unless the Danes triumph by a one-goal margin other than 2-1 and 1-0. If the permutations are as clear as mud, Bento's approach is at least a little more defined.

"We have to try to control the game, not only in defence, but also have possession of the ball and look for attempts on goal," he added. "Our aim is not just to go through but to win the game. We know what the Netherlands' strategy will be from the beginning. We've seen that in many Dutch teams; they like to have the ball, to play and to control the game. They've always shown great technical quality. But we shouldn't only rely only on counterattacks."

There are no such tactical nuances to consider for the Oranje, whose travails belie the fact that they were the top scorers in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying. With a squad boasting ten of the starting XI in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, one thing is for certain: now is the time for them to rediscover their scoring touch.

"There's always going to be pressure on me and the players as well," said Van Marwijk. "It's about one game and we know we have to go for it. We know from the start we have to win by a two-goal difference if Germany win. Playing in a league when you've got ten or 20 games is very different to something like this where you've got one game left and you've got to win 2-0. The tactics we choose will of course be impacted by that. We're just going to play our game and we know what our goal is – then wait and see what Germany do."

this news brought to by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

France find their stride to pick off Ukraine

Ukraine 0-2 France
A torrential storm interrupted the action in the first five minutes before Jérémy Ménez and Yohan Cabaye fired France to their first Group D win.

It was wet, it was loud, and it was a long time coming, but France eventually earned their first victory at UEFA EURO 2012 thanks to quickfire second-half goals from Jérémy Ménez and Yohan Cabaye.

The weather conditions threatened to take the headlines after a torrential storm interrupted the action, but an improved display from Les Bleus hardly went unnoticed either. Karim Benzema was the provider on both occasions as Ménez and Cabaye struck within the space of three minutes to lift France to the top of Group D – ahead of tonight's meeting between Sweden and England.

Laurent Blanc had urged his players to be awake from the first whistle during this game and, were there any danger of a drowsiness to match their start against England, an eardrum-shattering thunderclap during La Marseillaise brought everyone to instant attention. It also brought thick sheets of rain tumbling from above and, with less than five minutes gone, the referee had to bring proceedings to a halt.

Fears of a postponement were eventually allayed 58 minutes later as the match resumed, and Benzema sought to exploit any moisture on the ball when his curled shot nearly squeezed through goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov's grasp. The Real Madrid CF forward looked in eager mood as France sought to apply pressure from the off – as per Blanc's instructions – but clear chances were another matter and Andriy Yarmolenko got the locals going when he pulled a low effort wide.

Still, Les Bleus looked destined to take the lead just before the half-hour when Franck Ribéry sped beyond Taras Mikhalik to retrieve a loose pass down Ukraine's right and hooked a cross towards Benzema in the area. A deflection rerouted the ball to Ménez in front of goal, but, having already blasted one attempt over, the surprise starter fired straight at Pyatov.

If he was expected to handle that, the Ukraine keeper then excelled when clawing a Philippe Mexès header away from the top corner following Samir Nasri's free-kick delivery. It was Hugo Lloris, though, who had made the first impression between the two when he batted away a powerful Andriy Shevchenko strike, the veteran streaking clear behind right-back Mathieu Debuchy and unleashing thunder of his own.

Shevchenko threatened again soon after the resumption when he speared a shot narrowly off-target from the edge of the area, and it was evident that both teams had resolved to raise the tempo. By that point, Pyatov had denied Ménez when the midfielder had squirmed free down the left, but the keeper was helpless to prevent him opening the scoring when he received a pass from Benzema, skipped inside Yevhen Selin and stroked low inside the near post.

When it rains, it pours, of course, and three minutes later Pyatov was beaten in the same corner of his goal, Cabaye this time applying the low finish from another Benzema assist. The Newcastle United FC midfielder could have had a second when he rattled a post from distance and, with Ukraine reduced to long-range attempts at the other end, Nasri forced Pyatov to palm away a late free-kick. For France, the clouds are starting to clear.

this news brought to you by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

Welbeck's England winner ousts Sweden

Sweden 2-3 England
Danny Welbeck's subtle finish with 12 minutes left gave England victory and ended Sweden's hopes after another Kyiv night of high drama.

Sweden are out of UEFA EURO 2012 after Danny Welbeck's late back-heeled winner earned England a dramatic Group D victory.

Andy Carroll had given England the half-time lead but just past the hour mark it was already 2-2, Olof Mellberg forcing a Glen Johnson own goal then scoring himself before Theo Walcott's leveller. It was substitute Walcott who set up Welbeck with 12 minutes left to end Sweden's hopes with their second Kyiv comeback defeat. England join France on four points, one ahead of Ukraine with whom Roy Hodgson's side need only draw in Donetsk on Tuesday to make the quarter-finals.

Both teams made changes to their attacking spearheads, Carroll in alongside Welbeck up front for Wayne Rooney-less England with Ashley Young switching to the left and Johan Elmander taking over from Markus Rosenberg as Zlatan Ibrahimović's foil. England began the brighter and Scott Parker's drive forced Andreas Isaksson into an early save.

However, Sweden were maintaining possession and Sebastian Larsson tested his one-time Birmingham City FC club-mate Joe Hart. Johnson did superbly when Ibrahimović looked to be through on goal and Hart also denied the Sweden captain.

It was the England captain, though, who made the first goal on 23 minutes. Gerrard sent in a long diagonal cross from the right which Carroll brilliantly headed in from the middle of the box. It took Sweden some time to regroup before Ibrahimović embarked on a solo run only for Hart to stop his deflected shot while at the other end Ashley Young dragged an effort into the side netting.

Sweden were looking for shots from distance, Kim Källström going close, and ended the first half strongly, other than a Welbeck break stopped by a superb Mellberg tackle.

Mellberg made an even more vital intervention four minutes into the second half. An Ibrahimović free-kick was blocked but he leapt to volley the ball to Mellberg, whose effort hit Johnson via Hart's gloves and crept in despite the right-back's desperate lunge.

With 18,000 fans behind them – unusually outnumbering England supporters – Sweden sensed a turnaround just like that which did for them in their 2-1 loss here to Ukraine. Just as on that day the next goal did not take long to arrive, Mellberg rising high to head in Larsson's crossed free-kick.

Ibrahimović so nearly had a third immediately, sprinting clear but was unable to beat Hart. Then an equaliser was only prevented by an instinctive reflex save from Isaksson after a John Terry header. However, from the resulting corner the unsighted Isaksson was beaten by a long-distance effort from Walcott, not long off the bench.

Now both teams were going all out for victory, Källström shooting just over and Hart superbly denying Ibrahimović. It was at the other end, though, where Welbeck cleverly flicked in, his face a picture of sheer joy after his first competitive goal on just the 21-year-old's seventh appearance. England's margin might have been even greater had Gerrard not been denied by Isaksson from point-blank range in added time, but it mattered not.

This news brought to by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

Match facts: Spain v Italy - EURO 2012

SPAIN

• Spain are 14 competitive games without defeat, since their 1-0 loss to Switzerland on 16/06/2010 at the FIFA World Cup. They have lost four of their 14 friendlies in that time, however.

• Juanfran has yet to make a competitive appearance for Spain, though he made his senior international debut in a pre-tournament friendly win against Serbia on 26/05.

Spain training at their camp in Austria

Injury news
• Cesc Fàbregas has not featured since picking up a thigh strain in the Copa del Rey final on 25/05.

• Carles Puyol (knee) and Spain's record scorer, David Villa (broken leg), were ruled out of the finals.

Miscellaneous
• Spain, minus players from Chelsea FC and Copa del Rey finalists FC Barcelona and Athletic Club, travelled to a training camp in Schruns, Austria, on 22/05. Juan Mata and Fernando Torres joined them on 26/05, with the final 23-man squad unveiled the following day. Spain arrived at their EURO base of Gniewino on 05/06.

• Spain's squad includes 12 members of the party that triumphed at UEFA EURO 2008: Iker Casillas, Raúl Albiol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Fernando Torres, Fàbregas, Santi Cazorla, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Álvaro Arbeloa, David Silva and Pepe Reina.

• Casillas, Xavi, Alonso and Torres were also in the UEFA EURO 2004 squad, and for Casillas this represents a national record fourth UEFA European Championship appearance as he was also at UEFA EURO 2000.

• Casillas kept his 73rd clean sheet for Spain against Serbia on 26/05, beating Edwin van der Sar's international record. He also celebrated a record 95th international victory when Spain defeated South Korea 4-1 on 30/05.

Pre-tournament friendlies
03/06 Spain 1-0 China (Silva 84)
Casillas (Valdés 46); Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos (Piqué 56), Alba; Xavi (Iniesta 46), Busquets (Juanfran 46), Xabi; Cazorla (Mata 67), Negredo (Navas 46), Silva.

30/05 Spain 4-1 South Korea (Torres 11, Alonso 52pen, Cazorla 55, Negredo 79; Kim Do Heon 43)
Reina (Casillas 81); Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos (Domínguez 57), Monreal; Cazorla (Adrián 57), Alonso (Bruno 65), Beñat; Silva, Torres (Soldado 57), Mata (Negredo 57).

26/05 Spain 2-0 Serbia (Adrián 67, Cazorla 74pen)
Casillas; Juanfran, Ramos (Domínguez 46), Albiol, Alba (Monreal 46); Navas, Bruno Soriano (Javi García 72), Xabi Alonso (Beñat 46), Cazorla; Soldado (Adrián 46), Negredo (Silva 46).

UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying
• Spain won eight out of eight in Group I, becoming one of only five sides to go through a qualifying campaign with a 100% record in the history of the UEFA European Championship.

• Ramos and Villa were the only players to feature in all eight group games for Vicente del Bosque's side.

• Jordi Alba made his international debut in the 3-1 home victory against Scotland on 11/10/2011.

• Two of the final tournament squad did not feature in qualifying: Pepe Reina and Juanfran.

Domestic information
• Casillas, Ramos, Arbeloa, Albiol and Alonso helped Real Madrid CF win the Spanish Liga for the first time in four campaigns, though Albiol made just five league starts.

• Víctor Valdés, Gerard Piqué, Xavi, Fàbregas, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodríguez enjoyed Copa del Rey success. Pedro scored twice on 25/05 in a 3-0 final triumph against an Athletic Club side featuring Fernando Llorente and Javi Martínez. Barcelona also won the UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

• David Silva was in the Manchester City FC side that won the English top flight for the first time in 44 years.

• Mata and Torres were UEFA Champions League and FA Cup winners with Chelsea FC, while Reina enjoyed English League Cup success with Liverpool FC.

• Juanfran was in the Club Atlético de Madrid XI that defeated an Athletic team featuring Llorente and Javi Martínez in the UEFA Europa League final in Bucharest on 09/05.

ITALY

• The Azzurri have lost their last three games.

• Coach Cesare Prandelli goes into his first major final tournament unbeaten in competitive internationals, recording eight wins and two draws to date.

• Emanuele Giaccherini is the only uncapped member of the Italy squad, though Fabio Borini and Alessandro Diamanti are yet to make their competitive debuts.

Injury news
• Giorgio Chiellini and Riccardo Montolivo arrived at Italy's training camp with thigh injuries suffered on the last day of the Serie A season on 13/05, though Montolivo started against Russia on 01/06.

• Antonio Cassano was expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing heart surgery on 04/11 but returned to action at the start of April.

Miscellaneous
• Italy gathered at Coverciano, Florence, on 21/05, with players of Juventus, SSC Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain FC joining four days later due to domestic duties. The Azzurri arrived in Krakow on 05/06.

• At 1.64m, Sebastian Giovinco is the smallest player at UEFA EURO 2012.

• Gianluigi Buffon surpassed Dino Zoff as Italy's third highest appearance maker in February, and is now on 114 caps behind only Fabio Cannavaro (136) and Paolo Maldini (126).

• Eight of the squad have previous UEFA European Championship experience: Buffon (2004, 2008), Cassano (2004, 2008), Andrea Pirlo (2004, 2008), Chiellini (2008), Andrea Barzagli (2008), Daniele De Rossi (2008), Antonio Di Natale (2008) and Morgan De Sanctis (2008).

Pre-tournament friendly
01/06 Italy 0-3 Russia (Kerzhakov 59, Shirokov 75 89)
Buffon (De Sanctis 46); Maggio, Bonucci, Barzagli, Balzaretti (Ogbonna 53); De Rossi (Motta 60), Pirlo (Giovinco 68); Marchisio; Montolivo (Nocerino 60); Cassano (Di Natale 68), Balotelli.

• Italy's friendly with Luxembourg in Parma, scheduled for 29/05, was cancelled after the region was struck on the morning of the game by an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale.

UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying
• Italy progressed with two games to spare and finished the campaign undefeated, their tally of 26 points from ten games a national record in a qualifying section for a major tournament.

• The Azzurri also finished with the best defensive record across the nine groups, conceding only two goals.

• Discounting the six minutes of the home game against Serbia before it was abandoned, Italy did not concede for 625 minutes between Estonia finding the net in their opening fixture and Serbia's goal 13 months later.

• Chiellini played every minute of Italy's campaign; Cassano was the only other ever-present member of the squad and also the Azzurri's six-goal leading scorer.

• Of the final squad, six players did not feature in qualifying: Angelo Ogbonna, Ignazio Abate, Giaccherini, Di Natale, Borini and Diamanti.

Domestic information
• The Italy squad features seven members of the Juventus side that went through the Serie A season unbeaten en route to the title: Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Giaccherini, Claudio Marchisio and Pirlo.

• The Bianconeri suffered their first defeat of the season in their last outing in the Coppa Italia final on 20/05, losing 2-0 to a Napoli side featuring De Sanctis and Christian Maggio.

• Mario Balotelli scored 13 goals in 23 appearances and was sent off twice as Manchester City FC won their first English top-flight title in 44 years.

• Di Natale struck 23 goals as Udinese Calcio finished third in Serie A, the third successive season he has hit 20 or more. He did not manage more than 17 before he reached the age of 30.

• Giovinco (15), Marchisio (9) and Alessandro Diamanti (8) all established personal bests in front of goal in Serie A while Nocerino's return of ten in 35 games was four more than he had mustered in his previous four seasons.

• Andrea Pirlo has not been on the losing side in Serie A since 18 December 2010, when he was at AC Milan.

This news brought to by "Sports zone" from www.uefa.com

Euro 2012: Spain 1-1 Italy

Cesc Fabregas rescued a point for Spain as the champions began the defence of their European title with a pulsating encounter in Gdansk.

The Barcelona midfielder fired in after a clever pass by David Silva as Spain came from a goal down against Italy to draw the opening match of Group C.

Substitute Antonio Di Natale had given Italy a deserved lead on the hour mark.

Spain might have snatched all three points, however, but Fernando Torres spurned a succession of late chances.

The weight of history was stacked against La Roja coming into the tournament.

No European team had ever won three major tournaments in succession, none had ever successfully defended the European Championship title.

Fatigue was another source of concern for Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, whose 23 players had played a total of 89,884 minutes in the past season, some 17,000 more minutes than their Italian opponents.

There was more than a hint of lethargy about Spain in the opening exchanges. They lacked purpose and penetration having opted to play without an obvious centre forward as Fabregas was preferred to Fernando Torres in the starting XI.

Having seen his smile and his form return in the final weeks of the season at Chelsea, this was another setback for Torres on an afternoon he will ultimately want to forget. Silva threatened twice in the early moments, but it was Italy who looked the more composed in the early stages.

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas was forced to dive low to his right to turn away an Andrea Pirlo free-kick after 13 minutes as Cesare Prandelli's side, led by the tremendous Daniele De Rossi, tackled, battled and denied their more celebrated opponents space.

The Azzuri were equally effective with the ball ensuring Casillas was much the busier goalkeeper as half-time approached.

Antonio Cassano dragged a shot beyond the far post when well-placed but it was two nervy moments from Spain goalkeeper that gave his side most cause for concern.

First, he lost control of a back-pass only to be fouled by Cassano, before he spilled a fierce low shot from Claudio Marchisio as the ball ran to safety.

Euro 2012 goal: Fabregas scores Spain equaliser

Marchisio tested Casillas again moments later, thumping a thunderous left-foot volley straight at the goalkeeper.

Spain were only threatening sporadically. Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were constantly probing and just before the interval linked up only for the latter to shoot over having collected his team-mate's looping pass.

It was Italy who finished the half the stronger, however. A piece of trickery wide on the left touchline by Mario Balotelli set in motion another fluid attack. It ended with Casillas sprawling low to his right to turn away Thiago Motta's close-range header after a pin-point cross by Cassano.

The interval did little to disrupt the breakneck pace of play. Fabregas set Iniesta free down the left, only for Buffon to deny him with a fingertip save.

But it was Balotelli who could and perhaps should have broken the deadlock moments later. The Italian striker robbed Sergio Ramos of possession wide on the right before bursting towards goal but he then hesitated long enough to allow the Real Madrid defender back in with the goal apparently as his mercy.

The Manchester City striker was replaced by Di Natale moments later and he was to have an instant impact.

Pirlo skipped beyond Xavi in midfield, before playing a cleverly weighted pass that freed Di Natale down the left of the penalty area, which the Udinese striker calmly stroked beyond the advancing Casillas with his first touch.

Spain's reponse was instant as it was devastating. Three minutes later Iniesta and Silva put Fabregas clear in the penalty area and the Barcelona midfielder struck a low left-foot shot beyond Buffon from 10 yards.

Substitute Jesus Navas picked out Jordi Alba as Spain began to dictate. Torres was brought on to a huge ovation and might have made an instant impact but he fluffed his chance after cleverly beating the offside trap.

Italy were being forced to rely on longer raids now, but they almost stole in again when Di Natale poked narrowly wide.

Spain were pouring forward time and again now. Torres should have won the game for Spain but squandered two easy chances, first running down a blind alley before looping a shot high over Buffon's goal with the net at his mercy. To make matters worse, he was later booked for a rash challenge.

Italy might have snatched victory at the death when Marchisio burst forward, exchanged passes with Di Natale, only to shoot straight at Casillas.

This news brought to by "Sports Zone" from www.bbc.com

Spain training and press conference: 8 June, UEFA EURO 2012

Javi Martínez (Spain)

Gerard Piqué (Spain)

Juan Mata & David Silva (Spain)

Sergio Ramos (Spain)

Xabi Alfonso (Spain)

Euro 2012 Opening Ceremony 6/8/2012 Poland Warsaw

Euro 2012 Opening Ceremony Euro 2012 6/8/2012 Poland Warsaw Ukraine vs Greece Ceremonia otwarcia Euro 2012

Flower power defines EURO ceremony 2012

UEFA EURO 2012 burst into bloom with a magnificent opening ceremony, with Ádám György and DJ Karmatronic among the headline attactions at the National Stadium Warsaw.

UEFA EURO 2012 opening ceremony

UEFA EURO 2012 burst into bloom in advance of the opening game, with a spectacular opening ceremony symbolising unity, rivalry and passion, as well as showcasing the tournament's elegant floral motifs.

With 20 minutes to go before kick-off between Poland and Greece, here was a grand statement of national-team football's great virtues; the ability to inspire the young, to bring people of all nations together, and in the best possible way, its ability to startle and confound. UEFA President Michel Platini asked the players at the tournament to "make us dream", and here was something straight from wonderland.

It kicked off with the ringing of six giant bells lowered from the stadium roof, then a throng of dancers decked out in national colours took to the field before two children – dressed as flesh-and-blood incarnations of tournament mascots Slavek and Slavko – came on. Their arrival prompted another transformation: the dancers whirled across the turf, with the half ball in the centre circle cracking open to reveal Hungarian concert pianist Ádám György, who treated the stadium to a burst of Chopin's Étude in A minor (Op.25 Nr.11).

With a flood of musical notes being carried out on to the pitch, the scene took a marked leap from the 19th century to the 21st, with DJ Karmatronic planting his decks on György's grand piano. The eight half footballs that had been carried on to the pitch burst open to reveal replicas of the eight UEFA EURO 2012 stadiums, and the pianist then gave a demonstration of his not insubstantial freestyling skills.

Fans lifted cards around the stadium, producing massive flags of all the competing nations, flipping them over to reveal the key UEFA principle 'Respect' at both ends of the stadium. The unique wycianka design that defines the look of UEFA EURO 2012 crept on to the field, with green tendrils linking the stadia together, as the grand tableau of the tournament logo gradually came together, with an inflatable replica of the bloom design rising from György's piano.

With a multinational team of 1,000 dancers under the control of creative director and executive producer Marco Balich, the ceremony demanded 1,200 costumes, 250 hours of rehearsals, 2,400 litres of water and 22,000 snacks. A phenomenal effort in every respect.

This news brought to by "Sports Zone" from www.uefa.com

Euro 2012: Fernando Torres ready to make impact says Pepe Reina

Fernando Torres is in his best shape "for a while" going into Euro 2012, according to Pepe Reina.

Torres has endured mixed fortunes since scoring Spain's goal that beat Germany in the Euro 2008 final.

The Chelsea striker, 28, struggled for form after leaving Liverpool in January 2011, but played a role in his club's Champions League triumph.

"It's been a while since I've seen him like this," said Reina, Torres's international team-mate.

Torres could become a key figure as Spain attempt to defend their crown without David Villa.

Barcelona's Villa has been ruled out of the tournament with a broken leg , and Liverpool keeper Reina, who played with Torres at Anfield, believes the forward is primed to make a big impact at the tournament for the world champions.

Physically, he is in good shape," he added.

"Mentally he feels he is an important player in the national team, all the more so since Villa pulled out, and he relishes that role.

"He feels comfortable and he looks switched on.

"Hopefully, he will have a good European Championship and Spain will feed off his goals."

This news bring to by "Sports Zone" from www.bbc.co.uk

Spain suffer Villa blow,UEFA Euro 2012

Barcelona striker David Villa ruled himself out of the running for a place in Spain's squad for Euro 2012 on Tuesday after failing to fully recover from a broken leg.

Villa, Spain's all-time leading scorer, broke his left leg while competing in the Club World Cup with Barca in December, and has not played a competitive match since then.

"I tried right to the end but I wasn't able to get to 100 per cent for the Euros," Villa said on his official Twitter feed.

"Today I called the coach to tell him. It was the most honest thing to do. Thanks to all of you for your support."

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas dives for the ball during a training session to prepare for the Euro 2012 championship in Schruns yesterday.Photo: AFP

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) broke the news with an earlier statement.

"After failing to achieve the desired progress in recent training sessions, Villa spoke with Del Bosque," the RFEF said.

"(He) told him although he would like to be with the team in Poland and Ukraine, his physical state 'isn't the best' for a competition like the Euros.

"The RFEF and Spain's coaching staff wish the player all the best in his recovery and hope he will return soon to the national team, and value the effort made by David to get back to full fitness."

Villa has scored 51 goals in 82 national team appearances for Spain helping them victory at Euro 2008 and in the World Cup finals in 2010.

His Spanish international teammates were quick to send messages of support on their Twitter accounts.
Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas wrote: "Keep your spirits up, you are a star. You have been and will continue being the best goal-scorer in the national team."

Chelsea winger Juan Mata wrote: "You have proved again you are an example, we will miss you a lot. You will soon be back scoring goals."

Barca's doctors had already said he would not make the King's Cup final on Friday, when Pep Guardiola's side take on Athletic Bilbao.

Del Bosque named a provisional squad for Euro 2012 last week which included many fringe players, and added Chelsea duo Fernando Torres and Mata on Monday after they helped their side win the Champions League final.

Del Bosque delayed naming any Barca and Bilbao players until after the Cup final. He set May 27 as his deadline for deciding his final 23-man squad, when attention will focus in particular on their forward line without Villa.

Torres, Valencia's Roberto Soldado, Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo and Atletico Madrid's Adrian Lopez are already in the squad, while Bilbao's Fernando Llorente and possibly Barca's Pedro are expected to be called up, with others making way.

Spain won all eight of their qualifiers for Euro 2012 and are in Group C for the finals along with Italy, against who they play their opening game on June 10, Republic of Ireland and Croatia.