Spain went in to this game favorites after progressing impressively from their group stage, and already beating Russia by four goals to one. The Russians, however, had impressed every one in their last three games, including two wins in their group stage, and beating favorites Holland in the quarter final.
Spain started off well, playing some good attacking football and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres looked a real threat, but so did Russian striker Pavlyuchenko, who has had a brilliant tournament, and was taking on three players on his own at times!
Russia stopped Spain from scoring with a five man defense, and were playing counter attacking football, which meant that the Russian forwards were very isolated because no one could keep up with the pace of their counter attacks, and, rather ironically, this included their own players!
The teams went in for their half time break with neither team really dominating, and there were few chances worth talking about. But Spain will be concerned with an injury David Villa picked up while taking a free kick, as this may put him out of Sunday’s final, should Spain get through.
In the second half, Spain tore Russia apart, scoring the first goal on the fiftieth minute after a quick break, and Xabi converted the phase of play in to a goal. Then, with seventeen minutes remaining, Spain doubled their lead through Daniel Guiza, after a simply amazing pass from Arsenal play maker Cesc Fabregas, and Russia looked unlikely to find a way back after that.
Spain’s victory was confirmed when David Silva scored with eight minutes remaining, again after a fabulous pass from Fabregas, meaning that Silva’s finish was simple.
Overall, a pretty uneventful first half, but in the second half Spain gained control of the game and Russia simply couldn’t handle them. Cesc Fabregas played brilliantly, and he has helped his Spanish side through to Sunday’s final, in which they will play against Germany.
The Netherlands went in to this game expected to win after incredible results in the group stages, including beating both of the 2006 World Cup Finalists (France and Italy) by three goals each time. Russia were expected to be thrashed in this game after coming second in their group, but their final game against Sweden showed that they still may have some thing to offer after playing extremely good football.
Surprisingly, Russia started off the better team, with lots of possession and some good chances, with Kolodin with three shots from way out side the penalty area resulting in good saves and extremely near misses.
Although Russia dominated, the Dutch had good chances, and Real Madrid striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy should have put Holland one up after a brilliant free kick was inches away from his boot, and although Russia had more chances, the Dutch chances were better, and the half time score was 0 – 0.
In the second half it was much the same story, with Russia leading the way and the Dutch having few chances, and it was on the sixty third minute when Roman Pavlyuchenko slotted the ball in to the near post after a brilliant cross. Their lead was canceled out on the eighty sixth minute though, when Van Nistelrooy headed from point blank range after a brilliant free kick from Sneidjer.
In the first period of extra time, Russia continued to dominate, and the Dutch looked more and more desperate, and it was in the second half of extra time when, on the one hundred and twelfth minute, Torbinsky tapped the ball home from less than a foot off the line after a cross looped over Van Der Sar’s head.
Russia confirmed their victory with four minutes remaining, when man of the match Andrei Arshavin’s deflected shot went through the legs of the Dutch keeper.
Overall a fine game, and whoever Russia face next out of Spain or Italy will be worried. Favorites Holland are out of the tournament though, and their fans will be truly disheartened, although the better team won.
After both teams beat Greece and lost to Spain, the pressure was on in this game. Russia needed a win, where as Sweden could get through with a draw. Russia knew that they were under pressure, and Guus Hiddink was especially feeling the heat, as he was offered a four hundred thousand pound bonus if his Russian side got through to the quarter finals.
Russia started the game better, playing fast football and catching the Swedes out. A combination of good saves, hitting the post, missing chances and simply not engineering chances well enough meant that after twenty five minutes the game was still goal less.
But then, a moment of genius from Russia produced the first goal of the game: an excellent run by the winger, who passed the ball in to the area for the under lapping right back, who then played the ball back to Roman Pavlyuchenko who neatly finished the move, playing the ball calmly in to the bottom corner.
Sweden never really looked like scoring, and Henrik Larsson had the closest chance, heading the ball on to the post, although this would have been extremely flattering if it had gone in.
In the second half the story was much the same, and Russia got a quick goal, when a sweeping move was converted in to a goal by Andrei Arshavin, who had a brilliant game.
Russia looked likely to score more, and in the last ten minutes they should have scored at least two goals, and must have had five or six good opportunities, including a couple of headers from point blank range.
Overall a good performance by Russia, who knock Sweden out the tournament, and reach the knock out stage of a major tournament since they were the Soviet Union.
Greece went into this game knowing that if they lost they were out of the competition after the current holders lost by two goals to Sweden in a rather uninspiring game. Russia didn’t have a very good start, either. They lost by three goals to Spain in their first game, getting outclassed and not looking too good.
As the game kicked off and got under way, it was fairly dull, Greece were slowing the game down (as they do) and trying to force mistakes out of Russia who weren’t having any of it. Both the teams had good opportunities in the first half, forcing both goal keepers to make some good saves.
But suddenly the game livened up, both teams pressuring, and after thirty four minutes of the game, a goal keeping blunder by Antonis Nikopolidis put Konstatin Zyryanov to slot the ball in to the net from close range to give his Russian side the lead.
In the second half the game livened up even more, Greece knowing they had to score just to stay in the competition, and they had a couple of good opportunities, the best of which was a simple lob for Charisteas, but he kicked it straight to the Russian keeper’s hands.
Russia regained control and Greece struggled to make any real impact on the game. Russia came extremely close to scoring when a shot was smashed in to the side netting after a surging run from Pavlyuchenko.
Then, once again, Greece started playing again, forcing a couple of good saves out of Igor Akinfeyev, shooting a good chance over the bar and having a goal disallowed for an extremely close off side decision, but they failed to utilize on these brilliant chances.
Overall, a very entertaining game, and after Russia scored both teams looked energetic, but it is too late for current holders Greece who took Europe by storm in 2004, and they crash out of Euro 2008, knowing they really should have done better.
This result means that Spain come top of the group, regardless of the results on the final group stage matches. It also means that Sweden are in a very good position for getting through, knowing that just a draw against Russia will send them through with Spain.
Spain went into this game expected to win. The majority of Britons asked said they thought the Spanish international side were the most likely to go all the way, but first they had to get through their first game against Russia.
For the first ten minutes or so, neither team really found their feet, and it was very hard to decide who would get the first goal, but around the fifteen minute mark, Russia started to play some good football and looked very threatening, although they failed to utilize this advantage and on the twenty minute mark, the Liverpool top goal scorer, Torres made a break down the left hand side, before attracting goal keeper and coolly passing the ball into Villa for a simple tap in.
The first half in general belong to Spain, although it wouldn’t be fair to say Russia didn’t have their chances, including hitting the post, hitting the crossbar and having a one on one opportunity canceled for offside.
The Spanish side then made Russia pay for this mistake. Russia played a short corner and way over hit the cross, then Spain made a counter attack extremely similar to the Netherlands’s, where the left back ran the length of the pitch, before the ball found it’s way through to David Villa, who scored his second of the game calmly passing the ball through the keepers legs.
A number of players looked extremely close to getting booked in the first half, with the referee seeming to disallow psychical contact altogether, giving a lot of free kicks, and it was unsurprising no one received a yellow card, although this didn’t ruin what was a very good game of football so far.
Coming out for the second half and it looked like the Russians might just find a way back into this game, putting the Spanish defense under a lot of pressure for around a quarter of an hour before the tables turned and on the seventieth minute David Villa got his hat trick after an excellent cross-pitch pass from substitute Cesc Fabregas, meaning all Villa had to do was slot the ball neatly home at the near post.
The Spaniards then carried on putting the Russians under pressure, until around the eightieth minute where Russian player Roman Pavlyuchenko headed the ball in to the Spanish net to make the score 3 – 1, but this didn’t mean the Spanish stopped. With yet another counter attack they surged forward, Villa holding the ball up and chipping to Igor Akinfeyev who blasted it to the keeper, who could only rebound the ball in to Cesc Fabregas’ path for a diving header.
The first game of Group D was a good one, with lots of action, and, at last, a decent amount of goals. The Spanish played well, and thoroughly deserved the win. They certainly look like a team with the quality to win this competition.
But then, a moment of genius from Russia produced the first goal of the game: an excellent run by the winger, who passed the ball in to the area for the under lapping right back, who then played the ball back to Roman Pavlyuchenko who neatly finished the move, playing the ball calmly in to the bottom corner.
Greece went into this game knowing that if they lost they were out of the competition after the current holders lost by two goals to Sweden in a rather uninspiring game. Russia didn’t have a very good start, either. They lost by three goals to Spain in their first game, getting outclassed and not looking too good.
Spain went into this game expected to win. The majority of Britons asked said they thought the Spanish international side were the most likely to go all the way, but first they had to get through their first game against Russia.
