Euro 2008 Diary [day2]

Austria 0-1 Croatia

The Ernst Happoel Stadium in Vienna has been strangely carpeted in blue ready for this game, and perhaps it is that which distracts Rene Aufhauser enough for him to bring down Ivica Olic within the opening four minutes for a very obvious penalty. Emanuel Pogatetz's misplaced protests earn him a yellow card before Luka Modric rolls home the spot kick. The goal brings Croatian manager Slaven Bilic out of his technical area; his silver suit, rogue earring and sly grin giving him the air of a man who is emerging from court having just got off a charge for GBH.

Before half-time Pogatetz could have received a yellow card, and is probably only spared by Olic's incredible theatrics who makes such a meal of the Pogatetz's foul that you suspect the Dutch referee begins to side with the Austrian. Olic will later be subbed in the second half leaving the field like a 20km walker crossing the finish-line before collapsing by the dugout... you wonder if he is so dramatic in everything he does; crawling on his hands and knees across the road to an ice-cream van perhaps?

If the first half was Croatia's the second belongs to the hosts. Rank outsiders they may be but like Switzerland yesterday they throw everything at their opponents. The introduction of Umit Korkmaz gives them further life and he tests the Croat keeper with a curling effort, before Roman Kienhast glances their best effort wide of the post in injury-time. And so like their co-hosts they are left to rue a 1-0 defeat that could have been more.

Germany 2-0 Poland

"Everyone knows a Polish person" says Gary Lineker in case the British public were short on reasons to support a nation about to face Germany. Apparently there has been much tension in the two countries heading into this game, but if Poland's defensive line is anything to go by they at least seem keen to forgive and forget; gifting Germany a chance after four minutes only for Miroslav Klose to inexplicably square the ball to the understandably unprepared Mario Gomes. Midway through the half a similar chance presents itself to Klose who again goes square but this time Lukas Podolski gives Germany the lead.

At half-time Martin O'Neil calls Poland's defensive display a 'shambles' causing Lineker to grin like a naughty schoolboy who's accomplice just got the blame. In the second half Poland introduce their token naturalised Brazilian Guerreiro and look much the better for it, however they fail to take advantage of what Mark Lawrenson terms 'laborious' defending by Christoph Metzelder. Instead Germany rally, with Michael Ballack denied by a brilliant Artur Boruc save before they eventually double their lead minutes later. Pawel Golanski dwells over a routine clearance allowing Bastian Shweinsteiger to square the ball; Klose slices it horrifically but in doing so inadvertently tees up Podolski who volleys home.

The closest Poland get is a flicked near-post header from Marek Saganowksi off Guerreiro's cross which brings a reaction save from Jens Lehman, giving Lawrenson and Jonathan Pearce excuse for a high noon goalkeeping cliché showdown, and the Austrian television producers opportunity to show slow motion footage of Lehman shouting and waving... or maybe it's in real time.