Euro 2008 Diary [day7]

Italy 1-1 Romania

Determined to bounce back from defeat to the Dutch Italy's fans are particularly loud in Zurich, and their team dominate the opening fifteen minutes. Alessandro Del Piero comes close while Luca Toni heads over. Although starting defensively Romania are much more potent in attack than they produce against France and both Adrian Mutu breaking down the left and Gabriel Tama from a long range free-kick bring saves from Gianluigi Buffon. Cristian Chivu comes even closer to opening the scoring as his free-kick deflects off Christian Panucci and comes back off the post and in the ensuing mayhem Razvan Rat and Mirel Radoi come together in a sickening clash of heads which forces Radoi out the game.

Mauro Camoranesi is at the heart of everything Italy produce and his cross almost brings a goal to Luca Toni but again his header is off target. When the forward finally gets a couple of efforts on target he is denied first by a brilliant Bogdan Lobont save and then the linesman's flag. Lobont thwarts another chance as Italy press; "There's no method to it, it's just crisis management" says John Champion although Romania's coaching staff may disagree. Mutu has been quiet since his early chance so he takes the opportunity to get his name on the screen with a wild swing at 21 that receives a deserved booking.

Ten minutes into the second half Romania take the lead. Gianluca Zambrotta attempts to head a long ball back to Buffon, but Mutu intercepts and strikes into the roof of the net. They lead for barely a minute as Italy force a corner and Giorgio Chiellini heads Daniele De Rossi's delivery back across goal for Panucci to poke home from a yard out becoming in Champions words; "the oldest player to score and outfield goal in open play". Italy have a great chance to take the lead midway through the half as De Rossi meets Toni's chested lay-off with a diving header but again Lobont saves brilliantly. With ten minutes left Romania then get their chance for an unlikely win as Daniel Niculae is hauled down by Panucci for a penalty. However Buffon, sporting a strange highwayman's neckerchief, saves Mutu's spot-kick with a combination of hand and foot and it finishes level.

France 1-4 Netherlands

France make changes after a lacklustre opening game display, or as John Motson puts it; "Anelka and Benzema left out after firing blanks against Romania". The Netherlands meanwhile simply carry on where they left off and lead after just nine minutes as Dirk Kuyt heads home Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's corner. France begin to force their way back into it and twenty minutes in Sidney Govou forces Edwin Van der Sar to make an excellent save and leads Mark Lawrenson to ask; "How many saves have we seen made by keepers with their feet in these Championships?" The already long dead horse is flogged further as Lawrenson then tries to name all such saves. Inspired by Franck Ribery France have the better of the game's second quarter and the midfielder himself comes close, denied by another good save from Van der Sar.

France have chances to lead early in the second half too, only two timely Andre Ooijer blocks, the second possibly with a flailing arm, prevent Thierry Henry from scoring. Florent Malouda's overhead kick then puts Henry in the clear, but he can't control his lob as it clears both Van der Sar and his crossbar. With chances falling by the wayside the camera cuts to the exasperated Raymond Domenech who is looking more and more like a morphing experiment involving Parker and Paul O'Grady. The Netherlands are decidedly more clinical and they enforce this fact extending their lead on the hour mark. Ruud Van Nistelrooy pulls off a glorious 360 degree turn on the halfway line to release Arjen Robben and his cross is finished by Robin Van Persie.

Far from out of it France hit back as Willy Sagnol breaks down the right and his low cross is brilliantly turned home by the deftest of touches from Henry. Typically though, the Netherlands reclaim their two goal cushion within a minute. Wesley Sneijder finds Robben in the left side of the penalty area and just as it seems Lilian Thuram has forced him too wide he unleashes an unstoppable shot high into the net. In injury-time the Dutch complete the rout with the best goal of the night; Sneijder turns on the edge of the box and hits a brilliant dipping curling shot in off the underside of the bar providing, in Motson's words, "a fabulous finish to a fantastic match".