Co-hosts Austria toiled and probed but Germany's class told in a 1-0 Euro 2008 Group B victory secured by Michael Ballack's freekick on Monday that put the European powerhouses into the quarter-finals.
Austria needed to win to keep their participation alive but while they produced an energetic performance, they never showed the quality needed to beat their favored opponents, although on their last two showings few teams will fear Germany.
In an intriguing contest both Austria coach Josef Hickersberger and his German counterpart Joachim Loew were comically sent off following a furious row with the fourth official.
PHOTO: EPA
Ballack said the match had been tough and Germany could expect another difficult challenge with stylish Portugal next up.
“It was a difficult game. It’s always difficult in this position,” he said.
“We have a big target which is to go to the final. I feel we were a bit nervous,” Ballack said.
Defender Philipp Lahm said the stakes were high and Germany were inclined to be solid rather than spectacular — the well-struck goal aside.
“When a place in the last eight is at stake you can’t gamble everything on one card. We were disciplined and organized — but we can still get better in every department,” Lahm said.
Loew said he was happy with the outcome.
“I am pleased to garner this important win in a match where we were under enormous pressure,” the German coach said.
Hickersberger, opined that “we played quite well in this tournament,” but added that “I still don’t know what the future holds” regarding his next move.
Germany came flying out of the traps as Austria began nervously and after four minutes haphazard defending allowed Germany a three-on-one but Lukas Podolski dallied and the Austrian defense got back to clear.
A minute later, Germany striker Mario Gomez was guilty of a shocking miss, spooning a shot from close range off his shin and high into the air before Gyorgy Garics got back to head it off the line.
Gomez then got clear down the left before shooting straight at Jurgen Macho in Austria’s goal.
The co-hosts gradually settled and a mixture of bad luck and worse control prevented them from taking the lead.
On 18 minutes Christoph Metzelder was lucky to get away without conceding a penalty after dragging down Erwin Hoffer in the box.
A minute later and Hoffer was put clean through by Martin Harnik but an appalling first touch gave Jens Lehmann the chance to dash out and smother the danger.
Rene Aufhauser then forced Lehmann into a save before Macho tipped a fierce drive from Podolski around the post.
Five minutes before the break tempers frayed on the touchline between the rival coaches and the fourth official until referee Manuel Gonzalez of Spain took the draconian measure of sending both coaches to the stands.
With both coaches banished, it was left to Austrian team manager Andreas Herzog and Loew’s assistant, Hansi Flick, to conduct the traditional post-match interviews.
“Whatever happened had to do with the fact that things were becoming too chaotic and hectic,” Flick said. “Both of the coaches simply tried to explain to the fourth official that they wanted to keep coaching and they were sent off.”
The coaches shook hands before trudging away, with whistles and jeers echoing around the stadium from bemused fans.
Austria had a great chance just after the restart with a two-on-one break but Hoffer failed to release the nippy Umit Korkmaz and was dispossed by Per Mertesacker.
Germany made them pay dearly on 49 minutes after Andreas Ivanschitz had brought down the marauding Lahm and Ballack rifled home a bullet free-kick from almost 30m that fizzed past Macho into the top corner.
Austria were willing but offered little in terms of quality and Lehmann was rarely tested while at the other end Podolski shot just wide from long range on 54 minutes.
The co-hosts threw caution to the wind late on with Ivanschitz bustling through only to be denied by Lahm before Hoffer turned sharply but fired wide from 12m.
And a minute from time Miroslav Klose should have buried the game for Germany but he shot straight at Macho.
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
RSS