Euro2012: Czechs & Greeks surprise, move into QFs!

The 2012 European Championships continued for the Group A teams tonight with their third and final round group matches in the Polish cities of Wroclaw and Warsaw. Both matches were played simultaneously and they were both high voltage action and brought some surprise as the Czech Republic and Greece qualified from Group A for the quarterfinals. While Greece scored a major upset by winning 1-0 against Russia, the Czechs won by the same scoreline against the co-hosts Poland.


GROUP A

Greece 1-0 (1-0) Russia
Goals: 1-0 Giorgos Karagounis (45+2')

2004 champions Greece scored a decisive lone goal victory against the highly rated Russians to make it into the quarterfinals, while this defeat left the Russian out of the competition. Greek captain Giorgos Karagounis scored the winner in the first half injury time.

Greece made a focused start against Russia after they were caught napping in their first encounters against Poland and the Czech Republic, but after an initial burst the Russians took over but they couldn't score of their chances. When the match seemed to be heading for a draw at the end of the first half it was Giorgos Karagounis who struck for Greece past Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Russia were shocked, but regrouped in the second session and once more had more of the ball but Greece continued to have the better chances as it ended 1-0 for Greece who won their first match since the final of Euro2004, while Russia who showed so much promise could not get the goals against Poland and Greece to take them into the quarterfinals.


Czech Republic 1-0 (0-0) Poland
Goals: 1-0 Petr Jiráček (72')

The Czech Republic defeated co-hosts Poland 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals by topping Group A, while Poland are out of the competition as the bottom team of their group. The only goal of the night came from midfielder Petr Jiráček in the second session.

The Czech Republic had the better start into the game, but heavy rains and thunder in Wroclaw like yesterday in Donetsk made play difficult, but it suited a fighting Poland more then the technically better Czech team, who got better once the rains cooled down, but Poland keeper Przemysław Tytoń denied them a few times.

After the break Poland looked tired and it seemed only a question of time when the Czech Republic would score. After wasting a few more chances it came in the 72nd minute through a strike from Petr Jiráček following a pass from Milan Baroš. The Polish had a late attempt cleared from the goalline by Michal Kadlec but it wasn't enough as they lost the match and are out of the tournament.