No. 1103: Draw with Portugal and advance to the quarterfinals!
The Czechs take the lead, allowing them to temporarily move up to top of the group, with qualification hopes within reach.
When the news reached the Olympic Stadium in Warsaw, Russia was shocked that they could finish second in their group as long as they could keep the score 0-0 until the end.
Of course, if they can beat Greece, they will finish top of the group.
Whether they are first or second in the group, the Czech goal is good news for them.
At the Wroclaw Stadium, the hosts were forced off a cliff and they launched a Jedi counterattack against the Czechs.
The Czechs formed one defence after another in their own half!
Poland failed to find the Czech goal until the final whistle sounded, and the match between Greece and Russia came to an end shortly after.
The two teams that advanced were produced, and finally defeated Poland 1-0 with the goal of Gilacek in the second half of the Czech Republic, and accumulated six points from three games, two wins and one loss to qualify for the first place in the group.
The host Poland has three games, two draws and one loss in the group stage, accumulating 2 points, and is at the bottom of the group!
Russia eliminated Greece with the same number of points on goal difference, entered the knockout round, and entered the knockout stage without danger.
After the final round of Group A's horror, people turned their attention to Group B, the group of death.
The situation in Group B is clearer, the Netherlands has two wins and is basically determined to qualify in advance, Denmark has lost two consecutive games and exited early, and Germany and Portugal, both with one win and one loss, will compete for a place in the other group.
In comparison, Germany has the upper hand.
First of all, they are ahead of Portugal in terms of goals scored, and secondly, they are stronger than Denmark, and Denmark has been eliminated early, with no hope of qualifying, and their fighting power has been sharply reduced.
The only surprise was that the Netherlands released water to Portugal based on the score between Germany and Denmark, allowing Portugal to advance to the knockout stage on goal difference.
So the attitude of the Dutch team has become the key to the group of death.
Van Marwijk said ambiguously in his pre-match press conference in the afternoon that he would not send all his main players for the knockout round, and he also said that he would never release water and would play against Portugal seriously.
On the 18th, the group of death competition began.
The Netherlands will play Portugal at the Kharkiv Stadium and Germany will take on Denmark at the Lviv Stadium.
At half past seven in the evening, the two games started on time.
Van Marwijk put Chen Fan and Sneijder on the bench, Van Persie and Arjen Robben continued to start, and Van Marwijk wanted to use the game to get them into the game.
Unlike the stalemate and dullness of Group A, the two games in Group of Death scored shortly after the start of the game.
In the 10th minute of the first half, at the Kharkiv Stadium, Van Persie pulled to the side to attract the attention of the opposing wingbacks, Robben cut inside to the right side of the top of the arc and knocked to the full-back Williams who came up with the assist.
Williams scrambled to the inside of his left foot before Mereles could fill in and the ball curled off the tip of Portugal goalkeeper Patricio's fingers and into the net.
1 to 0!
The Netherlands break the deadlock on the field!
When the news reached the Lviv stadium, the German fans were shocked, and the Dutch team really did not release the water!
In the twentieth minute, Muller made a low cross from the right side, Gomez missed a point in front, and Podolski scored with a right-footed volley in the middle!
He scored in his 100th international match!
1-0, Germany takes the lead!
However, four minutes later, a tenacious Danish equaliser.
Denmark took a corner kick from the right side, Bendtner assisted with a header at the far point, and Cologne Deli scored with a header in the small penalty area!
One-to-one!
Denmark equalise!
When the news reached the Kharkiv Stadium, Portuguese fans were excited and they rekindled their hopes of qualifying.
Three minutes later, their team scored the equaliser!
Williams, the hero of the Dutch youngster's goal, passed the ball directly to the opponent's feet on the left side, and Portugal launched a counterattack!
Fullback Pereira cut inside to the middle, sent a through plug with the outside of his right foot, Ronaldo quickly started to shake off Vlar's defense, and easily pushed the near corner with his right foot!
One-to-one!
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal of this European Cup, and the goal-scoring Ronaldo ran to the sidelines to make a signature celebration!
In the rest of the first half, neither side was able to change the score, and both went into the second half with a score of 1-1.
In the twenty-eighth minute of the second half, Portugal took the lead!
Pepe broke the ball in front of his own penalty area and pushed it to Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Real Madrid superstar distributed the ball to his teammate on the right and inserted it into the front court at high speed, and Portugal formed a great opportunity to play three!
Nani won the ball on the right without pausing and sent it directly to the far post, Ronaldo followed up into the penalty area, easily denied back to Van de Wiel, who was in position, and pushed the ball into the bottom left corner with his right foot
Two to one!
Portugal takes the lead!
According to the score of the current two games, Portugal is second in the group, and the hope of advancing is greatly increased!
The news of Portugal's lead over the Netherlands reached the Kharkiv stadium and Germany, who were cornered, launched a tidal wave of attacks.
In the 35th minute of the second half, the German team launched a quick counterattack, Ozil took the ball in front of the field and went straight to the right gap, although Klose did not get the ball at the front point, the right back Bender inserted the goal at high speed!
The ball is in!
Two to one!
Germany is leading again, and they are once again taking the initiative to qualify into their own hands!
After cheering, the German fans became extremely nervous, keeping an eye on the score change at the other venue.
Now the German team only has the advantage of scoring goals, beating Portugal to occupy the second place in the group, and if Portugal scores again, then it will be Germany that will face elimination.
At the Kharkiv Stadium, Dutch fans also became nervous, and they suddenly found that they who had been sitting at the top of the group might face elimination.
If Germany beats Denmark by three goals and Portugal beats the Netherlands by three goals, then it will be the Netherlands that will be eliminated!
In the face of Portugal's ferocious attack, Van Marwijk immediately made personnel adjustments, with Chen Fan and Sneijder both on the field.
Ronaldo looked at Chen Fan who ran into the field, with a helpless expression on his face, Chen, why did you come up and fall in love with me and kill each other?
The news of Chen Fan and Sneijder's play spread to another stadium, and the German fans exhaled heavily, and there was no problem for the German team to advance.
At the Kharkiv Stadium, Chen Fan and Sneijder's arrival stabilized the situation in the Netherlands, and in the 41st minute of the second half, Chen Fan suddenly cut inside with the ball on the left side.
"Smack! ……”
In the case of the other party's three people, Chen Fan made a horizontal pass and passed the football to Robben, who was unmarked in the middle!
Robben raised his left foot and shot straight away, and the ball flew towards the left side of the goal!
The next moment, the ball flew past the Portuguese goalkeeper's fingertips and into the net!
The ball is in!
The score became two to two!
The Netherlands equalised, much to the relief of Dutch fans.
Sneijder's goal completely pushed the Portuguese fans into the abyss, and Cristiano Ronaldo's two goals came to naught......
The news reached the Lviv Stadium, and German fans chanted Robben's name.
In the following matches, the scores of the two games did not change again, Germany defeated Denmark 2-1 to qualify for the second place in the group, and the Netherlands drew 2-2 with Portugal to qualify for the first place in the group!
The group stage of the Group of Death was over, with the Netherlands and Germany having the last laugh, with Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal unfortunately exiting.