Dzagoev shines once more for Russia

Alan Dzagoev headed the Castrol EDGE Index for the second successive game as his attacking efforts helped Russia earn a draw against an impressive Poland side in Warsaw. 

 

 Alan Dzagoev's reputation is blossoming at UEFA EURO 2012, and the talented youngster stood out once again as Russia were held in a hard-fought 1-1 draw by Poland in Warsaw.

After his goalscoring heroics in Russia's emphatic opening win, much was expected of the 21-year-old in this Group A clash between the co-hosts and their neighbours. Neither Dzagoev, nor the match, disappointed and the PFC CSKA Moskva man ended an enthralling encounter at the top of the Castrol EDGE Index for the second game in succession with a score of 9.06.

Before Poland levelled, it looked like the script had changed little for Russia. Dick Advocaat's charges brought dynamism in attack, and the same man opened the scoring, Dzagoev nodding in Andrey Arshavin's free-kick for his third goal of the tournament.

Indeed Dzagoev's performance was a near replica of his first. His link-up play was exceptional – he had seven incisive runs and deliveries (dwarfing the tournament average of 4.73) and six of those were into the final third. As in his first game, he refused to waste a chance, hitting the target with each his three shots – the only Russian to do so.

Unfortunately for his team, however, the similarities with the opening day ended with Dzagoev's sterling efforts, as an impressive Poland earned a point. Poles made up the rest of the top five, with Sebastian Boenisch (8.81) and Marcin Wasilewski (8.65) finishing second and third respectively.

Castrol EDGE Index: Poland v Russia
1. Alan Dzagoev (RUS) 9.02
2. Sebastian Boenisch (POL) 8.81
3. Marcin Wasilewski (POL) 8.65
4. Damien Perquis (POL) 8.44
5. Robert Lewandowski (POL) 8.3

Key facts
0 – Poland join Romania, Switzerland and Turkey as sides who have failed to win any of their first five games in UEFA European Championship final tournaments.
3 – Russia now boast both the top scorer (Dzagoev, three) and assist-maker (Arshavin, three) at UEFA EURO 2012.
11 – Russia forward Aleksandr Kerzhakov has now had 11 shots without getting one on target at UEFA EURO 2012 (nine off target, two blocked).
5 – Advocaat's side have been nothing if not clinical, converting five of the seven shots that they have fired on target so far at the EURO.
6 – Poland's nine shots on target forced Russian goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev into six saves.

Player view
Sebastian Boenisch: "At half-time we said that even though we were 1-0 down, it didn't mean anything and that we would go back out and fight. That is what we did in the second half."

Russia rue missed opportunity

Russia's players departed the National Stadium Warsaw with the feeling, in the words of keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev, they had "dropped two points" following their 1-1 draw with Poland. 

 

 

Russia's players departed the National Stadium Warsaw disappointed to have surrendered the lead against Poland and, in the words of goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev, "dropped two points" in their 1-1 draw. Although the result kept them top of Group A, captain Andrey Arshavin was also dissatisfied, claiming they were too open against the tournament co-hosts.

Vyacheslav Malafeev, Russia goalkeeper
I think judging by how the game developed, we dropped two points. We couldn't hold the advantage, as Poland pushed for a goal right after we'd scored, with their home advantage. I don't think they had [such] an impressive game and we could have gone on and won the match. I think it's always difficult to play in such an atmosphere. They counterattacked well, while on many occasions we weren't as quick as we'd like. We played better and faster against the Czechs.

Andrey Arshavin, Russia forward
I think we played a little too openly in the second half, and we allowed Poland to counter, which they love to do and are used to doing. Unfortunately, they got a goal. We also had chances but we could not put enough pressure on their goal.

Roman Shirokov, Russia midfielder
The Poles stepped it up [in the second half]. We fell back and started to make mistakes. We didn't create anything and it was a good goal [by them]. We can score goals, but there were not enough final balls today. We were supposed to play and create chances. We scored one goal, and then we stopped running, chasing the second one, and eventually they succeeded in scoring, and that's it.

Aleksandr Kerzakhov, Russia forward
At half-time the game was ours. I wouldn't say that there wasn't a collapse, they just succeeded in scoring the equaliser and after that nobody wanted to risk too much. Everything was more difficult than in the match against the Czech Republic but we still had our chance to score the second goal. We were lacking something in the final few metres.

Poland pleased with Russia point

Optimism reigns in the Poland camp after their 1-1 draw against Russia, with defender Sebastian Boenisch now looking forward to "a real final" against the Czech Republic on Saturday. 

 

 There was obvious contentment in the Poland camp after Jakub Błaszczykowski's thunderous drive salvaged a 1-1 draw against Group A leaders Russia in Warsaw. Defender Sebastian Boenisch concluded that the co-hosts "can be satisfied" with the result and is now looking forward to "a real final" on Saturday, when Franciszek Smuda's men must beat the Czech Republic in their final pool outing to reach the last eight.

Sebastian Boenisch, Poland defender
Well I think it was a very nice match for us, and for the fans. We had to give our best. We fell behind in the first half from a set piece. The Russians hadn't created a chance up to that point. At half-time we then said that although we were 1-0 down, it didn't mean anything and that we'd go out again and fight – and that's what we did in the second half.

We managed to fight back. We played attacking football and even wanted to score the second. I think we can be satisfied with the 1-1 draw and now we have a real final against the Czech Republic.

Jakub Błaszczykowski, Poland midfielder
It was a very difficult match. The Russians have shown that they are a very good side. I've just seen my goal on TV. I think I got a good pass from Eugen [Polanski], I moved towards the centre and hit it towards the far post. The goalkeeper didn't have much chance, really. A very beautiful goal.

The group situation is interesting. Even the Russians cannot be sure. Everything is open, but what happened tonight is now history. We are focused on what's coming up and will do everything to beat the Czech Republic. We are full of optimism ahead of that match. With support from the stands like we received tonight, I believe we will take the historic step of reaching the quarter-finals in Wroclaw.

Rafał Murawski, Poland midfielder
I'm very positive about how the match panned out – it was a very good game with a nice high tempo. Both sides had decent chances and it must have been a good game to watch. I think the fans will have enjoyed it.

The Russians are strong – we knew that before their match against the Czechs – but I think we played well and were solid tactically. We had watched their previous games and they played exactly the way we expected them to. We did our job really well and it was an even match.

We wanted to sit a bit deeper and deny them dangerous counterattacks. It worked really well and we had chances in both halves. The Czech Republic game is now, of course, a very important game. Who knows, maybe the most important game in recent years. We have to win and this is what we are going to Wroclaw to do. The Czechs are within our reach, but they do play good football.

Smuda relieved, Advocaat frustrated

Franciszek Smuda was delighted that "the pressure is dipping" around his Poland side but their 1-1 draw with Russia left opposite number Dick Advocaat feeling short-changed. 

 Poland coach Franciszek Smuda was delighted to feel the pressure around his side receding following their spirited 1-1 draw with Russia in UEFA EURO 2012 Group A. His opposite number, Dick Advocaat, meanwhile, came away a little disappointed not to have taken more from a game he felt his side dominated.

Franciszek Smuda, Poland coach
The pressure is always there. It is not getting any greater – in fact it was probably at its worst before the first game. Now that the tournament is up and running, and the first game is out of the way, the adrenalin level is lower and the pressure is dipping. Now we have a few days to prepare and to rest, to recover and regain our freshness. [The suspended] Wojciech Szczęsny is our No1 goalkeeper and there is no doubt about that, so there is a chance that he will return for the next game.

The supporters were behind us, and that was great, but it was the same in the first match. They were good all the way through that first game too. Any problems we had in the second half against Greece were our own fault. The open roof changes the conditions, though. We had much more air – we could run faster. When it comes to preparing for the next game, we will have to wait until our injured players have been examined by the team doctor so we know if there is anything serious we have to contend with. We will find that out tomorrow afternoon.

We have played a lot of good matches. In 2011 we came together to build a new team, and when you do that you do not always play perfectly. It is getting better and better. Today's match proved that we are good enough to win against the Czech Republic. Our team can see that we have a chance of reaching the knockout stage and we will do everything we can to use that chance.

Dick Advocaat, Russia coach
Russia were the better team and Igor Denisov had a very good game, but when you score a goal like [Jakub Błaszczykowski] did, you must be a good player. It was a nice goal. Maybe he was man of the match officially, but for us Denisov was the best player.

I thought Russia were a better team than Poland today, but it was a very good game and we played really well, and it was a pretty good result because they had 40,000 people behind them, and that is a big advantage. The first win was nice, and I really thought this one was going to end 1-0 because we controlled the game. We won that first game 4-1, but this one was like an away game, and you just have to accept that their equaliser was a beautiful goal. If you are objective, you would say that both teams worked hard, but Russia had more possession and created more, but you have to give both sides credit for the way they played.

Was Andrey Arshavin getting tired at the end? I get tired too, but I carry on. He was one of our most dangerous players. He made a few mistakes defensively but he is so sharp on the ball. I did think about substituting him, but every time he got the ball something happened, so I didn't. I don't want to talk about individuals. Alan Dzagoev is a good player, sure, and he scored, but we all need to be equally good in the next game on Saturday. For me, Russia are the best team in the tournament so far in terms of the way we have played. What did I say to Franciszek Smuda on the way out of the press conference? I wished him a pleasant evening!

Błaszczykowski strike reins Russia in

Poland 1-1 Russia
Jakub Błaszczykowski struck a superb second-half equaliser to keep Poland's hopes intact as Russia failed to build on Alan Dzagoev's opener.

Co-hosts Poland know they will reach the last eight of UEFA EURO 2008 with victory against the Czech Republic on Saturday after Jakub Błaszczykowski cancelled out Alan Dzagoev's 37th-minute opener in this Group A game at the National Stadium Warsaw.

Russia rode some early pressure before taking a lead through the tournament's leading scorer, Alan Dzagoev, but having failed to find a finishing touch after breaching the Poland defence on numerous occasions, Dick Advocaat's side fell prey to a passionate second-half rally, with home captain Błaszczykowski thudding a powerful effort past Vyacheslav Malafeev on 57 minutes.

For the first time in a UEFA European Championship finals, Russia fielded the same starting XI in consecutive games, with Advocaat selecting Aleksandr Kerzhakov despite some wayward finishing in their opening 4-1 win against the Czech Republic. With Przemysław Tytoń replacing the suspended Wojciech Szczęsny, Poland's only outfield adjustment saw AJ Auxerre midfielder Dariusz Dudka step in for the less experienced Maciej Rybus.

As they had against Greece on Friday, Franciszek Smuda's side shaped up fast, and might have gone in front after six minutes, Malafeev scrambling the ball away with his foot after Sebastian Boenisch met Ludovic Obraniak's free-kick from the right. Robert Lewandowski came within two metres of the goal of his life when he volleyed over the bar from distance in the 11th minute, and Poland then had the ball in the net but Eugen Polanski's effort was chalked off for offside.

It was the culmination of a darting move which the Russians would have been proud of, and a sign that while they may have lacked their opponents' innate menace, Poland's passion can move mountains. Under pressure, though, they never seemed comfortable; with Andrey Arshavin insinuating his way into the game, Poland's rearguard foundation creaked.

Saving tackles and Russia's haphazard finishing papered over the cracks, but the whole edifice buckled on 37 minutes, when Arshavin man whipped in a free-kick from the left, which Dzagoev darted in from nowhere to nudge around Przemysław Tytoń. Not a big man, the PFC CSKA Moskva forward, but he is indisputably clever and has three goals at UEFA EURO 2012 already.

Poland's response was suitably spirited, Malafeev diving to force a powerful Obraniak drive away. They twice picked out Lewandowski in the box just after the restart, though the lone wolf forward was denied a shot on both occasions. Russia looked like they could shred their opponents on the break, but that was not Poland's concern; optimism drove them forward, and their slightly reckless spirit was rewarded on 57 minutes when Błaszczykowski took the ball on the edge of the box, nudged it infield and sent a venomous shot past Malafeev.

Tytoń then made a diving save from Dzagoev on a par with his effort to deny Giorgios Karaounis from the penalty spot against Greece, before Malafeev got down low to block a Polanski effort as the action switched ends at dizzying speed. Russia closed in, Poland sprang free, again and again. Russia, still group leaders, will wonder how they failed to add to their tally as they look ahead to Saturday's last group fixture against Greece. For Poland, meanwhile, it was not a win, but a small triumph for hope over experience.

Netherlands feel heat ahead of Germany test

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk was "irritated and tense" by his own admission, but Germany's Joachim Löw expects to face a Dutch side shorn of their shackles on Wednesday. 

 

 If there were the embryonic signs of tension in the immediate aftermath of the Netherlands' loss to Denmark, the three days since seem to have done little to improve Berth van Marwijk's demeanour.
The Dutch coach was quick to concede that his team were "under pressure" after one sucker-punch condemned them to that defeat by the Danes, but Wednesday's encounter against Germany hardly represents the easiest fixture to kickstart their UEFA EURO 2012 campaign. History alone says as much: the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, the 1988 UEFA European Championship semi-final, not to mention a heated meeting at the 1990 World Cup.

Throw in a 3-0 friendly reverse against Germany last year and it is easy to see why Van Marwijk and his team, in temperatures upwards of 30C, are feeling the heat. "Of course the atmosphere is tense," said the 60-year-old. "For a big game like this – especially after you have just lost – of course it's going to be tense, here and in the Netherlands. That's why sometimes we're going to be irritated, but that's why we're going to have to be even more motivated."

Pressed on everything from the Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and/or Robin van Persie debate to the Dutch squad's decision to stay in Poland, Van Marwijk was not given an easy ride. However, for the assembled media in a city that is home to Svobody Square – one of the largest in Europe – pressing Van Marwijk merely left them going in circles.

"We're preparing for one of the most important games for the past few years," he said. "How to beat them? I won't tell you that because I'll tell my own team that. The Germans are very strong but we can also beat them. How we do that and where we do that, I won't tell you now."

Joris Mathijsen played a full part in Tuesday's open training session after missing the Denmark game with a hamstring injury, leaving both coaches with fully fit squads. Joachim Löw, though, looks to be selecting his side with far less weight on his shoulders; the 1-0 win against Portugal was Germany's 12th competitive triumph on the trot. The brains behind all that, Löw is keen to avoid Wednesday becoming unlucky No13.

"Both teams have fantastic possibilities up front," he said. "Our defence will be under pressure; what's important is the players show how good we are as a team. It won't always be possible to double up on players as they play fast football. Our defenders will have to win their one-on-ones. Holland need possession, they play attacking football and have world-class players up front who cause problems for any defence. I can't believe Holland will completely change their style or their tactics because of their last result."

Löw is not a man prone to hyperbole and is keen that the slate is wiped clean despite the unavoidable history between the sides. "It is a big rivalry with legendary matches in tournaments," he said. "They're the most interesting and best matches of the last 20-30 years. It will be very intense, there's a huge rivalry and technically it will be a very good, but what happened in the past is history now." As could the Dutch be if they lose on Wednesday.

Denmark and Portugal skip history lessons

Portugal boss Paulo Bento says "it's not yet time for alarm bells" as his side look to revive their fortunes against a dreaming Denmark team they need no introduction to. 

 

 

Talk of past glories – even ones from Saturday – have been prominent in the build-up to Denmark's meeting with Portugal, but neither side is taking much stock of history ahead of a match that could help make or break their campaigns at UEFA EURO 2012.

Denmark's surprise victory over the Netherlands has reawakened memories of their famous march to glory in 1992, but Group B opponents Portugal already needed no introduction to their threat. Five times the sides have met over the past six years and Denmark's three wins to Portugal's one ultimately forced the Selecção das Quinas to come through the assault course of play-offs to qualify for both this tournament and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Neither coach is drawing too much from that. Morten Olsen insists his team "got lucky in a couple of the qualifiers"; Paulo Bento stresses that "this is another time, with different circumstances". The Portuguese added: "The last time we played each other, in October, Denmark played a certain way as they needed to win in order to come first in their qualifying group and they did, 2-1. Will it be the same approach?"

Olsen, predictably, was keeping his cards close to his chest on that, but while victory over the Netherlands was a "dream scenario" he is not allowing his players to rest on their laurels. "It has given us a real lift and built confidence but we cannot fall asleep now. Portugal were unlucky against Germany, while we needed good fortune ourselves [to beat the Netherlands]. We needed it to be our day."

The theme of provenance has been high on the agenda in the Portugal camp after Saturday's 1-0 loss to Germany though Bento is keen to move on. "If we keep looking for that little bit of good fortune, it's not going to happen for us," he said of a side that has scored only once in four games. "We have to accept that Denmark have an advantage over us, an advantage of three points. The Germany defeat has left us in a difficult situation but we have been here before."

Indeed, a well-versed Bento cited UEFA EURO 2004, when Portugal lost their opener against Greece but recovered to meet – and lose to – Otto Rehhagel's men again in the final. Then there is 1984, when they recovered from a sluggish start to storm into the last four before encountering a Michel Platini-inspired France. "We can quote many situations, we can refer to history, but we must be realistic," he concluded, returning to the task in hand. "And the reality is that we have to beat Denmark."

Olsen, too, prescribed a heavy dose of realism in response to suggestions that Denmark could repeat their 1992 trick. "You must dream but you have to appreciate how different football is today. If we get through the group stage it would be like winning the tournament back in 1992." That would likely spell bad news for Portugal and while Bento says "it's not yet time for alarm bells", he will be eager to jolt Denmark from their dream.

Composed Kadlec stands out in Czech victory

A solid defensive display by Czech Republic centre-back Michal Kadlec led to the Bayer 04 Leverkusen player topping the Castrol EDGE Index for his team's Group A win over Greece. 

 

 

In a match which evoked memories of the UEFA EURO 2004 semi-final between these nations, Czech Republic centre-back Michal Kadlec stood tall as his team dealt Greece's tournament hopes a significant blow.

The Bayer 04 Leverkusen defender, who topped the Castrol EDGE Index with a score of 9.24, helped the Czechs avenge their extra-time defeat in Porto eight years ago.
During a first half in which Michal Bílek's side raced into a two-goal lead, the 27-year-old was particularly economical with his distribution, finding his intended target with all but one of his 24 passes. Though his accuracy waned after the break, Kadlec still outshone all others with a match-high completion rate of 86%.

The former AC Sparta Praha player also excelled in the basic arts of defending such as blocking – including a volley from Dimitris Salpingidis – retrieving possession and maintaining a sturdy defensive line. Such was the Czechs' success in this department that Fernando Santos's charges were flagged offside six times, a tournament high.

Midfielder Tomáš Hübschman (8.83) and left winger Václav Pilař (8.7), scorer of the Czechs' second goal, made it a clean sweep for the Národní tým. Pilař, who had shone against Russia on Friday, was in fourth place in the overall Index after the first set of group games.

Castrol EDGE Index: Greece v Czech Republic
1. Michal Kadlec (CZE) 9.24
2. Tomáš Hübschman (CZE) 8.83
3. Václav Pilař  (CZE) 8.7
4. Giorgos Karagounis (GRE) 8.6
5. Petr Jiráček (CZE) 8.44

Key facts
2 – Czech goals in the first six minutes, courtesy of Petr Jiráček and Pilař.
4 – Touches by the Czech Republic in the Greece penalty area in the first half; two of those resulted in goals.
6 – Times Greece were flagged offside, a tournament high.
26 – Fouls committed by the Czech Republic, more than any side in a single game at UEFA EURO 2012 so far.
96 – Percentage of passes completed by Kadlec in the first half in Wroclaw.

Player view
Tomáš Hübschman: "The main aim of today was to get a good result that would give us a chance of advancing from the group. It feels great to get the win and it has given us the chance to go into the match against Poland with a good opportunity of advancing."

Czech defence delights Bílek

Czech Republic coach Michal Bílek praised his team's defending in their 2-1 victory against Greece while Fernando Santos was left to rue Greece's slowness out of the blocks in Wroclaw. 

 

 

Czech Republic coach Michal Bílek saw his team score two goals more quickly than any other nation in EURO history, but it was their defending which most pleased him in the 2-1 defeat of Greece. His opposite number, Fernando Santos, lamented the fact his team once more made a sluggish start, and then "used our hearts more than our minds".

Fernando Santos, Greece coach
The game started very badly for us. We were trailing very early on, and we knew this might happen. Given that they had seen our first game, we knew they would come out strongly and try to dominate. Although we'd been warned and we knew they'd pressure us, we failed to respond. We had a defence which had conceded four goals in ten official games, and within two games here, we've conceded three goals.

Unfortunately, these first few minutes of the first half were really costly. Against Poland we had managed to equalise, but it was very difficult to come back this time. We weren't on the pitch in the first ten, 15 minutes. We did everything to try and score the equaliser, but couldn't. Now we have to turn our eyes to the next match. We have only a slight chance, but there is still hope.

We mustn't forget that this was the same team with only [Giorgos] Fotakis added in midfield. This is the XI that played really well in the second half against Poland and managed to equalise, and that's why I thought this was the best lineup for this match. At half-time, I told them to clear their minds. Everything that happened in the first half was a burden; so we tried to have the most rational plan for the second half to turn the game around because we believed we could. In such cases, when you're in a very difficult position, you have to display heart, a clear mind and cold-bloodedness to dominate your opponents and show your qualities. We used our hearts more than our minds in the final 15 minutes and this didn't pay off.

Michal Bílek, Czech Republic coach
It was a great start. We started well against Russia too, but we were lucky enough to score twice today. The first half was great, the combinations were great, we were dangerous. The second half was complicated as Tomáš Rosický couldn't play on and it took us some time to get back in the game. We conceded a really bad goal, which gave Greece hope. It was a mistake. Petr Čech didn't communicate with Tomáš Sivok and it was an unnecessary goal to concede.

We all know that in the first match we had problems retaining possession, and that the defence was too open. That's why we wanted to be tighter at the back by bringing in Tomáš Hübschman, and why Petr Jiráček had to play in an unusual position for him on the right. But he played excellently. He got into the game, he's a great footballer. But I have to praise my whole team. They performed very well, and there's not one player I'm dissatisfied with.

There were lots of situations in front of our goal in the second half. Our opponents were trying to score, but we didn't give them any chances. We defended really well, and we're happy to still have a chance of going through. We knew it would be the end of our EURO if we'd have lost. You can start the [final group-stage] match thinking that a point is enough, but it's never good to play with this attitude. We have to fight in the last match and get the points out of it. We won't start thinking a point will be enough.

Greece trio call for improvement

Giorgios Samaras, Fanis Gekas and José Holebas know Greece must be on their game from the first whistle against Russia in their final Group A match after paying for another slow start. 

 

 Giorgios Samaras, Fanis Gekas and José Holebas all lamented Greece's slow start – they were two goals down inside six minutes on their way to a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic – and know the team must be on their game from the start against Russia on Saturday to be in with a chance of qualifying from Group A.

Giorgios Samaras, Greece forward
This is not the end. I believe that once again we lost because of a bad start. However, in the second half we did our best to change the result. We did not manage it, but we go on. We still believe in our team and in ourselves, and we will keep going until the last minute of this tournament.

Fanis Gekas, Greece forward
We can't explain it. We saw our mistakes; we tried to improve them, but again in the first minutes we performed really badly. The Czech Republic caught us napping, and managed to win the match. We tried to react to those two goals, but we couldn't.

During the second half we started stronger – we wanted to react very quickly. We pushed ourselves to get the second goal but didn't manage to do it, although we had the chances. The only thing we have to do is to win, and if we get a good result we will manage to qualify.

José Holebas, Greece defender
It's difficult to explain. It was like during the first game, the first 20-25 minutes ... I don't know, we were asleep. We completely slept through the first 30 minutes, during the first half. Simple as that. For us it means a final against Russia, that's for sure. We need to get the three points, there's no other way.

Every single one of us needs to have their mind on the game, and right from the start. We must have the will to win the game and not only in the second half like today. We played better then and created some chances but this must happen from the first minute. You have to take control of the game to win it.