Premier League - Saturday - August 25

Manchester United 3-2 Fulham

Van Persie & Kagawa score as hosts secure first win of season

The Netherlands international struck a sensational goal on his full debut as the Red Devils came from behind to secure victory, but saw Wayne Rooney stretchered off late on

Manchester United sealed their first Premier League points of the season with a 3-2 victory over Fulham, but were made to work hard by Martin Jol's men.

Damien Duff gave the visitors a shock lead from a clever set-piece with just minutes on the clock, but Robin van Persie’s brilliant equaliser got United back on terms only moments later. The hosts then appeared to be cruising after Shinji Kagawa and Rafael increased their lead but an own goal from Nemanja Vidic following confusion in the goalmouth provided a nervy ending.

Sir Alex Ferguson provided an early shock in making Wayne Rooney the most high-profile casualty from Monday’s loss to Everton, with Van Persie making his full debut as the forward’s replacement. Meanwhile, Nani missed out on a place in the squad entirely as Ashley Young and Valencia took their place on the flanks, with Rafael occupying the right-back role previously filled by the Ecuadorian. Veteran Paul Scholes also made way in central midfield for the younger legs of Anderson, whilst Danny Welbeck had to be content with a substitute’s role.

Visiting boss Martin Jol made just one change following his side’s 5-0 win on the opening day, with 21-year-old Matthew Briggs coming in for the injured John Arne Riise at left-back. American forward Clint Dempsey, who is still strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, was left out of the squad yet again.

United will doubtless have spoken of the importance of getting a good start as they looked to bounce back from defeat to the Toffees, but what followed certainly will not have been part of that script. Some clever work from Mladen Petric on the left-hand side tempted the returning Rafael into a needless foul just outside the box with just minutes on the clock. Bryan Ruiz stepped up to take the free-kick and his clever, low delivery caught the hosts’ backline napping and allowed Duff to capitalise as he side-footed into the bottom corner.

The Old Trafford crowd was unsurprisingly stunned into silence, but the Red Devils rarely dwell on such matters. Kagawa was the architect as United carved out a chance in immediate reply but, unfortunately for the Manchester side, the No.7’s cross was beyond the arriving strikers.

The hosts continued to push up against a Fulham team which dropped continually deeper seemingly in the belief that they had scored too early, and thus it was no surprise to see United get back on terms by just the 12th minute.  A patient build-up from Ferguson’s men allowed Evra into space on the left and, though the full-back’s poor cross was not particularly begging to be put in, debutant Van Persie did just that.

Quite how the Dutchman flicked the high, bouncing ball into the far corner on the half volley with such precision may well have been beyond the home fans – and Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal – but it is not something which seemed to overly concern them as they welcomed their latest acquisition with a rapturous celebration.

That strike settled the hosts into their usual rhythm of relentlessly attacking at Old Trafford, but the chances were not as forthcoming as Fulham began to tighten up and grow into the game. However, it was the Cottagers’ wastefulness in going forward which led to United’s next big chance in the 25th minute.

Briggs’ burst forward from left-back ended in a poor pass inside and United’s subsequent counterattack, heavily orchestrated by Kagawa, allowed Young to sneak in behind Fulham’s defence only to shoot hopelessly over the bar from close range.

Though Sir Alex Ferguson will have been pleased with the comfortable nature of the game with half-time approaching, the determination of Fulham’s backline might have provided a concern until it was broken in fortunate circumstances. The visitors may have thought they had done enough to clear a corner from the right-hand side which was nodded away to the edge of the box, but Cleverley’s thunderous drive proved too hot to handle for Mark Schwarzer and provided Kagawa with the easiest  of tap-ins on his home debut.

Though they had been handed a slice of luck with the goal, the manner in which they capitalised on it underlined the ruthless mentality of so many Ferguson sides. A fine passing move released Young on the left again and the former Aston Villa man dinked intelligently to the far post for the approaching Rafael to nod home and put his side 3-1 up.

That goal may have given the Brazilian defender confidence, but just moments later he evidenced the side of his game which so often attracts criticism. Alex Kacaniklic muscled his way beyond the full-back on the left and, though Petric’s overhead effort from the subsequent cross was thwarted, only two incredible saves from De Gea could prevent Damien Duff and Petric again from getting the Cottagers back into the game.
And that missed chance proved the last contribution Jol’s side could make before the half-time whistle saw United go in as deserved leaders.

The game got back underway on a more even keel with the Cottagers appearing to have been subjected to their own version of ‘the hairdryer’ at half-time, but United were equal to their visitors’ attempts to get further up the pitch in a quiet first 15 minutes of the second period.

The decreasing tempo appeared to suit the London outfit, and their increasing grip on the game was underlined as they grabbed an unlikely goal with 65 minutes on the clock. A hopeful ball into the box from the left-hand side tempted De Gea into a needless attempt at a punch, and the Spaniard found himself sandwiched between Vidic and Petric with the ball coming off the former’s heel and bouncing into the goal.

Fulham were clearly buoyed by the goal and almost got themselves back on terms after a run from Dembele saw the Belgian find space in the box to force De Gea into an excellent reaction save. But that mini-revival appeared short-lived, with the introduction of Rooney and Welbeck from the bench in place of Young and Kagawa giving the hosts further impetus.

However, despite the arrival of such illustrious attacking talents, the Red Devils failed to add to their tally and even nearly surrendered two of their points in the dying seconds as De Gea was forced into a reaction save to keep out a drive from the edge of the box.

Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle

Hazard & Torres goals keep Blues top of Premier League

The attacking duo shone again and combined twice for first half strikes that saw off the Magpies and made it three top flight wins out of three for Roberto Di Matteo's side

Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres inspired Chelsea to a routine victory over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge

The attacking pair scored a goal each, with Hazard handing the Blues the lead from the penalty spot after Torres had been fouled by Vurnon Anita.

The Spaniard then found the top corner from 18 yards with a shot struck sweetly with the outside of his boot after his new team-mate had laid the ball off with a neat back-heel.

Newcastle improved after the break but chances remained few and far between, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse kept largely at bay as Roberto Di Matteo's side returned to the top of the Premier League table.

Chelsea started the game without two of their most experienced players, as defender John Terry was ruled out due to a neck injury and Frank Lampard was left on the bench. Gary Cahill and David Luiz were therefore partnered at centre-back, with Raul Meireles alongside John Obi Mikel in midfield.

Anita made his first Premier League start in midfield for Newcastle, with Cheick Tiote unavailable with a knee injury. Fabricio Coloccini returned to the defence after a thigh strain.

The Blues introduced new signings Cesar Azpilicueta and Victor Moses to the Stamford Bridge faithful before kick-off but once the whistle had been blown all eyes, once again, were on Hazard.

The Belgian was the brightest light of a muted opening quarter of an hour and as Torres grew into the game Chelsea began to ask more questions of the Newcastle defence.

Anita's transition to English football, unfortunately for Newcastle, was not to be quite as smooth as Hazard's and when Torres skipped into the box the Dutch midfielder caught him on the knee with a wild swing of his left boot.

The referee, Phil Dowd, rightly pointed to the spot and Hazard, needing only a short run-up, coolly swept the resulting penalty into the bottom corner to Tim Krul's right.

Chelsea kept a firm grip on the first half thereafter. Torres was unfairly penalised for diving after knocking the ball past Coloccini, who caught the Spaniard as he continued his run, although Jonas Gutierrez likely would have retrieved the ball first regardless.

Cisse and Ba plugged away in attack at the other end while Hatem Ben Arfa hinted sporadically that he could be a threat, but Chelsea coped comfortably even in the absence of Terry.

Di Matteo's team remained patient and gave Newcastle a mountain to climb on the stroke of half-time. Unsurprisingly, Hazard was involved again, and his combinations with Torres are giving Chelsea fans reason to be increasingly cheerful.

The duo will combine for more goals after this one but not many will be of better quality. Hazard received the striker's pass on the edge of the box and, turning away from goal, completed the one-two by back-heeling into his path. Torres was left with little space in which to manoeuvre but instinctively struck a shot with the outside of his boot that flew into the top corner.

Newcastle's chances of playing their way back into the game after the break appeared remote, though Ben Arfa engineered enough space to shoot narrowly wide from the edge of the box and Ba saw a shot from a tight angle saved.

They did have more of a share of possession, however, although Torres' counter-attacking runs continued to prove dangerous and Coloccini, Santon and Anita all needed to either cut out through passes or halt the 28-year-old's progress in the Magpies' half.

With his side unable to create anything meaningful in open play, Alan Pardew turned to substitute and set-piece specialist Ryan Taylor shortly after the hour mark and the change very nearly – and perhaps should have – paid dividends. The full-back curled in a superb free-kick from the left that Cisse could only head over the bar from point blank range.

Bertrand flashed a vicious 20-yard shot past Krul's far post, with a corner awarded despite the Dutchman's claims to the contrary, and Ba should have done better when he shot too close to Cech from 12 yards after miscuing his initial effort.

The victory never looked in much doubt and Chelsea saw out proceedings to make it three league wins out of three in 2012-13.

Source: goal.com

Euro 2012 Report - Saturday 9 June

Netherlands 1-0 Denmark

Krohn-Dehli strike humbles Oranje

The Danes have sprung the first surprise of the tournament, with victory against the Dutch belittling their billing as outsiders and throwing Group B wide open.

Netherlands suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Denmark at Metalist Stadium on Saturday to kick start its Euro 2012 campaign in dreadful fashion. 

Despite fashioning a slew of chances almost straight from kickoff, the tournament favorite was extremely poor in front of goal, and the team's profligacy was punished by a fine finish from Michael Krohn Dehli after 24 minutes. 

The Dutch were similarly wasteful during the second half, their performance epitomized by the laboring Robin van Persie, who showed none of the killer instinct from his stellar 37-goal season with Arsenal. 

The race for qualification from Group B is now wide open, after a stunning smash and grab result from Denmark, which defied the odds and now has three points to give its hopes of making the Round of 16 an undeniable boost.

With first choice left back Erik Pieters unavailable, Bert van Marwijk began with Jetro Willems at the back who, at 18 years and 71 days old, became the youngest player ever to feature in the tournament.

It was the PSV Eindhoven youngster who had the first chance of the match, sending a crashing drive from long range over the bar with only three minutes gone.

Moments later, Van Persie spurned a more obvious opportunity when he belted a deflected cross off target from close range.

The Dutch appeared to be in control of proceedings, Ibrahim Afellay sending another effort off target, before Arjen Robben’s dangerous center was toe-poked into the grateful arms of Stephan Andersen.

However, for all its dominance, Netherlands lacked a cutting edge in front of goal and with 24 minutes gone, Denmark showed the team how it should be done.

Krohn-Dehli still had work to do after picking up possession just outside the area, but the Brondby winger did not hesitate, nipping past his marker and drilling between the legs of Maarten Stekelenburg.

The goal sparked Denmark into life and the team began to cause more problems by using its wide players to apply pressure down the flanks and pinging crosses into the heart of the Dutch penalty area.

The goal was almost pegged back after 36 minutes though, after a poor clearance from Andersen was pounced upon by Robben, who strode forward and bent an effort onto the base of the post.

Afellay skied another attempt following a marauding run into the box, but it was Van Persie’s miss a few minutes before halftime that left Van Marwijk shaking his head.

The Arsenal striker’s heavy first-touch betrayed a glorious set up by Wesley Sneijder, but he still should have hit the target, instead of firing wide via a deflection by Andersen.

The interval did little to turn Van Persie’s fortunes. He wasted two setups from Sneijder, with a trip over his own feet a particular cause of frustration.

Mark Van Bommel called Andersen into action with a long range pile driver, before Afellay squeezed an attempt from the edge of the box inches wide of the post, as Netherlands seemed capable of everything but putting the ball into the back of the net.

Robben planted a header the wrong side of the post, but Netherlands could have been further behind on 70 minutes had Stekelenburg not gotten a touch onto a stinging drive by Krohn-Dehli.

Denmark was holding firm at the back, and survived a late flicked header from Van Persie that inched over the bar. When a late penalty appeal for handball against Jacobsen went unanswered, the Dutch knew that their time was up.

Netherlands will have a difficult task getting its campaign back on track when it faces fellow favorite Germany in the next group match, while Denmark squares off with Portugal. Both fixtures take place next Wednesday.

Germany 1-0 Portugal 

Gomez header settles tense encounter

The Bayern Munich striker stole all three points for the tournament favorites with a second-half header, in a closely-fought encounter that could have gone either way

Germany kicked off their Euro 2012 campaign in efficient fashion, grinding out a narrow 1-0 win over Portugal at the Lviv Arena on Saturday.

Mario Gomez's pinpoint header on 72 minutes sent the beaten 2008 finalists to a crucial three points, and joint-top of Group B with Denmark after their tournament opener. 

The match was certainly not one for the purists, with clear-cut chances hard to come by. Both sides gave a disciplined, if not dynamic performance on the field, with the tension becoming unbearable at times in the stands.

After much pre-tournament speculation as to who would spearhead the attack for Germany, coach Joachim Low gave Gomez the nod ahead of Miroslav Klose as the lone striker.

The Bayern Munich man looked to repay his manager’s faith early on, sending a guided header from Jerome Boateng’s cross towards goal, which was smothered by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio.

Neither side seemed in any hurry to take control of proceedings, though Cristiano Ronaldo did cause a few hearts to flutter when he flashed a low centre across the face of goal.

With just under a quarter of an hour gone, Germany keeper Manuel Neuer was floored by a dreadful late challenge from Helder Postiga, who was perhaps fortunate to escape his briefing with referee Stephane Lannoy with only a yellow card.

Earlier in Group B’s other fixture, a chance-laden affair saw Denmark stun Netherlands, but there were no signs of such a spectacle repeating itself as goalmouth action remained elusive.

Germany, despite boasting nearly two-thirds of possession throughout the opening period, could muster nothing more than a few half-chances, with Lukas Podolski guilty of sending a pair of them off target.

Muller lashed across goal after a hurried attack by the Germans moments before Holger Badstuber was booked for clipping Nani's heels.

In fact, the best opening of the half fell to Portugal minutes before the break. Pepe attacked a rebound from a corner, but his side-footed attempt bounced off the crossbar and onto the goalline.

The match remained finely poised as the second-half wore on, with Germany just about able to claim the upper hand, though with little improvement in their cutting edge in front of goal.

On the hour mark, a heavy tackle on Sami Khedira by Fabio Coentrao saw the Portugal left-back man receive a yellow card. Boateng soon joined him in the book for manhandling Ronaldo as Paulo Bento's men looked to break.

The match needed a spark, and Low seemed set to provide one by readying Klose on the sidelines with 72 minutes gone, with the departure of Gomez appearing imminent.

But no substitution was made at that moment, because after Boateng floated in a cross from the right towards Gomez, the Bayern striker climbed above Pepe to head Germany into the lead.

The 26-year-old soon came within inches of adding another, just failing to get a toe on Muller’s centre, before belatedly making way for Klose 10 minutes from time.

That sparked a late surge for Portugal, with Nani twice coming close to bringing them back into the game, one of his efforts being an audacious 35-yard cross-shot that clipped off the woodwork.

Portugal had their best chance of the match two minutes before the end, but Neuer did fantastically well to spread himself and block Valera from point blank range.

An even later Nani effort was blocked away from goal, with Bruno Alves sending a header from the resulting corner over, as Germany held on to claim victory.

Next up for Germany is a clash against fellow favourites Netherlands, while Portugal square off against Denmark, with both matches taking place on Wednesday.

Source:goal.com

Friendlies Report

Netherlands 6-0 Northern Ireland

Three up inside 29 minutes, Bert van Marwijk's team never looked back and went on to secure an emphatic victory in their final warm-up game.

Robin van Persie scored twice in the 6-0 triumph

The Netherlands sent out a warning to their UEFA EURO 2012 rivals by easing to a 6-0 victory against Northern Ireland at the Amsterdam ArenA.

As expected, Robin van Persie led the line, while Jetro Willems, who could become the youngest player to take to the field at a UEFA European Championship, was handed a starting berth. The writing was firmly on the wall when Van Persie scored either side of Wesley Sneijder's solo effort. An Ibrahim Afellay double made it 5-0 to the hosts, before Ron Vlaar completed the win.

The Netherlands turned back the clock and treated the 50,000 spectators to a masterclass in 'total football'. Van Persie opened the scoring with a powerful header, while Sneijder showed no signs of his midweek knock when he curled in a sumptuous second. The Arsenal FC forward soon made it three from the penalty spot to notch his 28th Oranje goal in 65 matches.

The game was put beyond doubt eight minutes before the break when Afellay produced a smart finish to complete a sweeping team move. Not content with four, the Netherlands stretched their advantage after the restart, Afellay benefiting from a neat pass from Van Persie and finishing with aplomb. Deputising for Joris Mathijsen, Vlaar then scored his first international goal with a trademark header to round off the scoring.

The Netherlands will now focus on their UEFA EURO 2012 opener against Denmark on 9 June, with their coach Bert van Marwijk remaining defiantly cautious. "We played against pretty average opponents," he said. "Nevertheless, our performances keep improving. The win does not mean that much to me. Our play was faster, but sometimes we were not precise enough. Still, I saw some nice attacks and good goals. We could even have scored a few more. We go to the EURO with confidence but we are not the finished article."

England 1-0 Belgium 

Danny Welbeck's solitary strike ensured Roy Hodgson's side concluded their UEFA EURO 2012 preperations with a win.

Danny Welbeck's delicate chip secured a hard-fought victory

Roy Hodgson experienced his first Wembley victory as England overcame Belgium 1-0 in their final game before UEFA EURO 2012.

Nine days ahead of their Group D opener against France in Donetsk, Roy Hodgson named a strong lineup. Scott Parker returned to fortify England's injury-ravaged midfield, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added impetus to the attack on his first senior start. Another livewire, Danny Welbeck, proved the match-winner with a deft first-half finish.

Boasting composure beyond his years, Arsenal FC teenager Oxlade-Chamberlain almost made an immediate impact but skewed wide following James Milner's cutback. His exuberant aura came to the fore seven minutes later as well, following neat work from Welbeck, although his fierce strike lacked direction.

The values Hodgson is endeavouring to instil among his players were evident as the hosts maintained a staunch defensive shape. That threatened to be broken, however, when some probing passing resulted in an opening for Axel Witsel, but the midfielder blazed over from 25 metres.

Just as the carnival atmosphere inside Wembley threatened to diminish, England broke free from the shackles of paralysis and took the lead. Welbeck hectored and harried Belgium into submission and, after retrieving possession, latched on to Ashley Young's incisive pass, before delicately lifting the ball over Simon Mignolet.

The early stages of the second half bore a striking resemblance to the first as Belgium refused to abandon their patient approach and England remained resolute in defence. Eden Hazard forced Joe Hart into action with a curling effort, before Marouane Fellaini turned inside the area and sent a low shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Despite the introduction of Wayne Rooney, Belgium continued to press and were almost rewarded for their ambition when Guillaume Gillet ventured forward from his right-back position and struck a firm effort against a post. Jermain Defoe followed suit at the other end moments later, and England held out for a morale-boosting win.

Norway 1-1 Croatia

Eduardo put Slaven Bilić's men ahead in Oslo, but they were denied victory when Tarik Elyounoussi headed in from a corner in added time.

Eduardo is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring for Croatia

Tarik Elyounoussi scored a last-gasp equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw for Norway against UEFA EURO 2012 hopefuls Croatia in the visitors' last friendly before travelling to the finals.

Eduardo seemed to have earned Slaven Bilić's men a morale-boosting win when he headed in with just ten minutes to go, but there was a sting in the tail for Croatia as Norway restored parity in added time. Bilić will now be hoping for better against the Republic of Ireland next Sunday.

Indeed, Croatia struggled for most of the game, with Luka Modrić left out after missing training due to concerns about his fitness. Vedran Ćorluka was also rested as he reported feeling back pain a few days ago, while Ivan Rakitić covered for Modrić in midfield and Ivan Perišić operated on the left wing.

Bilić's rejigged lineup had trouble breaking through Norway's defences and they created precious few chances to score. Meanwhile, Croatia's rearguard was given a torrid time by the home side and it was down to goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa that the scoreline remained level at the break.

Norway also threatened through Erik Huseklepp after 56 minutes, the midfielder having been fed the ball from the right. One on one with Pletikosa, he nonetheless sent his effort over the crossbar.

If that was good news for Croatia, bad news soon followed as Ivica Olić asked to be substituted with 71 minutes gone as a precautionary measure due to a muscle strain. Ivo Iličević came on in his place and the visitors went ahead shortly afterwards, Eduardo heading in a cross from his FC Shakhtar Donetsk team-mate Darijo Srna. Norway had the final word, though, with Elyounoussi nodding in from a corner.

Poland 4-0 Andorra 

The UEFA EURO 2012 co-costs ended their preparations for next week's finals with a commanding victory in Warsaw.

Robert Lewandowski gives Poland a 2-0 lead

Co-hosts Poland secured a morale-boosting 4-0 win against Andorra in their final friendly match before UEFA EURO 2012.

Franciszek Smuda's side were three up at half-time through goals from Ludovic Obraniak, Robert Lewandowski and a Jakub Błaszczykowski penalty. A late second-half spot-kick from Marcin Wasilewski rounded off a convincing performance – and a national-record fifth consecutive clean sheet – before their opening Group A fixture against Greece on Friday.

Backed by a capacity 30,000-strong crowd at the home of Legia Warszawa, the hosts dictated the tempo from the first whistle and their patient build-up play was rewarded in the 13th minute. Rafał Murawski fed Maciej Rybus on the left and his cutback was drilled in by Obraniak from close range. Poland then pushed for a second and Lewandowski should have done better six minutes later when he headed over from a Łukasz Piszczek cross.

A defensive error then presented the Borussia Dortmund striker with another opportunity, but, with the goal at his mercy, Lewandowski unselfishly squared the ball to Obraniak and his tame effort was smothered by goalkeeper José Gómes. However, it was a case of third time lucky for Lewandowski in the 37th minute when he chested down another cross from Piszczek before volleying into the roof of the net.

From the restart, Poland went back up the park and added a third when Błaszczykowski was brought down by Ildefons Lima in the box. The captain dusted himself down before calmly stroking the resulting penalty past Gómes.

With one eye on Friday's game, Smuda rang the changes after the interval, and Rafał Wolski and Adrian Mierzejewski proved the liveliest of the newcomers. Another substitute, Artur Sobiech, earned a second spot-kick 14 minutes from time, and Wasilewski stepped up to send the fans home dreaming of UEFA EURO 2012 success.

Portugal 1-3 Turkey

Umut Bulut struck twice as the visitors inflicted a surprise defeat on Paulo Bento's men, who have yet to record a victory in 2012.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Portugal suffered another defeat

Portugal suffered another setback in their preparations for UEFA EURO 2012 and will travel to the tournament without a win this year after losing 3-1 at home against Turkey.

Having previously recorded goalless draws with Poland and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2012, Portugal were undone in the second half as Umut Bulut scored twice. Nani restored a little hope for the hosts by halving the deficit and Cristiano Ronaldo missed the chance to level from the spot before Pepe's late own goal sealed the result.

Miguel Lopes and Custódio earned their first caps for Paulo Bento's side, who were backed by a 65,000-strong crowd at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Lisbon. Bento made six changes to the team that was held by FYROM, with Lopes starting at right-back and Hugo Almeida replacing fellow forward Hélder Postiga, and it was Almeida who enjoyed the first chance of the evening when he headed wide from a Ronaldo cross in the first minute.

Portugal were making a bright start and Volkan Demirel then did well to keep out a Ronaldo free-kick, before his counterpart Rui Patrício denied a good chance for Burak Yılmaz. The tempo dropped thereafter until the fans were roused into voice when Almeida headed against the crossbar on the half-hour, Pepe having diverted a João Moutinho corner into his path.

Turkey responded quickly, however, with Hamit Altıntop striking a post from a free-kick before Bulut took advantage of too much space at the back to score moments later. Latching on to a cross from the left, he got ahead of Fábio Coentrão and slid in from close range.

Demirel denied Ronaldo as the hosts looked to level and Turkey increased their lead seven minutes after the break when a mistake from Miguel Veloso allowed Bulut to fire in a powerful shot. Nani brought his team back into the match with a fine low effort inside the far post from the right, yet they missed their chance to equalise when Demirel saved Ronaldo's spot kick, Emre Belözoğlu having fouled Lopes.

Substitute Ricardo Costa also threatened to level the scores only for Demirel to impress again and, despite serious pressure from Portugal in the last few minutes, it was the visitors who next found the net - Costa's attempted clearance hitting Pepe and crossing the goal line. Bento and his charges will hope for a different outcome when they start their Group B campaign against Germany on 9 June.

Denmark 2-0 Australia

Daniel Agger notched a first-half penalty and Andreas Bjelland doubled the hosts' tally in a game that featured a number of chances for the visitors.

Daniel Agger is congratulated by team-mates after his goal against Australia

Denmark secured a deserved 2-0 friendly win against Australia in Copenhagen but will be keen to improve in a number of areas if they are to mount a prolonged campaign in Poland and Ukraine.

Daniel Agger put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot following excellent work from Christian Erikssen just after the half-hour and centre-back Andreas Bjelland doubled their tally midway through the second period. The win proved a welcome result following the 3-1 loss to Brazil last time out, but coach Morten Olsen will be concerned about the number of chances Australia were able to create.

One week before Denmark's opening match at UEFA EURO 2012, Olsen fielded a starting lineup that is likely to be close to the team he will choose to face the Netherlands in Kharkiv next Saturday. Stephan Andersen appears favourite to wear gloves following Thomas Sørensen's withdrawal through injury, and he staked his claim with some good saves – though it was Denmark who started brightest as both Dennis Rommedahl and Nicklas Bendtner went close early on.

Alex Brosque fired wide as Australia began to look dangerous on the counterattack, and there was relief from the home fans when Agger converted from the spot, having been brought down by Matthew Spiranovic following Erikssen's brilliant back-heeled flick. The visitors soon threatened to reply, however, and Andersen was forced to save from a fierce Mark Bresciano effort.

Olsen rang the changes after the interval to give several fringe players their chance to impress. Central defender Bjelland - who is fighting with Simon Kjær for a place alongside Daniel Agger - looked assured and it did his chances of a starting berth no harm when he doubled Denmark's advantage after a scramble in the box. Before that, Brosque came close to equalising, only for Andersen to save well when one-on-one with the striker - and that was as close as Australia came to spoiling his clean sheet.

Source: uefa.com