Poland, Russia exit, Greece, Czech into Q-Finals

Co-hosts Poland and Russia have crashed out of the European Championship in the matches concluded tonight.

Poland lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw Saturday with their opponents winning Group A.

A Giorgos Karagounis goal seconds before the break gave 2004 champions Greece a surprise 1-0 win over Russia in Warsaw, giving them a shock quarter-final berth at their rivals’ expense.

The win left the Greeks as group runners-up ahead of the Russians on the head to head rule, both having four points to six for group winners the Czech Republic, who beat co-hosts Poland 1-0.

Petr Jiracek scored the only goal of the game in Wroclaw 18 minutes from time.

Few would have predicted such an outcome before the group games began and even fewer who saw the first halves here and in Warsaw.

Poland were totally dominant in the opening period but seemed to have left it all on the pitch in that first 45 minutes and they were second best after the restart.

But it was a mistake that cost them as Rafal Murawski tried to drive forward from midfield and lost the ball with little cover behind him.

It means Poland have never reached the knock-out stages of the Euros while the Czech Republic did so for the third time in five editions.

Given the hosts’ absolute need to win it was no surprise they set a manic tempo from the off and the first half hour must have made uncomfortable viewing for the visiting Czech fans.

Twice in the opening minutes the home fans let out a brief cheer but Dariusz Dudka’s overhead bicycle kick and Ludovic Obraniak’s free-kick both hit the side-netting rather than the back one.

The Czechs did have one sniff themselves but Vaclav Pilar swiped at thin air from 12 yards from Theodor Gebre Selassie’s cross.

A horribly misplaced pass from Jaroslav Plasil was intercepted by Polish captain Jakub Blaszczykowski and he slipped in Borussia Dortmund team-mate Robert Lewandowski, but he sliced his shot well wide.

Such was Poland’s dominance that even their defence started getting in on the act and Sebastian Boenisch shot wide when well placed before sending Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech scurrying across his goal to scramble the ball behind from a long-range volley.

Marcin Wasilewski threw himself at a cross from deep but his header was gathered easily by Cech.

The Russians, 16 matches unbeaten, had most of the possession against a Greek side which had lost their last four straight meetings with their rivals and Alexander Kerzhakov and then Andrei Arshavin both sent early efforts off target against a side needing a win to have any hope of advancing.

But Karagounis, a 35-year-old veteran of the Greeks’ 2004 shock final win in Portugal, drove home right-footed to stun Dick Advocaat’s side.

The Russians began their tournament with a 4-1 demolition of the Czech Republic in their tournament opener and then held co-hosts Poland to a draw but they failed to find their form in the second half as Karagounis looked to have won a penalty for the Greeks.

Tackled by Sergeo Ignashevich, the veteran went down but was then booked for diving – meaning he will miss the quarters.

Giorgos Tzavellas then hit the bar as the Greeks tried to increase their advantage – but they held out for a famous success.