Euro 2008

The Euro 2008 Group Stage has provided us with some unforgettable games but where do they stand among the best that Euro history has to offer? Mike Martin runs down the Top 10 European Championship finals matches to date; here’s hoping there are more to add from the knockout stage.

10. Czech Republic 3 - 3 Russia, Liverpool, 1996
The Czechs led 2-0 at half time with headed goals from Suchoparek and Kuka but the Russians, desperate not to end the tournament without a point, battered them in the second half. Mostovoi and Tetradze hauled them level within nine minutes of the restart before Beschastnykh hammered a stunning long-range winner - or so he thought - five minutes from time. With Italy drawing 0-0 with Germany, the Czechs needed a late equalizer and found one through Smicer, who would later make Anfield his home stadium by signing for Liverpool.

9. Czech Republic 2 - 3 Turkey, Geneva, 2008
With the two sides dead level at the start of the match, a draw would have resulted in the first ever group stage penalty shoot-out but one didn’t look on the cards as goals from Koller and Plasil seemed to put the Czechs out of sight. Turkey thought otherwise and their right-back Hamit was the key man, bursting forward to set up goals for Arda and Nihat, whose two late goals turned the game, and the group, on its head. Goalkeeper Cech, normally so reliable, was at fault for the equalizer.

8. Slovenia 3 - 3 F.R. Yugoslavia, Charleroi, 2000
Slovenia made their European Championship début with a bang; a local ‘derby’ with their former Yugoslav republic neighbours. The game seemed out of sight as Zahovic (2) and Pavlin took the minnows into a shock 3-0 lead and Yugoslav defender Mihajlovic, at fault for the third goal, was sent off. But two tap-ins from former Premiership misfit Milosevic either side of a left-footed drive from Drulovic hauled the ten men back in the game and would ultimately keep them in the tournament despite losing to Spain, of which more later…

7. Netherlands 4 - 1 France, Berne, 2008
Having surprised many, including themselves, with a stunning 3-0 win over Italy, the Dutch would play even better against a waning French side. Kuyt’s early header forced the French - who had already dropped points in a dismal 0-0 draw with Romania - to open the game up and in a breathless second half there were chances aplenty at both ends. A fine break-away goal from van Persie doubled the Netherlands’ lead but Henry pulled one back with twenty minutes left. There would be no grandstand finale, however, as Robben smashed in a third for the Dutch within a minute and Sneijder curled home a long-range fourth in injury time.

6. England 4 - 1 Netherlands, Wembley, 1996
In the best English performance of the modern era, Terry Venables’s side produced a marvellous display of attacking football with Shearer and Sheringham each scoring twice; Shearer’s second a wonderfully created team goal with a superb, unselfish lay-off from his strike-partner. The fans didn’t even mind Kluivert’s well-taken consolation goal as it took the Dutch through on goal difference - at the expense of Scotland.

5. France 4 - 5 Yugoslavia, Paris, 1960
The first ever European Championship match at the Parc des Princes remains the highest scoring in the competition’s history. After an early Galic goal, strikes from Vincent, Huette and Wisnieski seemed to have put the French into the Final but Yugoslavia hit back with a second of their own from Zaneric. Another Huette goal seemed to have settled the semi final but in the last sixteen minutes Knez and then Jerkovic, with two goals in a minute, took the Yugoslavs into the Final against the Soviet Union.

4. Czech Republic 3 - 2 Netherlands, Aveiro, 2004
When the Czechs were dumped out by Turkey last week they already knew what it was like to come back from two goals down to win; they had done it to the Dutch four years earlier. An early header from Bouma and tap-in from van Nistelrooy put the Dutch in a strong position but Baros quickly set up Koller to pull the Czech Republic back into the match. In a second half full of chances at either end, Koller returned the favour by nodding down for Baros to drive home and, in the 88th minute, van der Sar spilled a shot from Heinz and Poborsky set up Smicer to score another of his dramatic late goals; his effort against Russia in 1996 had kept the Czechs in the tournament.

3. England 1 - 1 Germany, Wembley, 1996
By far the lowest scoring match in this countdown but it had one of the most open extra time periods in the ‘golden goal’ era. Early goals from Shearer and Kuntz meant the game was in the balance, but in the first period of extra time Kuntz was denied a second when his header, which would have knocked England out, was ruled out for a push - Barry Davies’s comment: “The pulse-rate of the supporters must be beyond natural science”. England then launched themselves at the Germans, fearing another penalty shoot-out; Anderton hit a post from a right-wing cross and Gascoigne was just inches from getting a simple toe-poke to another. England scored all five (yes, England scored all five) penalties in the shoot-out but Germany matched them all the way. Southgate’s sixth was saved by Köpke and Möller - who already knew he would miss the final through suspension after picking up a yellow card - scored the winner.

2. France 3 - 2 Portugal, Marseille, 1984
In the couldron of the Stade Vélodrome, Domergue’s powerful first half free-kick goal looked like taking the hosts to the Final but the French couldn’t deal with Portugal’s striker Jordão. After France had gone close to a second from Fernandez and then Giresse, a looping header in the 74th minute levelled matters before his volley bounced over French goalkeeper Bats stunned the home crowd but in the last seven minutes of extra time Domergue equalized and Platini fired home a winner to send the Marseille crowd into raptures.

1. Yugoslavia 3 - 4 Spain, Brugge, 2000
The obvious choice for its extraordinary ending but the first 89 minutes were something special. Alfonso equalized Milosevic’s early header in the first half but after the break things went crazy. In less than a minute, substitutes Govedarica and Munitis each curled in fine goals, each within moments of coming on. After Jokanovic was sent off, the ten men of Yugoslavia looked to have won it when defender Komljenovic stabbed home from a set piece but injury time goals from Mendieta (pen) and Alfonso saved Spain’s tournament and took them into the quarter finals as John Motson went berserk in the commentary box. Yugoslavia looked horrified but learned they had qualified as well as Norway and Slovenia had drawn 0-0.

Tags: Czech Republic, England, Euro 2008, France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Turkey

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