13 June 2016
BELGIUM 0
ITALY 2 (Giaccherini 32, Pelle 92)
Italy made mugs of a much fancied Belgium side with a controlled performance. Nainggolan's 30 yard drive, which Buffon parried for a corner, was their only notable effort in the first half. Bonucci hit a fantastic ball over the top to Giaccherini, a great first touch took him away from Alderweireld and brought the ball onto his right foot, as Courtois advanced, he kept his calm and stroked the ball into the right corner. Pelle should have scored a second but headed wide after the Belgium defence made a ball-ups from a corner.
Hazard and De Bruyne combined down the left to send Lukaku clear but as Buffon ran to close him down, he lobbed hopelessly wide, awful shot. His abysmal first touch allowed the Italian defence to bully him out of possession on several occasions. He made way for Origi on 73 minutes and the youngster was far more threatening, within minutes he had gone close to equalising but his header was off target. Immobile drew a tremendous save from Courtois with a rasping drive as Italy tore into Belgium on the break. Immobile spun onto a pass out of defence, cut infield and played in the unmarked Candreva on the right, he baited in the Belgium defenders before hanging up a cross to the back post and Pelle lashed a right foot volley past Courtois.
Italy gave the most complete performance of the tournament.
Attendance : 55,408
Assists : Bonucci, Candreva
IRELAND 1 (Hoolahan 48)
SWEDEN 1 (Clark 71 og)
Isakson made a brilliant save to parry Hendrick's sweetly struck volley after Walters headed down a throw in. Hendrick, who plays for Derby, broke from midfield and played a one-two with Long before hammering a first time strike against the crossbar. Coleman turned his marker inside out before pulling back a cross for Hoolahan to volley into the right corner. The goal brought the Swedes to life, Forsberg should have equalised from a corner but lashed a loose ball well wide. Ibrahimovic was off target with a typically extravagant effort but forced the equaliser. Forsberg laid off Kallstrom's ball with a reverse pass into Guidetti, he played in Ibrahimovic with a back heel on the overlap and his centre was headed in by Clark.
Attendance : 73,419
Assists : Coleman, n/a
SPAIN 1 (Pique 87)
CZECH REPUBLIC 0
Morata wasted the best chance for Spain prior to the goal, shooting straight at Cech from a Juanfran centre. Hubnik lost the Spanish defence on a free kick but couldn’t get enough purchase to trouble Paedo De Gea. Fabregas made an excellent clearance to keep out Selassie's header, exposing this team of midgets vulnerability to crosses. The man for the big occasion, Iniesta, floated a cross to the back post for Pique's winner. Darida should have scored a late equaliser but blasted at De Gea.
Attendance : 29,400
Assist : Iniesta
12 June 2016
GERMANY 2 (Mustafi 19, Schweinsteiger 92)
UKRAINE 0
Much has been made of Germany's injury enforced defensive woes and it was the Ukrainians who had the first chance, Konoplyanka stinging Neuer's palms with a thumping first time shot from the edge of the box. Mustafi headed Germany into the lead from Kroos free kick. Khacheridi should have equalised from a corner and cripple Khedira wasted a glorious longball with a lame finish. Boateng made a fantastic goal-line clearance to deny Konoplyanka, although he didn't catch the ball cleanly. Both teams were largely restricted to shots from distance in the second half. Schweinsteiger scored an ill deserved second within two minutes of replacing Gotze, finishing off a counter attack that started on the edge of the Germany penalty area.
The Ukrainians were excellent and unlucky not to come away with at least a draw. Muller was surprisingly poor.
Attendance : 43,035
Assists : Kroos, Ozil
POLAND 1 (Milik 51)
NORTHERN IRELAND 0
Who was looking forward to this? Yep, that's what I thought. It was shit as expected. Poland bossed the game, Lewandowski was anonymous, the best chances fell to Milik and he eventually took one early in the second half, firing Blaszczykowski's centre past McGovern.
Northern Ireland was staggeringly poor, they have to be the most limited team in the tournament.
Attendance : 33,742
Assist : Blaszczykowski
TURKEY 0
CROATIA 1 (Modric 41)
Babacan punched a cross out to the edge of the box but fortunately for him Badelj smashed the rebound straight at him. Tufan should have buried Gonul's fantastic cross but headed straight at Subasic. Inan hacked a ball clear with an overhead kick but Modric burst forward and caught the ball on the drop with a fabulous right foot volley, sending it tearing into the net. Magnificent goal. Srna cracked a free kick against the top of the crossbar. Having gone close from 25 yards he was hopelessly off target from 12, firing wide after more poor handling by Babacan. Brozovic flashed a volley over the top left corner and Perisic hit the woodwork in what was an excellent display from Croatia.
Attendance : 43,842
Assist : n/a
11 June 2016
ENGLAND 1 (Dier 73 fk)
RUSSIA 1 (Berezutski 92)
Hodgson's pet Lallana should have gave England a sixth minute lead but shot Walker's centre at Akinfeev. They combined again mid-way through the half and Lallana was also, again, off target. Rooney, who despite the sycophantic defence by the pundits, was awful, blasted a loose ball straight at Akinfeev. England's goal came from the most unlikely of sources, Dier with a brilliant free kick though Akinfeev's confused footwork didn't help. The Russians scored with their only real effort on goal. Shchennikov hit a hopeful cross into the box and veteran defender Berezutski got above midget Rose to head past a distraught Hart.
You would be forgiven for thinking England were amazing in this match, the pundits laid it on real thick. In truth the three man attack of Lallana, Sterling and Kane, yes you read that right, didn't work and what exactly had Lallana and Sterling shown this season to suggest it would? Rooney was absolute wank in midfield.
Attendance : 62,343
Assists : Dele Alli (won fk), Shchennikov
WALES 2 (Bale 10 fk, Robson-Kanu 81)
SLOVAKIA 1 (Duda 61)
Hamsik intercepted from Ramsey and as three defenders ran to close him down, he crushed them with a dummy, ran into the box, worked an angle and struck a perfect shot only for Davis to deny him with a sensational clearance. Bale scored direct with a free kick, thanks largely to Kozacik wrong footing himself by moving away from then back towards the ball. Mak, who had been Slovakia's most threatening player after Hamsik vanished, got away from Ramsey and Edwards before pulling back a centre for Duda to equalise within a minute of coming off the bench. Ramsey made amends for an awful miss when, off balance after running into Skrtel, he poked a ball through to Robson-Kanu and his horribly, miss-hit shot, squirmed between Durica's legs and wide of Kozacik. Nemec came within the width of a post from heading in an equaliser.
Attendance : 37,831
Assists : Williams (won fk), Mak, Ramsey
ALBANIA 0
SWITZERLAND 1 (Schar 5)
Berisha ran into traffic and Schar headed in Shaqiri's corner. Cana was sent off for a bonehead handball. Dzemaili smashed the resulting free kick against the inside of the right post. The Swizz almost paid the price when Seferovic failed to kill off the game on the counter, there were late chances for Sadiku and Gashi.
Attendance : 33,805
Assist : Shaqiri
10 June 2016
FRANCE 2 (Giroud 57, Payet 89)
ROMANIA 1 (Stancu 65 Pen)
Stancu, who had a terrible game, should have gave Romania an early lead but shot straight at Lloris when unmarked at the back post from the tournament's first corner. Giroud also missed a sitter, heading wide a Payet cross. Griezmann, who I feel is more Papin than Platini (i.e. will choke on the biggest stage), failed to connect with a teasing centre, headed a deflection against a post and wasted another big chance, as did the rightly maligned Giroud. What a bunch of chokers.
Speaking of chokers Stancu wasted another chance when left unmarked at the back post. Giroud completed a hat-trick of misses. Pogba blasted a volley straight at Tiramisu before Giroud headed in the fourth chance Payet created for him. Ironically Romania's choker also scored. Stanciu made the most of a typically stupid challenge from the awful Evra and Stancu converted. Fittingly Payet, who created six clear cut chances, scored a magnificent winner when after bringing Kante's pass onto his left foot, he rifled a shot into the top left corner.
Attendance : 75,113
Assists : Payet, Kante