Poland v Greece

:01:03. > :01:06.The Euros. We have seen great moments. Great memories.

:01:06. > :01:16.atmosphere in the environment is the greatest experience. When I

:01:16. > :01:18.

:01:18. > :01:28.think about it, I think about a lot of emotion. Incredible highs.

:01:28. > :01:34.

:01:34. > :01:44.We were lucky, to a certain extent. 1996 is as close as we have been.

:01:44. > :01:44.

:01:45. > :01:48.In 1988, we lost every game. That was our biggest ever moment in

:01:48. > :01:58.international football. We played a great Dutch team that went on to

:01:58. > :01:59.

:01:59. > :02:05.win the tournament. They had it all. That was a nice memory. 1992 in

:02:05. > :02:13.Sweden, we were relatively weak. The last final, against Denmark,

:02:13. > :02:23.Peter Schmeichel played the game of his life. They have thrown up a few

:02:23. > :02:26.

:02:26. > :02:31.If ever you needed a reminder that any team can win, that was it.

:02:31. > :02:36.expectation level than ever, maybe we can win it. The ball is round,

:02:36. > :02:41.the grass is Green,... You look at them on paper, you think they would

:02:41. > :02:47.be lucky to get to the quarter- finals, but you never know.

:02:47. > :02:52.could prove that we are capable. is hard for an outsider to win.

:02:52. > :03:02.will always look forward to watching the Spanish. They go in as

:03:02. > :03:02.

:03:02. > :03:07.the favourites. How hungry are they? The Germans are re-emerging

:03:07. > :03:12.as a major force. They are ready for the title. The Dutch will have

:03:12. > :03:19.a say in the competition. Germans, the Spanish, the Dutch,

:03:19. > :03:24.France, the Italians. Your guess is as good as ours.

:03:24. > :03:30.We have had the torches, the beacons, it is time for some flair.

:03:30. > :03:35.It is the opening day of Euro 2012, so welcome to the very far west of

:03:35. > :03:41.Poland, or as we call it, Salford, home for the group stages of Alan

:03:41. > :03:46.Hansen, Clarence Seedorf and Lee Dixon. This tournament is hosted by

:03:46. > :03:56.Poland and Ukraine, two countries with vast distances between eight

:03:56. > :03:56.

:03:56. > :04:01.venues. From Gdansk to do next, there are 1125 miles between them.

:04:01. > :04:06.This is a tournament like no other we have had, what expectations?

:04:06. > :04:10.Every two years, when you have a tournament, there is a massive

:04:10. > :04:15.sense of anticipation, it has been a long time since the end of the

:04:15. > :04:20.domestic season, the waiting is over. We are very hopeful for the

:04:20. > :04:25.tournament, a lot of controversy at the moment, but once the football

:04:25. > :04:28.starts, we are looking forward to great teams, great players, great

:04:28. > :04:33.performances, and at the end, hopefully, the rhetoric will be

:04:33. > :04:39.about how great the tournament was on the pitch. What are you looking

:04:39. > :04:44.forward to in particular in terms of teams, players? England. The

:04:44. > :04:48.expectation has been really locate, but as soon as it kicks off in an

:04:48. > :04:57.hour, everybody will be expecting England to do well. We are all

:04:57. > :05:02.England fans. Nearly all of us! We are looking to them to do well, so

:05:02. > :05:07.I think we should go into what really confident. But I am also

:05:07. > :05:12.looking at Germany, they stand out, the mixture of youth and experience.

:05:12. > :05:16.How do Spain carry on the amazing run? Holland, as well, they have

:05:16. > :05:21.got something to prove, because in the World Cup final, they played

:05:21. > :05:27.really poorly, so they have got something to prove. There have been

:05:27. > :05:31.some issues, controversy, one issue that will not go away, seemingly,

:05:31. > :05:35.races them. UEFA have said there was an isolated incident of racist

:05:35. > :05:40.abuse and chanting towards some of the Dutch players. You were in

:05:40. > :05:46.Poland a couple of days ago, launching the Respect campaign,

:05:46. > :05:55.your feelings on what has happened? It is not a good moment, it is

:05:55. > :06:01.never a good moment, but we would like to ignore these actions of the

:06:01. > :06:07.public. Should players ignore it and not make a stand? Yes, we

:06:07. > :06:14.should tell them, you are not affecting me. Otherwise, it will

:06:14. > :06:19.reinforce it more. It is not easy, especially the guys that are

:06:19. > :06:23.involved, but the statement is, you are not affected me. But also, the

:06:23. > :06:33.authorities have got to jump on it right away, zero tolerance. What

:06:33. > :06:35.

:06:35. > :06:41.can they do? It is a minority, so they can try to excite the majority

:06:41. > :06:45.more and overrule them with the voices, with the positivity of the

:06:45. > :06:52.tournament. But the local authorities should have zero

:06:52. > :06:56.tolerance. But they might be late, the tournament starts now, and the

:06:56. > :07:01.documentary was there, it has been there before. The authorities

:07:01. > :07:07.should have stepped in the fauna. They have got to get into the

:07:07. > :07:12.ground and identified the trouble makers and get rid of them. Exactly.

:07:12. > :07:16.But the more attention we did it, it reinforces this behaviour.

:07:16. > :07:21.cannot have players walking off the pitch, the authorities have to make

:07:21. > :07:25.the decision. Hopefully, we will not talk about those issues when

:07:25. > :07:31.the tournament starts. The first combatants will go head-to-head

:07:31. > :07:38.very shortly, and already in situ for Poland against Greece, Jake

:07:38. > :07:42.Humphrey and Alan Shearer. Welcome to the National Stadium

:07:42. > :07:45.here, for all to be the biggest day in Poland's sporting history. They

:07:45. > :07:52.are the lowest team in the tournament, but it is their stadium,

:07:52. > :07:56.their fans, their party, this must bring back memories of 1996. What a

:07:56. > :08:00.magnificent stadium. The guys in the dressing room have heard all of

:08:00. > :08:05.the talk, they will be desperate to get onto the pitch and play. If

:08:05. > :08:11.they get off to a good start, they could go further than people expect.

:08:11. > :08:14.The roaring when they came out of the dressing-room was remarkable.

:08:14. > :08:18.Obviously, there are not high expectations for the rest of the

:08:18. > :08:24.world, only 3% of the Polish people think they can win, but they have

:08:24. > :08:29.some quality. Three players that play for Dortmund, Lukasz Piszczek,

:08:29. > :08:33.and Robert Lewandowski, a lot of clubs are looking at him, he scored

:08:33. > :08:40.a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the Cup final, said he will have

:08:40. > :08:46.bid expectations. We have got the Greek trainer behind us. People

:08:46. > :08:51.will recognise Georgios Samaras, and the only joy that could two

:08:51. > :08:55.have had is the draw for this tournament, any team in this group

:08:55. > :09:01.thinks they can win. When the draw was made, all of the teams thought,

:09:01. > :09:06.if we can get off to a good start, we can progress. They will be

:09:06. > :09:10.pretty confident themselves, they are on a decent run. As far as

:09:10. > :09:15.England are concerned, they will be happy that, finally, after the talk,

:09:15. > :09:18.the tournament has got going up, but another three days to wait.

:09:18. > :09:23.will be frustrating, they will be watching today, and they will have

:09:24. > :09:27.to wait three days, they will be thinking, I wish we could have been

:09:27. > :09:33.in the first couple of days. But there is no pressure on England,

:09:33. > :09:37.nobody expects them to win, so that might help them. Hopefully it is

:09:37. > :09:42.not clear that we are sweating, just standing here, but the players

:09:42. > :09:47.will have noticed, with the reform, it is the regime it. That is the

:09:48. > :09:53.first thing I noticed, how humid in tears. It will be fascinating to

:09:53. > :09:56.see how the players cope, it could be uncomfortable. The atmosphere is

:09:56. > :10:02.building, it is amazing to be standing by the pitch with the

:10:02. > :10:07.Polish fans. It is aged huge day for Poland. One fan had 80 should,

:10:08. > :10:12.Poland are better than Brazil. -- had a T-shirt.

:10:12. > :10:16.This is a tournament of firsts, the first time it has been this Far

:10:16. > :10:20.East, the first time additional goalmouth assistant referees will

:10:20. > :10:27.be used, and the first time we are not expecting England to win, but a

:10:27. > :10:31.bit of realism might be a good thing. That looks quite a pleasant

:10:31. > :10:38.place you are in, in Krakow, different from Ruston bird a couple

:10:38. > :10:42.of years ago! Krakow is beautiful, about 26 degrees, we have had today,

:10:42. > :10:46.and it is expected to get hotter as the week progresses. It will be

:10:46. > :10:50.hotter where England play their first game. They had their first

:10:50. > :10:55.open training session today, 2000 local people came along to cheer

:10:55. > :11:00.them on. It was a charm offensive from the England team, they were

:11:00. > :11:06.signing autographs, and dated a light training session. The mind of

:11:06. > :11:10.the players only lasted a couple of laps on the pitch -- nine players.

:11:10. > :11:14.The FA have confirmed that nobody else has picked up an injury. Those

:11:14. > :11:19.players we were watching closely, Scott Parker and John Terry, are

:11:19. > :11:23.fine at the moment. He Stewart Downing was whipping in the crosses

:11:23. > :11:28.for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Carroll. Kidd seemed to go

:11:28. > :11:33.well, and the FA of opening things up. The players went to the art

:11:33. > :11:37.gallery yesterday, they had a civic reception, it is a beautiful town,

:11:37. > :11:40.and they will be encouraged to wander round. His Roy Hodgson

:11:40. > :11:44.expecting a full contingent to choose from? Jermain Defoe has had

:11:44. > :11:49.to go home because of the loss of his father, but aside from that, is

:11:49. > :11:54.he expecting a full choice? Jermain Defoe will come back, we do not

:11:54. > :11:58.know when it yet, but he will be back in time to go to the Ukraine.

:11:58. > :12:03.Aside from the niggling injuries that have been all the way through

:12:03. > :12:08.this tournament, Scott Parker is absolutely fine, as well as he has

:12:08. > :12:13.been in the last seven days, John Terry trained yesterday, Glen

:12:13. > :12:18.Johnson was fine today, so at the moment, everybody is OK, he has got

:12:18. > :12:23.a full contingent. The players have been out at two poignant

:12:23. > :12:27.destinations, most of them went to the factory where Oskar Schindler

:12:27. > :12:33.did his work in World War II, saving the lives of Jewish people,

:12:33. > :12:37.but seven players went to Auschwitz, where they will have had an

:12:37. > :12:42.emotional afternoon. If you see pictures of that later, a decision

:12:42. > :12:46.was made last night that the players should go in informal wear,

:12:46. > :12:49.because the medical staff felt that walking around for quite a long

:12:49. > :12:54.time could be quite damaging on their feet if they were wearing

:12:54. > :12:59.shoes, so they will be in trainers and tracksuits letter, but an

:12:59. > :13:04.emotional afternoon, some of the players that did not go had been on

:13:04. > :13:08.previous trips. Last week, they heard from two Holocaust survivors,

:13:08. > :13:15.and they were all very touched by the experience. It is a wonderful

:13:15. > :13:19.town, a great cafe society, and we saw Mario Balotelli a moment ago,

:13:19. > :13:29.because Italy and Holland are here, having a coffee. Anybody can wander

:13:29. > :13:34.round. He gets everywhere! He drinks

:13:34. > :13:39.coffee, that is quite common for him! England are there, it has not

:13:39. > :13:44.been the easiest build up for Roy Hodgson, he is fresh to the job,

:13:44. > :13:52.the preparations have been far from ideal. Yes, but in the warm-up

:13:52. > :13:56.matches, two victories, two clean sheets, the big thing is that, when

:13:56. > :14:00.he has been a manager, he has been cautious, and the England line-up

:14:00. > :14:08.will suggest we will be more difficult to beat than anything

:14:08. > :14:18.else. To win the tournament, they will have to be good with the ball.

:14:18. > :14:21.

:14:21. > :14:31.will discuss the options that he has. We think John Terry will play

:14:31. > :14:34.

:14:34. > :14:37.I don't think you can play Lescott on the right. Jagielka might be an

:14:37. > :14:40.option. I think he will play Terry on the right and Lescott on the

:14:40. > :14:43.on the right and Lescott on the left. You have to play your most

:14:43. > :14:51.experienced player out of position. Lescott likes to play on the left

:14:51. > :14:57.side. As far as the formation is concerned, we are talking about how

:14:57. > :15:00.Roy plays. Capello has come out of playing 4-4-2 in the last World Cup

:15:01. > :15:05.and said every week we want to change it, we want more players in

:15:05. > :15:11.midfield. Why plays that well -- way. I don't think that suits

:15:11. > :15:17.Gerrard. I would like to see someone else in there. I don't

:15:17. > :15:22.think it is ideal, Terry going from left to right. Ferdinand could play

:15:22. > :15:27.on the right! That is another question. If I was English and 30

:15:27. > :15:31.years younger, centre-back -- centre-back play is about

:15:31. > :15:35.partnerships, I would want to play with Rio Ferdinand. What is your

:15:35. > :15:40.view from the outside, the Ferdinand issue? Were you surprised

:15:40. > :15:48.he was left out? Yes. Quite surprised. He is still playing at

:15:49. > :15:54.the top level, he is fit. I'm wondering what the real reason is.

:15:54. > :15:59.I know personally about curious decisions! The fact he has played a

:15:59. > :16:03.lot of matches for Manchester United last season. He has had a

:16:03. > :16:08.back injury and when you have a back injury, you are susceptible to

:16:08. > :16:12.other injuries and he has had a few. But he has played a lot of top-

:16:12. > :16:16.class football and there's no doubt about it, even if you don't put him

:16:16. > :16:21.in the team, he should be in the squad. Can England go far in this

:16:21. > :16:28.tournament? England can always go very far. They always can! They

:16:28. > :16:33.rarely do. We should keep cool. Keep the expectations low.

:16:33. > :16:38.first game is so important. They are very low over here! I just want

:16:38. > :16:41.us to go out there and play. I don't want us to sit back, I want

:16:41. > :16:45.us to have a go at the French in the first game and try to get three

:16:45. > :16:51.points. They won't have a go against the French. I would like to

:16:51. > :16:55.see it. They will sit back. Everybody is talking about the

:16:55. > :16:58.expectation and anticipation. Everything is so low. If England

:16:58. > :17:03.play badly in this tournament, they will get absolutely hammered

:17:03. > :17:07.because that is the way it is. it always has been! It is the first

:17:07. > :17:12.time the Republic of Ireland has qualified for the finals of the

:17:12. > :17:17.Euros since 1988. They've set up camp outside Gdansk in the north of

:17:17. > :17:21.Poland and enjoyed a warm welcome from the locals. Unbeaten in 14

:17:21. > :17:29.matches under Giovanni Trapattoni, they are in confident mood ahead of

:17:29. > :17:35.Sunday's opening game against Klasnic! Croatia are marching on.

:17:35. > :17:41.They are a good side. They keep the ball moving very quickly. I know a

:17:41. > :17:47.few of the players, Modric and Kranjcar and Choi lucre. I look

:17:47. > :17:53.forward to seeing them after the game and getting three points.

:17:53. > :18:00.Irish have done it again! You have to believe you will win every game.

:18:00. > :18:05.We have played for a long time. Regardless of who you play, whether

:18:05. > :18:13.you are playing Real Madrid or Barcelona, it is irrelevant. We are

:18:13. > :18:17.in one of the toughest groups, we are the underdogs. It will be tough.

:18:17. > :18:22.The players are really looking forward to it, it has been a long

:18:22. > :18:27.time coming for us. This will probably be the last chance for

:18:27. > :18:30.many players. We have to grasp it with both hands.

:18:30. > :18:33.You suspect with having both Spain You suspect with having both Spain

:18:33. > :18:39.and Italy in the Republic of Ireland Group that they need a very

:18:39. > :18:44.good result against Croatia. Almost one of those must win games. It is.

:18:44. > :18:48.I think Ireland are better off in a strong group because Spain, Italy

:18:48. > :18:51.strong group because Spain, Italy and Croatia... How does that work?

:18:51. > :18:55.If you're a look in a group with two really strong teams that

:18:55. > :19:00.dominate and you're out, but you have got Spain, Croatia and Italy

:19:00. > :19:05.who might take points off each other. If Ireland nicked a win, it

:19:05. > :19:09.-- they are right in the next. us that convince you? I know what

:19:10. > :19:15.he is saying. You only have to get one result and if you beat Croatia,

:19:15. > :19:19.you have a chance. That is the one they must win. The Italians, you

:19:19. > :19:26.still play in Italy for AC Milan... They are going into the tournament

:19:26. > :19:30.under a cloud once again, match- fixing scandals are rife. But they

:19:30. > :19:37.have been successful on those occasions in the past. What is the

:19:37. > :19:44.mood in Italy at the moment? It is not really buzzing yet. The team is

:19:44. > :19:48.always getting motivation out of these things. They are feeling

:19:48. > :19:55.involved in something they have nothing to do with. As in the other

:19:55. > :19:59.tournaments, they have performed well. 1992, 2006. -- 1982. It is a

:19:59. > :20:02.young team with a very good coach. I expect them to do well. They

:20:02. > :20:06.generally do when it becomes to picking the winner, the usual

:20:06. > :20:16.suspects topped the list, but I suppose are relatively new

:20:16. > :20:16.

:20:16. > :21:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:21:12. > :21:17.additions to those usual suspects. These are the very latest odds. It

:21:17. > :21:20.is a great time to pick a winner. Alan? I'm going for the favourites,

:21:20. > :21:24.Alan? I'm going for the favourites, Spain. I look at the middle of the

:21:24. > :21:29.park and the players they've got to pick from and you have a Alonso,

:21:29. > :21:35.Mata, Silva, Fabregas and then Iniesta and Xavi. There's nothing

:21:35. > :21:44.comparable to that. You know they will have at least 70% possession!

:21:44. > :21:50.The big onus is on Torres. Dutch, Clarence? The Dutch are

:21:50. > :21:56.always in good shape in these tournaments. They need to show that

:21:56. > :22:00.they can do it again. It took some luck to go all the way in the World

:22:00. > :22:06.Cup. There are big expectations in Holland. Who do you think will win

:22:06. > :22:11.the tournament? Germany has impressed me. Even if they have

:22:11. > :22:14.been struggling in some friendly matches, I think this is the

:22:14. > :22:18.strongest team with the right motivation. It will be hard for

:22:18. > :22:25.Spain to have the same motivation after winning the European

:22:25. > :22:29.Championships and the World Cup. Winning is a habit. Lee? I will go

:22:29. > :22:32.for Germany. I think they have the perfect mix of youngsters coming

:22:32. > :22:36.through, the education in the last World Cup, and they've got

:22:36. > :22:42.experience of Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Philipp Lahm. I think

:22:42. > :22:48.they have the balance right. He has got the balance right there! It is

:22:48. > :22:51.like we rehearsed it. Everyone is talking about the German players

:22:51. > :22:56.being down because of the Champions League final, but this is Germany

:22:56. > :23:00.we are talking about. They will be so focused, so switched on, and

:23:00. > :23:09.they are winners. I think they will win it. I can't believe you have

:23:09. > :23:13.not gone for England! Loyalty! I'm just keeping the pressure down.

:23:13. > :23:18.opening game of Euro 2012 features two of the rank outsiders to lift

:23:18. > :23:28.the trophy. Poland and grace of God but the Poles are co-hosts and

:23:28. > :23:54.

:23:54. > :24:04.Grease won this thing just eight The most unlikely story in the

:24:04. > :24:06.

:24:06. > :24:16.history of international football. What a turn up. They've won it!

:24:16. > :24:17.

:24:17. > :24:26.Greece are into the final of Euro They are in the lead, the underdogs.

:24:26. > :24:31.Unbelievable! The almost impossible They are two of the outsiders in

:24:31. > :24:34.the tournament. You would not completely rule anyone out at this

:24:34. > :24:38.stage of top Poland have three players that played in the

:24:38. > :24:42.successful Borussia Dortmund side. They have some winners in the team.

:24:42. > :24:48.I think you can roll them out winning the tournament. There's so

:24:48. > :24:52.much quality at the other end of the draw. But Poland have got the

:24:52. > :24:56.home advantage. We've seen already with the interview with Alan

:24:56. > :25:00.Shearer, the atmosphere is building. They have got a decent record and

:25:00. > :25:07.only lost one in the last 12 and five clean sheets against a team

:25:07. > :25:13.that doesn't score many goals. well-organised. Yes. I think the

:25:13. > :25:17.Greeks and will try to get a draw. They haven't got a lot of flair in

:25:17. > :25:21.their team. We are looking at levels of speed to get a goals for

:25:21. > :25:29.Poland. I think the home advantage will be key. The coach for greets,

:25:29. > :25:34.it is all but effort. He says they have to bleed to succeed. They

:25:34. > :25:41.don't concede many goals. They don't. We have seen what happened

:25:41. > :25:45.in 2004. It is a team that will need the respect of everybody. I'm

:25:45. > :25:51.curious to see how they will come out. I'm curious to see how the

:25:51. > :26:01.opening ceremony goes. Here it is. The opening ceremony of Euro 2012.

:26:01. > :26:03.

:26:03. > :26:07.The commentators are Mark bright Thank you. We can look forward to

:26:07. > :26:12.16 teams playing 31 matches in eight venues over 21 days. But

:26:12. > :26:16.first we have the opening ceremony. But it will not be a long affair.

:26:16. > :26:24.Just a few minutes ahead of the big kick-off in front of a packed house.

:26:24. > :26:28.It has been put together by a production team. The company is

:26:28. > :26:32.also working on the Rio flight handover which will take place

:26:32. > :26:42.during the closing ceremony of London 2012. The countdown is on

:26:42. > :26:54.

:26:54. > :27:00.It is a warm and cheery welcome from the host countries to get us

:27:00. > :27:08.under way. The cascading strips featured the red and white of

:27:08. > :27:18.Poland and the yellow and blue of The costume design inspired by

:27:18. > :27:25.

:27:25. > :27:28.traditional dresses of the host In total, this opening ceremony

:27:28. > :27:38.involves 1,000 performers with another 400 volunteers working

:27:38. > :27:38.

:27:38. > :28:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:28:25. > :28:29.Two mascots kick-starting a transformation now as we head for a

:28:29. > :28:39.segment dedicated to one of the greatest European composers of the

:28:39. > :29:11.

:29:11. > :29:21.Mall, Frederic Chopin, who was Watching a renowned Hungarian

:29:21. > :29:21.

:29:21. > :31:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:31:53. > :32:03.the eight stadia being used for the mascot, this is the bit where the

:32:03. > :32:03.

:32:03. > :33:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:33:45. > :33:51.audience get involved. Poland on transforms in the centre. Here it

:33:51. > :33:56.is hoping that it blossoms into a tournament to remember. Poland's

:33:56. > :34:06.big day has arrived, and the kick- off to Euro 2012 is just a few

:34:06. > :34:08.

:34:08. > :34:13.Michel Platini applauding the opening ceremony. We have got the

:34:13. > :34:20.first game, which will kick-off shortly, Poland and Greece. How do

:34:20. > :34:25.you see it going? It is the weakest group, and Poland will be looking

:34:25. > :34:29.to do well as the co-hosts. The game will be tight, but there is an

:34:29. > :34:34.opportunity for somebody to win it and put them in pole position. It

:34:34. > :34:39.would be great if Greece could do well, because they are on their

:34:39. > :34:44.knees, all austerity measures, elections, and if there is one

:34:44. > :34:49.thing that can unify a nation, it is doing well at sport. They can

:34:49. > :34:54.replicate what they did in 2004, if so, or even get close, they will be

:34:54. > :35:02.fantastic. It is hard to imagine lightning striking twice, they were

:35:02. > :35:08.rank outsiders on that occasion. Absolutely. We just need to see

:35:08. > :35:12.what will happen today. I would like to see some goals, some are

:35:12. > :35:17.open football, the Polish side has all of the fans behind them, so

:35:17. > :35:24.they will be energised. I am not sure you are going to see open

:35:24. > :35:28.football! You look at Greece, the way they set out to play, Kostas

:35:28. > :35:32.Katsouranis and Giorgos Karagounis have 208 caps between them, and

:35:32. > :35:40.they put a wall up in front of the back four and they make it hard.

:35:40. > :35:46.But Poland, they have the home support, they have got a 30 galled

:35:46. > :35:51.goal scorer at the head of their strike force, it might just go

:35:51. > :35:54.their way. They have had five successive clean sheets, the best

:35:54. > :36:00.record in international football. Both sides have got great recent

:36:00. > :36:04.records. You tend to find that opening matches, things are

:36:04. > :36:10.relatively tight, you do not want to get beaten, you protect what you

:36:10. > :36:20.have got. Let's hope that the whole thing is different here, and it

:36:20. > :36:24.sets the tournament alight. I think Greece will do everything in their

:36:24. > :36:31.power to be competitive. Clarence, you played in a tournament in your

:36:31. > :36:40.home country, you know the feeling. There is nothing like it. They are

:36:40. > :36:45.going to be pushed by the excited fans, pushed forward, but it is an

:36:45. > :36:51.emotional game. That is why I am hoping to see a bit of what I ask

:36:51. > :37:01.before. If you get an early goal, it makes a difference. Who will

:37:01. > :37:11.win? Poland. Poland. 0-0. optimist! Lets rejoin Simon de

:37:11. > :37:11.

:37:11. > :37:16.Stadium, they have been building up to this for a long time. We should

:37:16. > :37:19.not underestimate how big a deal this is for Poland, it is the first

:37:19. > :37:23.major international sporting event to be held here, a once-in-a-

:37:23. > :37:29.lifetime chance to showcase the country to a global sporting

:37:29. > :37:33.audience. All of the Polish people I have spoken are nervously hopeful

:37:33. > :37:38.rather than expectant when it comes to their own team, they are not

:37:38. > :37:42.bullish about their chances. Greece also unfancied ahead of the

:37:42. > :37:46.tournament, but you get the impression they are comfortable

:37:46. > :37:52.with the underdog tag. They caused a real shock by going all the way

:37:52. > :37:58.and lifted the trophy eight years ago in Portugal. Giorgos Karagounis,

:37:58. > :38:02.their captain, said last night that they will give it everything and

:38:02. > :38:06.they hope to bring some joy to the people back in Greece. They have

:38:06. > :38:16.not had much to cheer about lately, with the economic problems

:38:16. > :38:17.

:38:17. > :38:23.engulfing their country. The final few nervous moments for the players.

:38:23. > :38:27.That is Jakob blusher Crosskey at the front, the captain of Poland --

:38:27. > :38:31.Jakub Blaszczykowski. The place for Borussia Dortmund in Germany. The

:38:31. > :38:41.familiar face behind him, for which it shares the, the Arsenal

:38:41. > :38:42.

:38:42. > :38:47.goalkeeper. -- Wojciech Szczesny. We are almost ready for the walk

:38:47. > :38:56.forward. The bomber to matches went well for Poland, wins over Latvia

:38:56. > :38:59.and Slovakia, and a thrashing of Andorra a few days ago. I have to

:38:59. > :39:05.say, it is a spine-tingling atmosphere in a wonderful

:39:05. > :39:08.footballing arena. It has been a while since Poland prospered on the

:39:08. > :39:13.international stage, the best part of three decades since they reached

:39:13. > :39:19.the knockout stages of the World Cup in 1986. Candy's players emerge

:39:19. > :39:26.from the shadows, or will they be also runs again and leave at the

:39:26. > :39:34.end of the group stages, just like the World Cup in 2002 and 2006 and

:39:34. > :39:38.at Euro 2008? Greece will recall that they glorious summer of 2000

:39:38. > :39:43.before started with an appearance in the opening fixture, just like

:39:43. > :39:53.today -- summer of 2004. Now, the national anthems. The first one we

:39:53. > :39:53.

:39:53. > :42:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:42:08. > :42:18.Giorgos Karagounis, the captain of Hearts -- Greece. Players go

:42:18. > :42:27.through the ritual of the match. The National Stadium, opened in

:42:27. > :42:32.February, looks a picture. Poland have a familiar face in goal,

:42:32. > :42:36.Wojciech Szczesny of Arsenal. Their right back, Lukasz Piszczek, of

:42:36. > :42:40.Borussia Dortmund, not to get forward, and a Damien Perquis is

:42:40. > :42:46.has not long recovered from a broken elbow. The captain will

:42:46. > :42:50.start on the bike, he will be a key figure. The third player with the

:42:50. > :42:55.German double winners, Robert Lewandowski, leads the attack, he

:42:55. > :43:00.scored a hat-trick in the Cup final last month. The referee in the

:43:00. > :43:10.middle is Carlos Carballo from Madrid. He officiated at the Europa

:43:10. > :43:21.

:43:21. > :43:26.League final in Dublin between last three major tournaments, the

:43:26. > :43:33.oldest player at Euro 2012, Kostas Chalkias, starts in gold. In front

:43:33. > :43:38.of him, it is a miserly back line, marshalled by Avraam Papadopoulos,

:43:38. > :43:42.who only conceded five goals in qualifying. Giorgos Karagounis is

:43:42. > :43:47.still there at 35, while Georgios Samaras will start on the left-hand

:43:48. > :43:57.side. Theofanis Gekas will be on his own much of the time through

:43:58. > :44:07.

:44:07. > :44:13.Rafal Wolski, the find of the league season, and Kyriakos

:44:13. > :44:18.Papadopoulos is among the Greece substitutes, he has owned reproduce

:44:18. > :44:22.in the Bundesliga. Mark Bright is alongside me, we are almost ready

:44:22. > :44:32.to go. You would think it would be an advantage for Poland, being at

:44:32. > :44:37.

:44:37. > :44:43.home, but it brings its own to pitch is in great condition.

:44:43. > :44:49.They are playing under a close roof. The sun is trying to peek through

:44:49. > :44:56.on the far side. Euro 2012 is up and running! Poland against Greece

:44:56. > :45:03.live from the National Stadium in Warsaw. Greece in the blue. We have

:45:03. > :45:07.booze in the background from the partisan crowd! Greece are no

:45:07. > :45:13.strangers to turning up in somebody else's house at the start of the

:45:13. > :45:23.European Championship and upsetting the olds. They did so in Portugal.

:45:23. > :45:36.

:45:36. > :45:46.move around and pull the strings. Lewandowski, the No. 9, on the left,

:45:46. > :45:58.

:45:58. > :46:04.enthusiastic for the referee's liking. I'm not too sure how he can

:46:04. > :46:12.give that one way or the other. Two players contesting the ball. They

:46:12. > :46:17.have got hold of each other's arms and shirts. What is your take on

:46:17. > :46:20.what we might see this afternoon? Poland have not played a

:46:20. > :46:28.competitive game for a couple of years. Greece don't score many, but

:46:28. > :46:32.they don't give much away. 14 goals in 10 games and only conceded five

:46:32. > :46:37.for Greece. They will keep it tight at the back and hope to score.

:46:37. > :46:45.Poland will be very, very nervous. I think only 3% of the country

:46:45. > :46:51.think they can win this. They will just be happy to win a group game.

:46:52. > :47:01.It is tough for them, they are the lowest ranked team. Another free

:47:02. > :47:07.

:47:07. > :47:17.kick to Greece. Given away by Greece to put their opponents under

:47:17. > :47:33.

:47:33. > :47:36.this one. It was Lewandowski who leads the Greek attack, he plays

:47:36. > :47:41.the Samsunspor in Turkey. He quit international football a couple of

:47:41. > :47:51.years ago, mysteriously citing special circumstances, but he

:47:51. > :47:59.

:47:59. > :48:02.returned a year later and he he is Under 21 side when they won the

:48:02. > :48:12.European Championship a couple of years ago, is now playing for the

:48:12. > :48:34.

:48:34. > :48:44.38 years of age, the oldest player come forward at every opportunity.

:48:44. > :48:51.

:48:51. > :48:59.superb save. That will get the crowd going. This is the second one,

:48:59. > :49:06.it is straight at Chalkias. He easily taps it over. It was the

:49:06. > :49:16.first opportunity which was the good one. Grace under pressure for

:49:16. > :49:24.

:49:24. > :49:29.the first time. -- Greece under snatched at it. Good early pressure,

:49:29. > :49:38.though, from Poland. The that will give them some confidence. Straight

:49:38. > :49:48.at the goalkeeper, NEC tap over. -- an easy tap over. It was that first

:49:48. > :50:11.

:50:11. > :50:21.one when Lewandowski just laid the right hand side getting forward

:50:21. > :50:43.

:50:43. > :50:47.in qualifying for the last World Cup with 10 goals, but he has gone

:50:47. > :50:57.a little quiet in international campaigns since then. They have not

:50:57. > :51:00.

:51:00. > :51:10.done well since they won the tournament since that final. They

:51:10. > :51:48.

:51:48. > :51:53.took everyone by surprise, they back in the squad. He scored the

:51:53. > :52:03.winning goal against Nigeria and South Africa a couple of years ago,

:52:03. > :52:26.

:52:26. > :52:36.the first time Greece have won a nature at the back, Greece, they

:52:36. > :52:45.

:52:45. > :52:49.the previous 15 occasions the countries have met. They have not

:52:49. > :52:54.lost any of the last half a dozen encounters. They want to extend

:52:55. > :53:01.that run to seven against today's opponents. A good run of 16 games

:53:01. > :53:06.unbeaten on Dos Santos. You would imagine it would be a tough job

:53:06. > :53:10.taking over from Otto Rehhagel, but he has started off pretty smoothly

:53:10. > :53:18.with a 17 match unbeaten run. Fernando Santos, the Portuguese

:53:18. > :53:28.coach of Greece. Good pedigree as well. He has coached three of the

:53:28. > :53:46.

:53:46. > :53:56.big clubs in Greece and his own Maniatis, he is the middle of the

:53:56. > :54:06.

:54:06. > :54:16.midfield. He is there to do a lot by Holebas. A bit too much on that

:54:16. > :54:26.

:54:26. > :54:30.might be, and that Greece only conceded five goals in qualifying,

:54:30. > :54:40.Poland have kept five clean sheets in a row and have not conceded

:54:40. > :55:09.

:55:09. > :55:14.when they are friendly matches, players who might be qualified to

:55:14. > :55:24.play for them. Perquis is French. He speaks very little Polish.

:55:24. > :55:34.was criticised. He went and got players who were natural but moved

:55:34. > :55:34.

:55:34. > :56:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:56:19. > :56:26.away. He did not get a really good touch on it, Gekas. He just glanced

:56:26. > :56:36.it. Interesting seeing Torosidis running in at the far post, a yard

:56:36. > :56:45.

:56:45. > :56:53.right under that one. Could play a game from the right hand side. --

:56:53. > :57:02.could play again. Blaszczykowski continues his run. He has guided it

:57:03. > :57:07.up in the air. Again involved in the build up played, Obraniak.

:57:07. > :57:17.Another one of the French connections. He has a reasonably

:57:17. > :57:36.

:57:36. > :57:40.turned out. It is great to make the start that you want in the

:57:40. > :57:45.tournament, but so many teams are cagey in the first game because you

:57:45. > :57:49.don't want to lose. Absolutely. Most players will tell you that the

:57:49. > :57:53.one thing you don't want to do is lose your opening game. It puts

:57:53. > :57:57.pressure on you. Poland have done well, they have moved the ball

:57:57. > :58:02.around, they have got into the opposition penalty area and created

:58:02. > :58:12.a couple of good opportunities. Santos will be hot in that jacket.

:58:12. > :58:17.

:58:17. > :58:21.I don't think it is that hot. centimetre or two away. I don't

:58:21. > :58:28.think Piszczek did Lewandowski any favours. He fired at ball from

:58:28. > :58:33.close range. He just needed to slide it on the deck. Lewandowski

:58:33. > :58:43.went to the near post. He is in front of his defender, it is a

:58:43. > :58:48.

:58:48. > :58:58.side-foot into the net. They are are at sixes and sevens in

:58:58. > :59:12.

:59:13. > :59:19.defensive quarters. They do at the I think it was when he jumped to

:59:19. > :59:23.head the ball. The referee played a good advantage. The Greeks will

:59:23. > :59:27.know all about Obraniak, the Bordeaux player, because he scored

:59:27. > :59:37.two goals against him on his international debut three days ago.

:59:37. > :59:41.

:59:41. > :59:51.This is the incident. He had the better opportunity, he is only five

:59:51. > :00:12.

:00:12. > :00:20.yards away. It was in front of him the end of the season, Marcin

:00:20. > :00:27.Wasilewski, having elbowed an opponent. He broke his elbow.

:00:27. > :00:37.Damian perky, with a broken elbow beside him, they are an interesting

:00:37. > :00:46.

:00:46. > :00:55.corner. The referee has given a goal-kick. He said he was having

:00:55. > :01:00.his shirt pulled. He looks lively, he looks a threat. He is a quality

:01:00. > :01:05.player. The big worry is, can they get the service to feed him to

:01:05. > :01:15.score the goals? 23 years old, he has become a big star in the

:01:15. > :01:16.

:01:16. > :01:26.Bundesliga. They have got great footballing traditions in Poland,

:01:26. > :01:26.

:01:26. > :01:30.but they have not had much to cheer about for a long time. One of their

:01:30. > :01:36.old players said, it is the easiest group, and if they do not get out

:01:36. > :01:42.of it, they only have themselves to blame. It is Robert Lewandowski!

:01:42. > :01:52.The hosts are ahead in the opening game! The star striker has got the

:01:52. > :02:00.

:02:00. > :02:10.threatening to come off the stadium here! What an atmosphere inside the

:02:10. > :02:15.stadium! It is the perfect start for the co-hosts! Absolutely. You

:02:15. > :02:19.have got to look at the goalkeeper, Kostas Chalkias, where was he

:02:19. > :02:25.going? He was nowhere near the ball. Robert Lewandowski still had

:02:25. > :02:35.something to do, but he headed it down. The atmosphere is electric

:02:35. > :02:42.now. The perfect start for Poland. A lethal header down, past Kostas

:02:42. > :02:45.Chalkias, the goalkeeper. Robert Lewandowski. The home crowd will be

:02:45. > :02:50.sitting in easier in their seats for a few minutes, perhaps, because

:02:50. > :02:55.they were very nervous ahead of this one. But there is a long way

:02:55. > :03:01.to go. We have talked about Greece only conceding five goals in

:03:01. > :03:10.qualifying, they have looked at sixes and sevens at times. Greece

:03:11. > :03:20.are a man down, but the game continues. Now, we will have the

:03:20. > :03:28.stoppage. Avraam Papadopoulos is the injured player. He commits a

:03:28. > :03:34.foul. I am not too sure why he goes down. He is a no-nonsense central

:03:34. > :03:39.defender. He was the Player of the Year last year. The referee is not

:03:39. > :03:47.allowing a trainer to come on. He has already taken his boot off.

:03:47. > :03:52.Spanish referee is keen to keep the game flowing. A 50% strike rate!

:03:52. > :03:57.Where is the goalkeeper going? I do not understand. He was neither here

:03:57. > :04:07.nor there. If he stays where he is, it makes it more difficult to score.

:04:07. > :04:14.It was a wonderful cross. The goalkeeper was tempted. Franciszek

:04:14. > :04:18.Smuda said that his team would play offensive, attractive football, but

:04:18. > :04:23.sometimes he found out he did not have the personnel. But they have

:04:23. > :04:29.been positive so far. They were beaten 6-0 by Spain, and he changed

:04:29. > :04:33.his philosophy. For nine months, he did not win a game. This does not

:04:33. > :04:39.look too good for Avraam Papadopoulos. But we have his

:04:39. > :04:49.namesake on the bench, no relation, Kyriakos Papadopoulos. I think he

:04:49. > :05:02.

:05:02. > :05:07.opponent. This is not the ideal situation for Greece, they need to

:05:07. > :05:16.try and put a stop to all of this momentum and excitement. Absolutely,

:05:16. > :05:22.yes. It is a fantastic noise. With the roof being on, it keeps the

:05:22. > :05:30.noise in. They have been here before, they have played against

:05:30. > :05:34.Portugal in 2004, the opening game. Theofanis Gekas is very much on his

:05:34. > :05:40.own as the spearhead of the attacker. They have not put Poland

:05:40. > :05:50.under any pressure at all. Looking at the quality of teams in this

:05:50. > :05:58.

:05:58. > :06:06.tournament, they are the poorest will have to come on. Avraam

:06:06. > :06:16.Papadopoulos is yet to emerge on to his feet. Georgios Samaras is

:06:16. > :06:18.

:06:18. > :06:28.playing left-back. Lukasz Piszczek will be excited! Poland do not seem

:06:28. > :06:29.

:06:29. > :06:39.to be in any hurry. Avraam Papadopoulos is back on. Poland

:06:39. > :07:11.

:07:11. > :07:15.bench to press height of the park, to try to win the ball. Sotiris

:07:15. > :07:21.Ninis is their brightest spark, they need creativity from somebody.

:07:21. > :07:31.We have not seen anybody do anything so far. He has not had the

:07:31. > :07:31.

:07:31. > :08:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:08:22. > :08:28.service so far. Poland with the full back. There is a bit of space

:08:28. > :08:36.along the outside for Poland to exploit. Jose Holebas sometimes

:08:36. > :08:43.plays as a left-winger. No problems caused a tall by a Kostas

:08:43. > :08:50.Katsouranis. They are shooting from distance. They have got bags of

:08:50. > :08:55.experience, Greece, Kostas Katsouranis played at Euro 2004 and

:08:55. > :09:01.2008, he played all three matches in the last World Cup, and the

:09:01. > :09:11.captain, Giorgos Karagounis, is making his 100 and the 18th

:09:11. > :09:33.

:09:34. > :09:43.appearance this afternoon. -- 118th game at the moment. The service is

:09:44. > :10:03.

:10:03. > :10:11.everything go. It was all rather untidy. The referee is smiling.

:10:11. > :10:18.referee... They feel that nothing is going their way at the moment.

:10:18. > :10:28.The frustration there for Sokratis Papastathopoulos. He plays in

:10:28. > :10:35.

:10:35. > :10:45.to wait for a moment. It is the usual, tugging at shirts. Vasilis

:10:45. > :11:08.

:11:08. > :11:12.challenge. Giorgos Karagounis sliding been unnecessarily. I would

:11:12. > :11:15.be interested to see if he has got the stamina and mobility in this

:11:15. > :11:20.tournament, because he has mainly been used as a substitute for his

:11:20. > :11:27.club side this season. But the national coach still puts him in

:11:27. > :11:37.every game. He takes all of the set pieces. He has got some defending

:11:37. > :12:06.

:12:06. > :12:16.-- keep the ball. They look rattled and disjointed. They have not done

:12:16. > :12:54.

:12:54. > :12:58.careful. It is right on the edge of the penalty area. That is what we

:12:58. > :13:08.have been waiting for. He knows what he is doing, he gets his body

:13:08. > :13:26.

:13:26. > :13:36.in front. That is all it will take have to make out. Creativity in

:13:36. > :13:36.

:13:36. > :13:46.open play is not their strongest suit. The shot from Kostas

:13:46. > :14:23.

:14:23. > :14:29.It was hacked that bite Ioannis Croatia. Poor play today, they have

:14:29. > :14:33.not put Poland under any pressure at the back. They arrived here at

:14:33. > :14:41.this tournament on the run of 10 competitive internationals unbeaten,

:14:41. > :14:45.seven wins and three draws in their last 10. But we have seen very

:14:45. > :14:55.little from them so far. The winners of the European

:14:55. > :15:04.

:15:05. > :15:14.better team. They have moved it about, the goal has given them more

:15:15. > :15:48.

:15:48. > :15:58.composure. Half-an-hour gone under nerves have gone. In possession...

:15:58. > :16:08.

:16:08. > :16:12.improvisation, game changes, or lack off. -- changes. A creative

:16:12. > :16:18.player in the heart of midfield is also that suggest -- something that

:16:18. > :16:28.Poland have been looking for. Two players staying deep in the centre

:16:28. > :17:04.

:17:04. > :17:14.of their midfield with Obraniak away. -- Wasilewski. A strong man

:17:14. > :17:37.

:17:37. > :17:41.mountain, Wasilewski. Very back in the whole squad. Karagounis

:17:41. > :17:51.wins a free-kick. He looks a very frustrated figure, the Greek

:17:51. > :17:58.

:17:59. > :18:04.captain. A little bit of pulling. Nothing going on. So far, with over

:18:04. > :18:14.half an hour played, Szczesny has not had a save to make. A couple of

:18:14. > :18:19.

:18:19. > :18:27.shots from distance that have been on the training ground with free-

:18:27. > :18:35.kicks is working so far, that's for sure. Many artists trying to get

:18:35. > :18:45.things moving, but not close to finding Ninis on the far side. --

:18:45. > :18:52.

:18:52. > :18:57.up with a 1-1 draw against Slovenia and a narrow win against Armenia in

:18:57. > :19:07.the last match before coming here. They have been uninspiring he is so

:19:07. > :19:08.

:19:08. > :19:12.far. 1-0, 1-1, 0-0. Two is the most goals they have scored. I was

:19:12. > :19:22.thinking if they go a goal down today, how do they get themselves

:19:22. > :19:27.

:19:27. > :19:34.He caught a little bit of the Polish goalscorer as well, I think.

:19:34. > :19:39.And the first yellow card of the tournament. It goes to

:19:39. > :19:45.Papastathopoulos. I'm not sure what he does wrong. The genuine attempt

:19:45. > :19:49.to head the ball, which he does. One arm is on the shoulder. I

:19:49. > :19:53.really can't see what the Spanish referee has seen in that challenge.

:19:53. > :20:03.He hasn't been a fussy referee until now. A very unfortunate

:20:03. > :20:06.

:20:06. > :20:16.dispatched by Robert Lewandowski. The one piece of quality. A lovely

:20:16. > :20:21.

:20:21. > :20:30.cross, the goalkeeper came for it. relief all wrapped into one with

:20:30. > :20:34.that goal. Inside the last 10 minutes of the first half. This is

:20:34. > :20:38.Kyriakos Papadopoulos who will replace his namesake, Avraam

:20:38. > :20:42.Papadopoulos. They are not related. Papadopoulos it is the most common

:20:42. > :20:47.surname in Greece, a bit like Smith in the UK. It might have been from

:20:47. > :20:51.a challenge earlier on. Avraam Papadopoulos will be hoping that is

:20:51. > :21:01.not the sum total of his opportunity at his European

:21:01. > :21:05.

:21:05. > :21:11.rated. Rave reviews in his first couple of years in the Bundesliga.

:21:11. > :21:19.We will hear more about him in a moment. It has a chance for 2-0!

:21:19. > :21:26.Maybe it should have been 2-0. It went wide from the French player,

:21:26. > :21:31.Damien Perquis. They just got caught a little bit. Nice and

:21:31. > :21:41.smooth, strike through it, but he pulled it. A centre-back's finish.

:21:41. > :21:55.

:21:55. > :21:59.the odd goal. He scored again Slovakia. That was in May. But he

:21:59. > :22:03.did not bring his shooting boots there. That is Santos, the coach of

:22:03. > :22:08.Greece. I think his face tells the story of where they are at the

:22:08. > :22:14.moment. A poor display, lacking enthusiasm and direction, any

:22:14. > :22:19.pattern. They have not put the Polish defence under pressure,

:22:19. > :22:25.Szczesny has not had a save to make. It is all going according to plan

:22:25. > :22:28.for Poland. There was an excellent chance for Perquis. You won't be

:22:28. > :22:32.surprised to know we have statistics for almost everything

:22:32. > :22:37.provided by UEFA. They are saying possession is exactly fifty-fifty

:22:37. > :22:47.between the sides, but I think one team is doing a lot more than the

:22:47. > :22:55.

:22:55. > :23:01.Piszczek with some defending to do. He used to be a for a player, now

:23:01. > :23:06.converted as a right-back. -- forward player. Papadopoulos, the

:23:06. > :23:10.substitute, he was doing his stretches and his high kicks.

:23:10. > :23:14.will need to be careful, he missed the last month of the season with a

:23:14. > :23:24.hamstring injury. He will want to make sure he is nicely stretched

:23:24. > :23:34.and ready to go. To be fair, he did have Papadopoulos going for several

:23:34. > :23:34.

:23:34. > :24:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:24:16. > :24:19.defensive line-up. Szczesny with a He was aiming at Lewandowski and

:24:19. > :24:25.they will have to settle for a corner. I think Obraniak was happy

:24:25. > :24:29.he did not get the pass. He is getting an earful from the captain.

:24:29. > :24:39.He is saying if he could swing the ball into the penalty area,

:24:39. > :24:39.

:24:39. > :25:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:25:45. > :25:55.Lewandowski is there. He did ever was Wasilewski. A little push there.

:25:55. > :26:14.

:26:14. > :26:24.They are queuing up to head the Greece to close up the first half.

:26:24. > :26:27.

:26:27. > :26:37.All about the delivery, but it was Poland with half a dozen attempts

:26:37. > :26:37.

:26:37. > :27:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:27:27. > :27:32.on goal, a couple from Greece so of Desire, which has been lacking.

:27:32. > :27:39.The left-back, Boenisch, is quite slow and ponderous. If Ninis can

:27:39. > :27:43.get the ball and get at him, get a run on him... Boenisch was only

:27:43. > :27:47.recalled to the Polish side in February after over a year out with

:27:47. > :27:52.a knee injury. He has not played very much for Werder Bremen. They

:27:53. > :28:00.have let him go over the summer. A few concerns about the amount of

:28:00. > :28:10.football he has had in the last couple of seasons. Karagounis wins

:28:10. > :28:16.

:28:16. > :28:20.the free-kick. The challenge from first half. The Greeks were saying

:28:20. > :28:26.they would lead to succeed, to bring some cheer to the good folk

:28:26. > :28:30.back in Greece. Very little from them so far. We could have a red

:28:30. > :28:38.card. It is for Papastathopoulos. The Spanish referee has sent him

:28:38. > :28:43.off! He was already booked. The first booking should never have

:28:43. > :28:47.been. That one looks like a little bit of an obstruction. Is it a

:28:47. > :28:50.goalscoring opportunity? It is a little coming together and if

:28:50. > :28:56.you're going to book somebody for that, you will give out a lot of

:28:56. > :29:01.bookings. He is pleading his innocence. Does he obstruct? He

:29:01. > :29:06.does. Not every foul is a booking. When you look at what he has done

:29:06. > :29:12.in those two challenges, he has done very, very little. Yes. Very

:29:12. > :29:18.little indeed. You could say there was a slip as well. He can't

:29:18. > :29:23.believe it. It could not be worse for the Greeks. That is a very soft

:29:23. > :29:27.red card. Very soft. The first yellow, I can't understand it. A

:29:27. > :29:32.genuine challenge where he wins the ball fair and square. He is looking

:29:32. > :29:37.up at the screen, looking for replay. Oh, dear, it goes from bad

:29:37. > :29:41.to worse for Greece. He just needs to leave the field. He has been

:29:41. > :29:46.very unlucky. I'm sure their team will look at that at half-time. He

:29:47. > :29:51.just can't believe it. He has switched from the right hand side

:29:51. > :29:57.of the left-hand side. Bob docker loss came on and he was marking

:29:57. > :30:00.Lewandowski. -- Papadopoulos. that is the way the games will be

:30:00. > :30:10.refereed, we will have several matches where we don't end up with

:30:10. > :30:22.

:30:22. > :30:28.again. Just a flick at the far post. Three minutes of added time at the

:30:28. > :30:32.end of the first half. Greece have got some reorganising to do. They

:30:32. > :30:37.should be disappointed at themselves. A lack of creativity

:30:37. > :30:45.and effort. They have not put Poland under any pressure. There

:30:45. > :30:49.has been far too much space. They are shorter in midfield as well,

:30:49. > :30:56.because Kostas Katsouranis was having to play in the middle at the

:30:56. > :31:06.back. That ball touched the hand of Damien Perquis, Robert Lewandowski

:31:06. > :31:08.

:31:08. > :31:13.is down. Here comes another card. Greece need to calm down. The coach

:31:13. > :31:23.has just kicked the ball into the crowd. Could two need 15 minutes in

:31:23. > :31:32.

:31:32. > :31:40.the dressing room. -- Greece need touchlines. It clearly strikes him

:31:40. > :31:45.on the arm. He cannot see where the ball is. It touches him on the arm.

:31:45. > :31:52.You can see Theofanis Gekas looking at the additional assistance.

:31:52. > :32:00.Absolutely, and the assistant does not do anything. Jose Holebas has

:32:00. > :32:04.been shown the yellow card, the full-back. Greece need to try to

:32:04. > :32:14.keep a lid on things until the half-time whistle, which is coming

:32:14. > :32:33.

:32:33. > :32:43.up shortly. They can try to use it at the end of the first half. One

:32:43. > :32:50.

:32:50. > :32:56.or two talking points. It will be a goal kick to Wojciech Szczesny.

:32:56. > :33:00.reshuffle, a rethink. There goes the half-time whistle. The home

:33:01. > :33:06.crowd are happy, Greece are anything but. Robert Lewandowski

:33:07. > :33:10.scored the goal. Not great goalkeeping by Kostas Chalkias. The

:33:10. > :33:16.referee is the focal point, as the players leave the field at the

:33:16. > :33:20.break, certainly for those in blue shirts. Georgios Samaras has a word,

:33:20. > :33:30.because two yellow cards, the first in particular, looks to be very

:33:30. > :33:31.

:33:31. > :33:35.soft. They have led to a sending- off for Kyriakos Papadopoulos. At

:33:35. > :33:45.half-time, Greece have got a lot of work to do, they are down to 10 men,

:33:45. > :33:49.

:33:49. > :33:56.An enthralling first half to those of you that expected a dull affair!

:33:56. > :34:04.Hold your head in shame! I said Corless, not dot! -- chorus, not

:34:04. > :34:08.boring! Poland had a good start, really energetic, and they have

:34:08. > :34:12.played all of the football. Once they got the goal, you could see

:34:12. > :34:16.them winning comfortably, but we have now had a sending off, you

:34:16. > :34:20.never know what will happen. It was quite clear that Poland came out

:34:20. > :34:26.invigorated by being the co-hosts. The crowd were behind them, they

:34:26. > :34:31.started quickly. Absolutely, they went for it, and the tactics were

:34:31. > :34:36.clear, go for it, get an early goal, and they got it. Everything good

:34:36. > :34:42.about the game has been Poland. The first 20 seconds, they pressed high

:34:42. > :34:46.up the pitch, which is highly unusual. You talk about invention

:34:46. > :34:51.and creation, the chances have all been Poland, the only surprise is

:34:51. > :34:56.they have only scored once. They should be home and hosed. They sent

:34:56. > :35:00.a message from the start. The first 10 minutes of the opening game, the

:35:01. > :35:07.teams normally have a look at each other. Even if you are the home

:35:07. > :35:14.side, you do not press of the pitch, but 20 minutes into the match, they

:35:14. > :35:22.pressed high up the pitch. The goal came from similar pressing. The

:35:22. > :35:31.backer for... This is good play, pressing high up the pitch. Showing

:35:31. > :35:41.an intent. The same for the court. Again, pressing high, lots of

:35:41. > :35:49.bodies of there. It is a great cross, and a striker in form.

:35:50. > :35:54.Greece giving the ball away, the worst two full-backs. Jose Holebas

:35:54. > :36:01.and Vasilis Torosidis. The right- back is completely out of position.

:36:01. > :36:05.It is a great cross, and Robert Lewandowski puts it in, but if your

:36:05. > :36:09.full-back is high on one side, you do not go higher on the other side.

:36:09. > :36:16.You cannot see them getting back in the game, because they are awful at

:36:16. > :36:21.the back. What did we make of the red card? I have been practising

:36:21. > :36:29.the name of Sokratis Papastathopoulos! He joined Milan,

:36:29. > :36:36.and I played with him. It was a big mistake of the referee. This is

:36:36. > :36:45.nothing really going on. He likes to use his hands. Hardly a yellow

:36:45. > :36:48.card. That is a good challenge. Polish player slipped. He has

:36:48. > :36:52.ruined the game. The referee does not need to do that, there have

:36:52. > :36:57.been no bad tackles, and he has completely changed the complexion

:36:57. > :37:04.of the game. The second one is a bad decision, the first one is a

:37:04. > :37:09.crazy decision. It is a good, clean header. I cannot see any reason why

:37:09. > :37:15.he would give a yellow card. To accentuated by giving a second

:37:15. > :37:20.one,... Unbelievably harsh. Three chances, they have created, down

:37:20. > :37:27.the right. You talked about the weakness of the full-backs. It is

:37:27. > :37:33.the opposite on the other side, Lukasz Piszczek has got down the

:37:33. > :37:38.other side time and time again. Jose Holebas does not know if he is

:37:38. > :37:43.coming or going. They kept coming down there. The right-back used to

:37:43. > :37:51.be a striker, he likes to get forward. Where is the left back? He

:37:51. > :37:56.is all over the place. They can pick any crossed they want. When

:37:56. > :37:59.you are playing with a back four, if your fall-back is pushed up, the

:37:59. > :38:08.centre-backs are clueless where to go, because they have got no cover

:38:08. > :38:15.whatsoever. This is Lukasz Piszczek at his best. He should do better.

:38:15. > :38:20.It would not be harsh to say that the back four of useless. They have

:38:20. > :38:25.had such a good defensive record. It is amazing. We were talking

:38:25. > :38:32.about the tactics of the teams and the difference in the tactics were

:38:32. > :38:37.unbelievable. It was very clear. Amazingly so. It could have been 2-

:38:37. > :38:47.0, Damien Perquis had an amazing chance. The ace and a half's

:38:47. > :38:50.

:38:50. > :38:53.finish! Than -- it was a centre- half's finish! He did not by what

:38:54. > :39:03.he was doing, straight from the free kick. You have been watching

:39:03. > :39:08.the tactics of both sides, you have seen some interesting differences.

:39:08. > :39:14.Absolutely, the first 20 seconds, they showed the direction they have

:39:14. > :39:21.wanted to go. They wanted to score. They showed some good tactics, some

:39:21. > :39:27.skills. Six players going forward. They were very clear in their

:39:27. > :39:34.intentions. After the 1-0, instead, they changed tactics, and they

:39:34. > :39:42.waited for Greece to come. They were in total control, comfortable,

:39:42. > :39:46.chasing tactics, reading the game. Greece have got 11 men, this is

:39:46. > :39:52.before the sending-off, and they all wanted 0 down, and they are not

:39:52. > :39:58.pressing, they are letting go Poland have the ball -- date of 1-0

:39:58. > :40:02.down. You cannot see them scoring apart from a set-piece. England's

:40:02. > :40:12.tournament kicks off on Monday against France, the first major

:40:12. > :40:13.

:40:13. > :40:17.championship for Scott Parker, and For centuries, this has been the

:40:17. > :40:22.first line of defence in Krakow. England, they are beginning to

:40:22. > :40:29.realise the true value of theirs. Did you think at some point your

:40:29. > :40:35.pick tournament experience had passed you by? Yes, probably. 2010,

:40:35. > :40:40.the World Cup, not making the squad, coming out of that, I thought that

:40:41. > :40:45.it was going to be hard for me to see a big tournament. As always in

:40:45. > :40:51.football, nothing surprises me. The new manager has come in, when you

:40:51. > :40:56.go out there, you know exactly what he wants. It is a disciplined role

:40:56. > :41:01.that he wants me and Steven Gerrard to play, quite defensive. But he

:41:01. > :41:05.also wants us to get up with the front when we can. Now considered

:41:05. > :41:10.indispensable, his fitness had been a worry ahead of Euro 2012. When

:41:10. > :41:14.you get to 31, you have treatment every day! It is not just my

:41:14. > :41:20.Achilles, there are another couple of issues. When I first met the

:41:20. > :41:24.squad, it was still an issue, but leading into the Belgium game, it

:41:24. > :41:29.has been pretty much perfect, and the best it has felt all year.

:41:29. > :41:37.People do not think of you as being 31, do you feel your average?

:41:37. > :41:42.the mornings, I do! But you only have to look at the squad, you have

:41:42. > :41:46.players that are 19 and 20, and it makes you feel that age. One feels

:41:46. > :41:49.for Martin Kelly, he is caught up in the furore about whether or not

:41:49. > :41:54.Rio Ferdinand should have been included. What are the players

:41:54. > :41:59.saying? The does not something we talk about. You read what people

:41:59. > :42:03.are writing, but me personally, it is not something that has ever been

:42:03. > :42:08.at the forefront of my mind, and I have never heard anybody talking

:42:08. > :42:13.about it. 31 and still hungry, one former coach said he was the best

:42:13. > :42:18.trainer he had ever seen. How do you keep yourself so motivated?

:42:18. > :42:22.is probably the fear of failure. The fear of letting people down. It

:42:22. > :42:28.is the fear of that which drives me on to keep working hard and trying

:42:28. > :42:33.to be the best I can. All its core values, Odsal look, he is a

:42:33. > :42:37.pleasing throwback to a different age. Your father was a huge

:42:37. > :42:43.influence, and he told you, to cure shirting, respect the game. It goes

:42:43. > :42:49.back to the way I was brought up, the Trades I have. That is what I

:42:49. > :42:54.am. Every time I play for England, the thought is there. I am sure he

:42:54. > :42:59.would be very proud. Have you talked about France in training?

:42:59. > :43:06.will be a difficult game. We know that. But if we are organised and

:43:06. > :43:11.we set up well, we prepare well, we can go out there and get a result.

:43:12. > :43:16.You will be busy, the way their midfield play. Have you heard the

:43:16. > :43:26.trumpets yet? Could is the first line of defence in Krakow. You are

:43:26. > :43:27.

:43:27. > :43:30.England's trumpet. OK, that is A very modest man. He has come to

:43:30. > :43:35.international football on a more permanent basis relatively late in

:43:35. > :43:42.his life. Yes, the timing is perfect for him, he can go straight

:43:42. > :43:45.into the team. He is Tottenham's best signing of recent years, I

:43:45. > :43:52.thought that Arsenal needed him, and he should have gone there, but

:43:52. > :43:56.Tottenham came in, he had a brilliant season. To play alongside

:43:56. > :44:00.him, Steven Gerrard must look at him and think, I want to be close

:44:00. > :44:04.to him, because he wins the ball and gives you the ball. Competitive,

:44:04. > :44:14.brave, fearless, brilliant in front of the back four, and technically

:44:14. > :44:22.

:44:22. > :44:30.better than people give him credit Let's pop back to Warsaw to get the

:44:30. > :44:35.views of Alan Shearer on the first half of Poland against Greece.

:44:35. > :44:38.Alan, 16 years ago you opened the scoring in this tournament in 1996.

:44:38. > :44:43.In 2012, it is Robert Lewandowski, an impressive player in an

:44:43. > :44:47.impressive sight. I don't know whether Poland have been that

:44:47. > :44:52.impressive or Greece have been that poor. He looks a real player,

:44:52. > :44:55.fantastic Cross, he timed it well, very good header. Poland have been

:44:55. > :45:00.causing them all sorts of problems down the right hand side with plush

:45:00. > :45:04.and ski -- Blaszczykowski and Piszczek. They looked a far better

:45:04. > :45:09.team. Those three players from the Bundesliga I head and shoulders

:45:09. > :45:13.above. We mentioned them before the game and they have not let us down.

:45:13. > :45:18.I would be devastated if I was the Polish coach. It should be two or

:45:18. > :45:21.three at least. Let us talk about the Greeks. I'm not sure who's more

:45:21. > :45:26.before -- disappointed, you with the Greeks or the Greeks with the

:45:26. > :45:30.referee. It should never have been a sending off. The first one wasn't

:45:30. > :45:34.even a foul let alone a yellow card. Greece have to get more players up

:45:34. > :45:40.front to support their main striker, Gekas. Samaras and Ninis have to

:45:40. > :45:45.get in there. He is 50 or 60 yards away from anyone else. They have

:45:45. > :45:50.got no chance. They have to get men forward, but it will be difficult

:45:50. > :45:56.because they have to be patient. They have to keep it to 1-0 with 10

:45:56. > :46:00.or 15 minutes to go and then gamble. Thank you. As things stand, Poland

:46:00. > :46:07.have never won a game at the European Championship finals. In 45

:46:07. > :46:12.minutes, they might make history. The odds are in their favour now.

:46:12. > :46:15.It is difficult to see where the Greeks can get back into the game.

:46:15. > :46:20.The first half, no adventure whatsoever. Second half, they are

:46:20. > :46:24.down to 10 men. You would expect the Poles to win comfortably. The

:46:24. > :46:31.only way the Greeks can get back into what is a set play.

:46:31. > :46:36.Unbelievable support in town, in the centre of Warsaw. In front of

:46:36. > :46:42.the Palace of Culture. 100,000 people are there. Wonderful to see

:46:43. > :46:52.that support. As you can imagine, when Poland took the lead, this was

:46:53. > :46:55.

:46:55. > :47:01.the reaction. Fantastic! They knew it was coming. I suspect there will

:47:01. > :47:04.be terrific parties if they win this game. They have only won one.

:47:04. > :47:10.Ever in the European Championships for this. This is what the Euros

:47:10. > :47:13.are about. This is what we need to promote and show. A absolutely.

:47:13. > :47:18.Amazing how other things slide away when you get a bit of football

:47:18. > :47:23.action. It is. We said how tight this group is, a win is a really

:47:23. > :47:33.big win. Any way back for Greece in this game? What can they do? They

:47:33. > :47:33.

:47:33. > :47:36.just have to go for a set-piece, Samaras, one of the big guys.

:47:36. > :47:46.Salpigidis is venturing onto the field. He is taking the place of

:47:46. > :47:50.

:47:50. > :47:56.Ninis. We can go back to Mark park earlier, I'm glad we have

:47:56. > :48:05.booked a table! Yes. Poland will get us under way at the start of

:48:05. > :48:13.the second half. Greece, having made that change, down to 10 men. A

:48:13. > :48:18.very, very soft sending off for two yellow-card. Papastathopoulos. But

:48:18. > :48:25.Poland deserved the lead and Robert Lewandowski, their star striker, is

:48:25. > :48:28.the man that has caught the goal. - - scored the goal. Poland and the

:48:29. > :48:32.European Championship finals for only the second time. They have

:48:32. > :48:36.been to the World Cup seven times, but this is only the second time

:48:36. > :48:41.they have been in the European Championship finals. As the hosts,

:48:41. > :48:51.they did not have to qualify. They have only ever scored one goal at

:48:51. > :49:04.

:49:04. > :49:09.the euros before today, four years his Greek players at half-time?

:49:09. > :49:13.Well, probably ran through the DVD quickly and looked at the red card,

:49:13. > :49:23.a sense of injustice. They probably sure they -- thought they should

:49:23. > :49:48.

:49:48. > :49:54.in a friendly just before Euro 2004. Poland and won that game 1-0. It

:49:54. > :50:01.turned out rather well for Greece a few weeks later. But Greece look

:50:01. > :50:04.anything but potential Euro 2012 winners so far in this game,

:50:04. > :50:08.although they have been hamstrung in the second half by the absence

:50:09. > :50:14.of one of their central defenders. They are now without both of their

:50:14. > :50:24.starting central defenders in the game. Great challenge. Timed to

:50:24. > :50:40.

:50:40. > :50:47.ball in and around the penalty area, everybody in the stadium stands up.

:50:47. > :50:55.You can feel the excitement. He was trying to clear his feet to get a

:50:55. > :50:59.good shot in. Samaras continues his run. He doesn't give love and of

:50:59. > :51:07.ski the time to compose himself. special day for Lewandowski, who

:51:07. > :51:17.was born here in the City of Warsaw. Scorer of the first goal of the

:51:17. > :51:24.

:51:24. > :51:29.before half-time. Understandable frustrations with the red card.

:51:30. > :51:34.Even more so at half-time. You have to compose yourself and carry on.

:51:34. > :51:39.They will be looking to get a point out of his game. It looked worse

:51:39. > :51:49.every time we saw it at half-time. Injustice about officiating. He

:51:49. > :51:49.

:51:49. > :52:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:52:36. > :52:41.just gets it wrong. It is very think they have done well. Gekas is

:52:41. > :52:45.up front with Samaras. They have had to take off their most creative

:52:45. > :52:54.player in Ninis. I know he did not do a lot in the first half.

:52:54. > :53:04.shone just towards the end of the first half. The Polish left-back

:53:04. > :53:24.

:53:24. > :53:30.was probably glad to see the back an equaliser! Greece are level and

:53:30. > :53:34.cities the substitute -- and it is the substitute. That is what we

:53:34. > :53:39.said we were looking for. I am looking at just neat and I think

:53:39. > :53:42.you did not get it. You can argue with your defenders, it is your

:53:43. > :53:52.responsibility. You have to get the ball. Mistakes by both goalkeepers

:53:52. > :53:59.have led to the goals. Szczesny comes, he is nowhere near it. The

:53:59. > :54:05.same as Chalkias. He is nowhere near it. That ball drops to the

:54:05. > :54:08.substitute and it is in the back of the net. Salpigidis scored their

:54:08. > :54:14.first ever World Cup goal against Nigeria and South Africa and he has

:54:14. > :54:23.got another big one. Suddenly the 10 men of Greece are back in this

:54:23. > :54:33.game. Just a moment of quality. Don't forget they were all over the

:54:33. > :54:39.place, both centre-backs have gone off. One injured and one sent off.

:54:39. > :54:42.A proper reshuffle in the heart of the defence and the one good bit of

:54:42. > :54:49.quality they had shown going forward, they have scored. It has

:54:49. > :54:53.shocked the stadium. Once again, Szczesny comes for that ball, he

:54:53. > :55:03.doesn't even extend himself, he knows he's nowhere near it. Poland

:55:03. > :55:10.

:55:10. > :55:16.Absolutely. Could not get the better of Blaszczykowski, but he is

:55:16. > :55:19.able to track back and make the challenge. That will give the great

:55:19. > :55:29.players heart, something to work with in the second half. It is

:55:29. > :55:54.

:55:54. > :56:01.better already. The passing is he realise they have scored? Did he

:56:02. > :56:08.miss the goal. They are back in the game. There's the man that scored

:56:08. > :56:11.the goal, Salpigidis. He only managed one goal in 10 qualifying

:56:12. > :56:16.appearances ahead of this tournament. But he has got one very

:56:16. > :56:22.important goal early in the second half. He had only been on the field

:56:22. > :56:28.for six minutes. Handball. Should be a booking. A yellow card for the

:56:28. > :56:38.captain of Greece, Karagounis. Deliberate handball. The referee is

:56:38. > :56:41.close enough to see it. He stuck out his left hand, intentional.

:56:41. > :56:48.he gets another yellow card, we will not complain about the first

:56:48. > :56:57.one. No, not this time. The crowd doing their bit to lift the home

:56:57. > :57:06.team. It was all going so well. Now the potential for the hosts to be

:57:06. > :57:11.frustrated. First shot on target against the host nation. You just

:57:11. > :57:16.have to look at the goalkeeping. He has not had anything to do, really.

:57:16. > :57:26.I suppose you are tempted to get involved and do something. It is

:57:26. > :57:44.

:57:45. > :57:49.all of that experience in the next 35 minutes or so. They will have to

:57:49. > :57:53.work hard to contain Poland. When they get the ball, if they have a

:57:53. > :57:59.chance to pass it, they must try to keep the ball to give themselves a

:57:59. > :58:06.little respite. Greece have lost all eight previous occasions they

:58:06. > :58:09.have played on Polish soil. Before today they had managed four goals

:58:09. > :58:15.in those eight games while letting in 22. History favours the home

:58:15. > :58:25.team, but that means nothing today. Greece have given themselves a

:58:25. > :59:04.

:59:04. > :59:09.a little while. Settling into the game, perhaps. He was an unused

:59:09. > :59:19.score member in each of the last three major tournaments. He was not

:59:19. > :59:37.

:59:37. > :59:42.the first choice during qualifying to open up the defence? The referee

:59:42. > :59:50.was initially happy to let the game continued, but the FA has been

:59:50. > :59:59.given. It was Kyriakos Papadopoulos. The trip from behind. That was the

:59:59. > :00:09.first challenge, by Vasilis Torosidis. The referee played

:00:09. > :00:45.

:00:45. > :00:50.see what he was trying to do. The goalkeeper gambles as well. He

:00:50. > :00:56.moved to his right and he had to switch to go to his left. The

:00:56. > :01:00.substitute has made the difference. A decent ball in, but it does not

:01:00. > :01:07.matter how many times you see it, I cannot believe what for check shows

:01:07. > :01:11.me is the wind. He was miles away. -- I cannot believe what Wojciech

:01:11. > :01:17.Szczesny is doing. You could tell there was going to be a golf.

:01:17. > :01:21.Confusion. The centre-back things he is going to get it, there was a

:01:21. > :01:26.better a collision, it drops into the space, everybody is out of

:01:26. > :01:35.position. All of that hard work they have done, we talked about the

:01:35. > :01:38.opportunities they did not taking the first half... That Cole has

:01:38. > :01:48.created a pleasant diversion in Athens, that is for sure, in a

:01:48. > :01:51.

:01:51. > :01:58.difficult year. Theofanis Gekas was lurking. He only has 10 caps, for

:01:58. > :02:08.which it shares the. He is still very young. -- Wojciech Szczesny.

:02:08. > :02:16.

:02:16. > :02:21.His goalkeeper was also a have got to go deep, try to keep a

:02:21. > :02:25.tight line. This is a real test for Poland, because they are playing

:02:25. > :02:31.against a team that have shown that, generally, they do not give much

:02:31. > :02:41.away, and they are naturally going to fall into their shell a bit here.

:02:41. > :02:41.

:02:41. > :04:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:04:12. > :04:17.Especially after the half-time talk Vasilis Torosidis going down and

:04:17. > :04:25.won a free kick. That used to be called a shoulder charge, a good

:04:25. > :04:28.old fashioned... Not any more, it is a free kick. You can watch

:04:28. > :04:38.highlights tonight of this game and of the match between Russia and the

:04:38. > :04:53.

:04:53. > :05:03.inspiration to the home team. have found their voice again.

:05:03. > :05:23.

:05:23. > :05:33.Poland have been stuck in a rut for Greece supporters than they were as

:05:33. > :05:53.

:05:53. > :05:58.it was always going wide, off the outside of the boot. What a chance.

:05:58. > :06:06.It was a lovely pass, he runs off the shoulder, he is onside. He

:06:06. > :06:14.miscued completely. Wojciech Szczesny leaves the whole of the

:06:14. > :06:18.door open. He was trying to get it with the laces. Warning signs.

:06:18. > :06:27.quietened the crowd down for 10 seconds at least. A worrying moment

:06:27. > :06:32.for Poland. They need to make the extra man count. They need to move

:06:32. > :06:39.the ball a bit quicker. We have not seen much of Robert Lewandowski for

:06:39. > :06:44.a while. I was watching their warm- up game against Andorra, and he did

:06:44. > :06:54.not do much, and he scored a fantastic goal, so maybe he is that

:06:54. > :07:10.

:07:10. > :07:20.Karagounis. He is looking a bit tired. He has fallen awkwardly.

:07:20. > :07:32.

:07:32. > :07:38.it hit him on the ankle? He was that it was a 50,000 limit in the

:07:38. > :07:48.stadium, but 56,070 are inside. Most of them cheering on the home

:07:48. > :08:14.

:08:14. > :08:21.go off and get treatment. Obviously, having a man sent off, it exposes

:08:21. > :08:26.you a bit more. We saw Giorgos Karagounis go down and then he

:08:26. > :08:36.thought twice. He did not want to send them down to nine men for a

:08:36. > :08:36.

:08:36. > :09:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:09:21. > :09:29.the not-too-distant future, there by Sebastian Boenisch. Maciej Rybus

:09:29. > :09:39.got ahead of his marker. It is their only effort for 15 minutes at

:09:39. > :10:06.

:10:06. > :10:16.least. They cannot break down the Anderlecht, 32 years of age now.

:10:16. > :10:20.

:10:20. > :10:24.That should have been a foul. He has given it now. He got sandwiched.

:10:24. > :10:34.They are looking for inspiration, they need to move the ball quicker.

:10:34. > :10:39.They are taking too long. This is interesting, Kostas Fortounis is

:10:39. > :10:46.just 19, he plays in Germany, but he is a creative midfielder.

:10:46. > :10:49.Perhaps they are looking for him to try and unlock the door. To perhaps

:10:50. > :10:56.sneak all three points. He was playing for the under 19 side

:10:57. > :11:06.earlier this season. They are down to 10 men, they are having to work

:11:07. > :11:07.

:11:07. > :11:14.a bit harder. They are freshening it up. For check shows me is all

:11:15. > :11:23.over the place. -- Wojciech Szczesny. He is sent off! He is

:11:23. > :11:30.given a straight red card! He does not live under, he does not Avon

:11:30. > :11:39.argue, he knows he made contact. -- he does not even Orchid. He catches

:11:39. > :11:44.the ankle. He has to make a decision. There is the contact.

:11:44. > :11:53.What an impact he has had. The goalscorer for Greece, again the

:11:53. > :11:58.man involved. For Czech shares may walked off. -- Wojciech Szczesny.

:11:58. > :12:02.You wait so long for the tournament to arrive, it is all about

:12:02. > :12:11.decision-making, we have had two a bad decisions, we have had two red

:12:12. > :12:21.cards. That man was relaxing in the chair a minute ago, promised after

:12:22. > :12:24.

:12:24. > :12:32.Tom. -- Przemyslaw Tyton on. lovely touch. He draws the

:12:32. > :12:41.challenge, there is nothing else the referee can do. We await the

:12:42. > :12:47.arrival of Przemyslaw Tyton. It is a penalty, they are down to 10 men,

:12:47. > :12:56.Greece have been much better in the second half. Maciej Rybus is

:12:56. > :13:01.sacrificed. The left midfielder goes off. Przemyslaw Tyton it, he

:13:01. > :13:09.could be the hero of the day. This could be an opportunity for him.

:13:09. > :13:19.is not expected to save it. He is a big lad. He is good that mind games,

:13:19. > :13:45.

:13:45. > :13:52.clearly! Giorgos Karagounis placed to the game for Przemyslaw Tyton.

:13:52. > :13:56.Unbelievable! This place has gone wild. You come on, you are not

:13:56. > :14:01.expected to save it, you take your time, the mind games, he picked up

:14:01. > :14:06.the ball, he placed it back down, he walked off, he got on one knee,

:14:06. > :14:14.he said a prayer, it is all about gambling. He was correct. It is not

:14:14. > :14:24.a bad penalty. He gambled and he got it right, he kept his country

:14:24. > :14:28.

:14:28. > :14:36.for Greece. Page huge sigh of relief. A dramatic game at various

:14:36. > :14:40.points! Somebody said it was an awful penalty. It wasn't right in

:14:40. > :14:46.the corner, but it is a gamble. The goalkeeper got it right and he is

:14:46. > :14:51.their hero. Full credit to the goalkeeper, who clearly would not

:14:51. > :15:01.have expected to be coming on 30 seconds before he did. He will play

:15:01. > :15:13.

:15:13. > :15:19.the next game as well. Snooder, the Greek player,... That is the most

:15:19. > :15:23.relieved man in Warsaw. It was his fault. A reminder that unless UEFA

:15:23. > :15:27.decide otherwise because of particularly violent play or

:15:27. > :15:37.something like that, it is a one- match suspension if you're given a

:15:37. > :15:58.

:15:58. > :16:08.red card. Szczesny will not play good about himself at the moment.

:16:08. > :16:16.

:16:16. > :16:20.had a bad concussion earlier this season when he was on loan at PSV.

:16:20. > :16:25.They signed him permanently in January, but he was on loan before

:16:25. > :16:29.that and he missed three months of the season because of it, he was

:16:29. > :16:33.hospitalised with a bang on the head. But he is happily recovered.

:16:33. > :16:43.I doubt whether there have been many entrances to a European

:16:43. > :16:44.

:16:44. > :16:49.Championship like that. Szczesny looked very nervous. It is all

:16:49. > :16:54.about decision-making. Two bad decisions today. Greece fancy this

:16:54. > :16:58.now! It will not count, offside. Salpingidis thought he had helped

:16:58. > :17:08.himself to a second. What a substitution he has been. Nobody

:17:08. > :17:09.

:17:09. > :17:13.argues. Samaras wins the header. The flag went up. A little tap in.

:17:14. > :17:20.The correct decision, but very close. A marginal decision which

:17:20. > :17:24.has gone against Greece. They fancy it, don't they? Just from half-time,

:17:24. > :17:29.probably the injustice of the red card has spurred them on, a little

:17:29. > :17:39.bit more positive. They could not have played worse. They topped

:17:39. > :17:53.

:17:53. > :18:03.opportunity. Everybody behind the ball for Greece. 10 against 10 for

:18:03. > :18:21.

:18:21. > :18:30.back? Yes. He was waiting to see how it worked out. Blaszczykowski,

:18:30. > :18:35.the Polish captain. No harm done. There was good officiating.

:18:35. > :18:45.minutes to go in the national stadium in Warsaw. I will stick my

:18:45. > :18:46.

:18:46. > :18:56.neck out and say that Greece looked the more positive. -- Look. They

:18:56. > :18:59.

:18:59. > :19:09.looked in such trouble in the first direction, bad tactics, shoddy

:19:09. > :19:14.

:19:14. > :19:24.concerned that Lewandowski has been quiet for while. Holebas wins the

:19:24. > :19:30.

:19:30. > :19:37.much, Blaszczykowski, in the second half. We have seen the limitations

:19:37. > :19:45.of both sides in this opening game. I'm not sure it will be the last

:19:45. > :19:55.penalty missed, but it was a key moment in this group. You have to

:19:55. > :20:02.

:20:02. > :20:09.say, Russia and the Czech Republic spring in their step. Speculative.

:20:09. > :20:14.Torosidis. He apologises to team- mates. Rather than look for the

:20:14. > :20:19.cross, he tried to test the new coal keeper. This is his penalty

:20:19. > :20:25.save again. It is a decent strike. It was hit with pace. He gambled

:20:25. > :20:31.and won the right way. You always say to keep them low, give the

:20:31. > :20:38.keeper a problem. But give him credit. We know who will be on the

:20:38. > :20:44.front of the newspaper tomorrow morning. Absolutely. Poland with

:20:44. > :20:50.almost a dozen attempts on goal so far in the game. Twice as many as

:20:50. > :20:56.Greece. You sense the pendulum is swinging the other way a little bit.

:20:56. > :21:00.We talked about Lewandowski, the one bit of quality they have. He is

:21:00. > :21:05.only as good as the service. If they don't give him any service, he

:21:05. > :21:15.can't do anything. He had a lot of touches in the first half. In the

:21:15. > :21:29.

:21:29. > :21:33.second half, no touches whatsoever. run out of room. I thought he was

:21:33. > :21:43.looking for the penalty. He did not take the shooting opportunity. He

:21:43. > :21:49.

:21:49. > :21:53.is looking for a slide from after coming on. Just 20. I for him

:21:53. > :21:57.stretching and I was not sure if he was ready. -- I saw him. People

:21:57. > :22:02.have had an eye on him for a while. The youngest ever player in the

:22:02. > :22:12.Greek league, he was 15 when he made his debut for Olympiacos. He

:22:12. > :22:19.

:22:19. > :22:29.obviously has a little bit of for the winner? In might be Greece.

:22:29. > :22:45.

:22:45. > :22:51.matches that he starts these days, but he has to stay on here, giving

:22:51. > :23:01.everything he has got. Space in the centre of the field for Kostas

:23:01. > :23:12.

:23:12. > :23:17.the target, compose yourself, bring the ball down. It was wild. That

:23:17. > :23:21.was one with the right foot. You are facing the goal, you have a

:23:21. > :23:25.good site, he doesn't even get a good connection on it.

:23:25. > :23:30.goalscoring has not been great in the last season, just one in

:23:30. > :23:37.qualifying, but he only scored four this season for Celtic. He has not

:23:37. > :23:47.been in great goalscoring form. And he has continued in that vein today.

:23:47. > :24:02.

:24:02. > :24:06.20, a couple of youngsters in the Greek team. The changing of the

:24:06. > :24:11.Guard. It has been the same team for quite a while for Greece, a few

:24:11. > :24:14.of the old boys are still in there, led by the captain at 35. 80 of the

:24:14. > :24:21.players in the squad were involved four years ago when they lost all

:24:21. > :24:31.of their matches. -- eight of the players. The new coach is slowly

:24:31. > :24:31.

:24:31. > :24:41.changing things. The average age of the Poles is 23 or 24. What a pass

:24:41. > :24:48.

:24:48. > :24:56.Lewandowski in the penalty area. has found it hard in the second

:24:56. > :25:00.half. Far too much space in the first half, unopposed. Playing

:25:00. > :25:06.against a poorly organised team. Inside the last 10 minutes of this

:25:06. > :25:13.game. Quite right, a free-kick for Poland. Still time for somebody to

:25:13. > :25:23.find a winner. We are watching the two worst teams in the tournament,

:25:23. > :25:52.

:25:52. > :25:55.will make in this tournament. Giant screens on the board

:25:55. > :25:59.displaying the time. Just from having been here for a couple of

:25:59. > :26:03.days and talking to locals, they really feel in their minds that

:26:03. > :26:08.they need to win this game because they have got Russia next and then

:26:08. > :26:13.the Czech Republic. To regain some momentum and give themselves a good

:26:14. > :26:17.chance, they really were banking on winning this game. You have to say

:26:17. > :26:27.they got fortunate with the draw as well for the group. Look at all of

:26:27. > :26:52.

:26:52. > :27:01.the group's and they have given from Tyton, the goalkeeper. A long

:27:01. > :27:06.way out. You just wonder but up 1-0 down at half-time, Greece would

:27:06. > :27:13.have been happy with a draw. A man down as well. The coach has turned

:27:13. > :27:23.it around. A penalty missed. Poland down to 10 men. They have not taken

:27:23. > :27:24.

:27:24. > :27:30.who thought that had gone in. A rare touch for him, really. A

:27:30. > :27:38.decent run, ball fed in, it sat up nicely for him. A quick glance at

:27:38. > :27:41.the goalkeeper. One of very few touches. He has had very little to

:27:41. > :27:47.work with as the game has worn on after a bright and promising

:27:47. > :27:57.opening and an early goal. He came short and got the ball, ran in the

:27:57. > :28:07.

:28:07. > :28:12.opening match of Euro 2012. Is there a little sting in the tail?

:28:12. > :28:22.Is their final twist to this opening match? -- is there. Or will

:28:22. > :28:26.

:28:26. > :28:36.just have to be brave. Lewandowski could not find a way through.

:28:36. > :28:44.

:28:44. > :28:49.Papadopoulos got the ball through. every opportunity. On that occasion,

:28:49. > :28:54.just trying to drive his way at the heart of the defence. He is like a

:28:54. > :29:01.diesel. Not the quickest over five yards, but when he gets going, he

:29:01. > :29:07.takes some stopping. Surely at one to one insider last five minutes,

:29:07. > :29:10.that is the best case scenario for Santos. Of course, you would take a

:29:10. > :29:14.point. But having come out and played a little bit better and put

:29:14. > :29:21.Poland under more pressure, and missing a penalty, that was the key

:29:21. > :29:31.moment. As you said, when the penalty was being celebrated, it is

:29:31. > :29:42.

:29:42. > :29:52.back. That was a lazy fell, silly. The crowd are getting nervous.

:29:52. > :29:52.

:29:52. > :30:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:30:34. > :30:44.in the opening game. How often do opening matches end up as a draw?

:30:44. > :30:44.

:30:44. > :30:49.Very often. But you never know, there is still time. Przemyslaw

:30:49. > :30:53.Tyton was off his line. He has looked composed and shot. Not just

:30:53. > :31:03.the penalty saved. When you get into the team, you might just stay

:31:03. > :31:14.

:31:14. > :31:20.a few more seconds. That bit of extra quality that you expect at

:31:20. > :31:25.this level... It is a pass to somebody, and it goes astray, and

:31:25. > :31:31.the move breaks down. Poland have won four of the last five matches

:31:31. > :31:36.they have played against Greece. imagine Russia and the Czech

:31:36. > :31:46.Republic will have their feet up in the hotel somewhere. Russia looked

:31:46. > :32:11.

:32:11. > :32:19.impressive against Italy last week. mostly, he must be feeling the case

:32:19. > :32:29.of a stopped yes, Giorgos Karagounis. He is taking that extra

:32:29. > :32:43.

:32:43. > :32:49.couple of seconds. He is using all in the second half. He was willing

:32:49. > :32:53.to get forward in the first half. Poland played the better of the

:32:53. > :32:58.football in the first half, they have more chances. We talked about

:32:58. > :33:04.the mess from Damien Perquis. They have not created anything in the

:33:04. > :33:12.second half. A draw is probably the right result. The missed penalty

:33:12. > :33:22.was pivotal. I am not sure Poland will see it as a missed opportunity,

:33:22. > :33:34.

:33:34. > :33:44.but Greece had the penalty kick them. Kostas Katsouranis was lucky

:33:44. > :33:45.

:33:45. > :33:49.that did not end up in the roof of the net. It is a fantastic ball.

:33:49. > :33:59.Can you believe, the ball boy has not given them the ball.

:33:59. > :34:22.

:34:22. > :34:32.again. He will be relieved to have a goal-kick. No goalkeeper has

:34:32. > :34:42.

:34:42. > :34:48.game, which are almost there. The expectation of the host nation's,

:34:48. > :34:58.to get off to a flying start. a big game on Tuesday night here,

:34:58. > :34:59.

:34:59. > :35:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:35:42. > :35:47.somebody at either end? -- is there I will be surprised if he does not

:35:47. > :35:57.start the next game. He is full of remained, Finn, vigour, hard work,

:35:57. > :36:13.

:36:13. > :36:19.scored the goal, when the penalty. with the point. That is what they

:36:19. > :36:25.get. The referee blows the final whistle. Honours even in the

:36:25. > :36:31.opening match of Euro 2012. A sigh from Franciszek Smuda. Robert

:36:31. > :36:37.Lewandowski had given them the lead. But Greece, with 10 men, came back

:36:37. > :36:43.into the game. Fernando Santos' side equalised through Dimitris

:36:43. > :36:48.Salpigidis. Then, the key moment, for which it shares the sent off

:36:48. > :36:52.for bringing down Dimitris Salpigidis -- for check shows me

:36:52. > :37:02.sent off. Przemyslaw Tyton, with his first touch, saving a penalty,

:37:02. > :37:08.

:37:08. > :37:16.to preserve the point. The final We are off and remained. An

:37:16. > :37:23.archetypal, sterile opening game! Mundane! He could Polish side in

:37:23. > :37:28.the first half. -- it was a good Polish side. But in the second half,

:37:28. > :37:32.it was the total opposite. The referee had a big hand in that.

:37:32. > :37:37.extraordinary game. An amazing transformation. You could never

:37:37. > :37:43.have seen that happening at half- time. We thought Greece were dead

:37:43. > :37:48.and buried. 10 men, 1-0 down. Poland had played so well in the

:37:48. > :37:54.first half. This was after three or four good chances. They played

:37:54. > :37:59.lovely football. A great cross. The striker in real form. He was not

:37:59. > :38:03.going to miss that. Time and time again, they got down the right hand

:38:03. > :38:09.side in the first half, but they did not use it in the second half.

:38:09. > :38:16.It was as though the first half did not exist. It was fabulous, the

:38:16. > :38:21.game had everything. Including a couple of red cards. Two della

:38:21. > :38:29.cards for Sokratis Papastathopoulos. We thought it was very unfair.

:38:29. > :38:37.unfair, it was a fair match from both sides. The referee changed the

:38:37. > :38:42.whole game. Poland suffered, psychologically. Especially after

:38:42. > :38:47.the equaliser from Greece, the team went out. They tried a bit harder

:38:47. > :38:53.at the end, but there was no energy any more. Give credit to Greece,

:38:53. > :39:01.for coming back into the game. Dimitris Salpigidis came on and he

:39:01. > :39:05.transformed the game. Lee Dixon will talk us through the decision

:39:05. > :39:11.of the Arsenal goalkeeper! He has had a nightmare, coming out for

:39:11. > :39:17.that. If you are 1-0 up against 10 men, you do not let teams behind

:39:17. > :39:23.you. Poland did it three or four times. Greece deserved to predict,

:39:24. > :39:30.probably, in the end. -- deserved to win it. I do not know what he

:39:30. > :39:35.was thinking. A bad decision. in danger of having his parish

:39:35. > :39:38.might have taken off him! Would you blame him for the penalty? He goes

:39:39. > :39:47.in with his feet. Dimitris Salpigidis is coming away from the

:39:47. > :39:51.goal. It is very good play from Greece. He is clearly onside. The

:39:51. > :39:59.goalkeeper comes out. Dimitris operandi this is going away from

:39:59. > :40:07.the goal. -- Dimitris Salpigidis. He has been put into a bad position

:40:07. > :40:11.by his back four. Every card? ball is going away from the goal.

:40:11. > :40:18.Pressure must love comes on, a fabulous saved. -- presents us

:40:18. > :40:24.laugh. The first a substitute goalkeeper to save a penalty in

:40:25. > :40:29.this tournament. This is the scene in the centre of Warsaw when he

:40:29. > :40:35.saved the penalty. Much relief. They still have not won a game in

:40:35. > :40:40.this tournament. They have got themselves to blame. You can't

:40:40. > :40:45.believe the second half, what happened. It was such a great game,

:40:45. > :40:52.credit to Greece. We have got highlights of pressure against

:40:52. > :41:02.Czech Republic tonight. -- Russia against Czech Republic. Then

:41:02. > :41:41.

:41:41. > :41:47.Two excellent games, joint was on BBC One tomorrow at 4:30pm. --

:41:47. > :41:53.joined us. What a start we have had. They gave us more than many

:41:53. > :41:59.expected, I am happy with the start. I hope that it will be better every

:41:59. > :42:03.time in the coming matches. Lots to look forward to. The next game,

:42:03. > :42:10.Russia against Czech Republic, if one of those wins, it shoots them

:42:10. > :42:15.to the top of the leak. We are talking about the football on the

:42:15. > :42:20.pitch, which is a great start for the tournament. A lot of people

:42:21. > :42:27.said that this group looked quite dull, nobody fancied anybody, but

:42:27. > :42:32.now, what a start. It is wide open. Greece, they are gone, finished,

:42:32. > :42:41.and they have come back into it. It was a great start. Poland, if you