:00:45. > :00:50.Hello. As the midnight hour approaches, the English men,
:00:50. > :01:00.Scott's men and Irishmen are here to peruse the second round of games
:01:00. > :01:01.
:01:01. > :01:05.in Group C. The action tonight is The Republic of Ireland take on
:01:06. > :01:10.world and European champions Spain needing least the point to stay in
:01:10. > :01:14.the Euros. Then we will see how Italy fed in the other Group C game
:01:15. > :01:18.against Croatia. We have the latest from the England camp ahead of
:01:18. > :01:28.their game against Sweden. And we've been with some fanatical
:01:28. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :01:36.Swedish supporters gauging their The Republic of Ireland's Green
:01:36. > :01:40.Army travelled to Poland down but not out and needing every bit of
:01:40. > :01:45.spirit, luck and inspiration to avoid being the first nation to be
:01:45. > :01:52.officially knocked out of Euro 2012. Defeat against the Spanish in
:01:52. > :01:56.Gdansk, whatever the result of the earlier game, and they are out.
:01:56. > :02:01.Trapattoni's men have a mountain to claim -- climb following their 3-1
:02:01. > :02:06.defeat against Croatia. They will need more than a minor miracle to
:02:06. > :02:10.reach the knockout stages, but this is football and anything can happen.
:02:10. > :02:16.As for world and European champions Spain, they never reached Top gear
:02:16. > :02:26.against Italy, playing without a striker. Fabregas's goal earn
:02:26. > :02:32.
:02:32. > :02:37.themselves a point. The Irish will with the Spanish in the World Cup,
:02:37. > :02:42.it is Ireland against Spain again in a match Ireland must not lose.
:02:42. > :02:47.If they do, Giovanni Trapattoni's side would be the first eliminated
:02:47. > :02:57.from this European Championship. A draw would be fantastic. A win
:02:57. > :02:59.
:02:59. > :03:06.would arguably be the nation's rather than Cesc Fabregas, who had
:03:06. > :03:11.been troubled by us or five. Since scoring the winner in 2008, Torres
:03:11. > :03:14.has scored in only two competitive internationals for his country,
:03:14. > :03:17.against New Zealand and Liechtenstein. I wonder whether the
:03:17. > :03:26.Irish defence would rather play against the centre forward in
:03:26. > :03:33.Torres or rather than the Phantom menace of Fabregas. The refereed in
:03:33. > :03:43.the Baltic Arena in Gdansk is from Portugal. He took charge of
:03:43. > :03:48.
:03:48. > :03:51.makes way and Simon Cox comes into the 11th. They will need to improve
:03:51. > :04:01.immeasurably on the performance against Croatia when they are
:04:01. > :04:08.
:04:08. > :04:18.renowned defensive qualities to right, in green and white, Spain
:04:18. > :04:35.
:04:35. > :04:40.ranks. A fair bit of experience in the Irish ranks as well, but four
:04:40. > :04:50.of the most capped players in Spain's entire history are on the
:04:50. > :04:52.
:04:52. > :04:56.The pitch must be greasy, it has been raining for a good while.
:04:56. > :05:01.Don't need to make an early mistake. A free-kick for the Irish. They
:05:01. > :05:11.don't like this pitch. They did not have many complimentary things to
:05:11. > :05:16.
:05:16. > :05:21.say about it after playing Italy. - It did not look that difficult for
:05:21. > :05:31.the goalkeeper to deal with. agree. He made a meal of it. He did
:05:31. > :05:34.
:05:34. > :05:44.back in the last couple of days as green and red have mingled. --
:05:44. > :05:55.
:05:55. > :06:02.Gdansk. A bumper couple of days for He scores! Three minutes and 50
:06:02. > :06:07.seconds, Ireland are behind. It was the pass from Iniesta initially, he
:06:07. > :06:11.split the defence. Then it looks like they cleared it. But they
:06:11. > :06:17.don't Clairette. What about this for a finish. You don't get past
:06:17. > :06:21.Shay Given very easily, that was a pile-driver. He was lightning quick,
:06:21. > :06:25.Fernando Torres. No hesitation about the shot. He worked the room
:06:25. > :06:31.and hammered it into the roof of the net. So quick to respond,
:06:31. > :06:41.Torres. Amazing how quickly it went past Shay Given. He can't get his
:06:41. > :07:16.
:07:16. > :07:22.difficulties on the edge of their just an amazing move. It is a
:07:22. > :07:32.beautiful mood. Great pass to the far post. Having just scored one,
:07:32. > :07:38.
:07:38. > :07:48.you fancy him to put that away. that kind of difference. --
:07:48. > :08:24.
:08:24. > :08:30.front of Shay Given. He looked to have recovered and then made it
:08:30. > :08:40.hard work. It just skipped up. I think that sums up the feeling. It
:08:40. > :09:05.
:09:05. > :09:10.has gone really quiet. They have John O'Shea. They are throwing
:09:10. > :09:20.everything at it. Spain are murdering Ireland with the ball at
:09:20. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:38.the moment, but it is still only 1- that corner by Spain. Silva
:09:38. > :09:45.flattened and it will be a card. Take it for the team. Half-time and
:09:45. > :09:55.some respite is just a few seconds away. But this is no time to think
:09:55. > :10:00.
:10:00. > :10:05.the last whistle of the half and the last action of a half. Shay
:10:05. > :10:15.Given denied Iniesta. It has been one-way traffic pretty much
:10:15. > :10:31.
:10:31. > :10:39.did not fancy hitting it first time on his left foot. He has never
:10:39. > :10:44.scored for Spain. A good opportunity for him. He just passed
:10:44. > :10:54.it straight at Shay Given. He should have hit it with a bit of
:10:54. > :11:12.
:11:12. > :11:17.probably that. Three minutes into the first half it was Torres, three
:11:17. > :11:21.minutes into the second half it was David Silva. It is 2-0. It is the
:11:21. > :11:25.initial shot that is punched out, it has gone straight to David Silva
:11:25. > :11:32.and he has side-footed it into the net for top I think that his game
:11:32. > :11:36.over. Even the first one, he was unsighted. That is a great finish
:11:36. > :11:41.from David Silva. He has passed it into the bottom corner. He just
:11:41. > :11:51.weaved it through three defenders and past the goalkeeper. He has
:11:51. > :12:05.
:12:05. > :12:15.surely put this game out of has gone through Richard Dunne's
:12:15. > :12:34.
:12:34. > :12:44.legs, he did not see it until late. did not make something more of this.
:12:44. > :13:05.
:13:05. > :13:15.Tried to pick somebody out but not far away. There's a few of the
:13:15. > :13:21.
:13:21. > :13:26.lads... It is a demoralising Keane has gone from one side of the
:13:26. > :13:36.pitch to the other. He has put a real shift in, but never ever
:13:36. > :13:38.
:13:38. > :13:48.anywhere near the ball in terms of everybody else, but in football
:13:48. > :13:55.
:13:55. > :14:05.terms, they have evolved into a Torres. It is three-0. Two for
:14:05. > :14:10.
:14:10. > :14:19.he made a mess of it at that point. No such thing. Buried it in the
:14:19. > :14:27.bottom corner, a great finish. No chance for Shay Given. Since the
:14:27. > :14:37.2009 Confederations Cup, Fernando Torres had scored all of five
:14:37. > :14:45.
:14:45. > :14:52.international goals, but he has Casillas. He gets half a chance, he
:14:52. > :15:02.has hit the target, he has made the care Cassius make a good save. --
:15:02. > :15:11.
:15:11. > :15:21.Given. Every time they have a shot, there are four defenders in front
:15:21. > :15:24.
:15:24. > :15:34.of it, and a couple of strikers. is four. Cesc Fabregas. Was there
:15:34. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:42.some suggestion he had a sore thigh? He left that it. -- he
:15:42. > :15:48.leathered it. That is a fabulous goal, well-worked, and it is a
:15:48. > :15:53.great strike. Having just denied Santi Cazorla, Shay Given is beaten
:15:53. > :15:57.by Cesc Fabregas. He has scored in each of Spain's games in this
:15:57. > :16:01.tournament, and nobody can argue that this flatters Spain. I feel
:16:01. > :16:06.for them, they will be so disappointed with their performance,
:16:06. > :16:13.that they have not created too much. They have been well beaten, but
:16:13. > :16:23.they have put in such a shift. They have kept it to four, it could have
:16:23. > :16:23.
:16:23. > :16:29.been more. Spain settled at four. That is the end for Ireland. One
:16:29. > :16:37.more game to play, but no chance of qualification now. Fernando Torres
:16:37. > :16:42.back amongst the goals for his country. Two tonight. David Silva
:16:42. > :16:47.with a cute second just after half- time. Cesc Fabregas with a blasted
:16:47. > :16:52.forth just after the end. -- just before the end. They could have
:16:52. > :17:02.been more. Spain were worthy winners, no medicine performance.
:17:02. > :17:04.
:17:04. > :17:10.Magnificent support from Ireland. A harsh lesson for Ireland and
:17:10. > :17:14.Irish football. Yes, of course, they of the world champions, and
:17:14. > :17:18.they are the world champions for a reason. They pulled a support on a
:17:18. > :17:22.few occasions. You were on great form coming into the tournament,
:17:22. > :17:30.why have you not been able to transfer that into tournament play?
:17:30. > :17:34.It is even tougher than the World Cup, you have a team like Saudi
:17:34. > :17:39.Arabia or New Zealand, but when you get to this stage of the European
:17:39. > :17:43.Championship, it is the elite teams. Spain showed how good they are.
:17:43. > :17:50.Could Ireland have done more? Do you just say Spain are a great
:17:50. > :17:55.team? After three minutes, when we conceded a goal, they were already
:17:55. > :18:04.superior technically, and it was too difficult, conceding a goal
:18:04. > :18:07.this easy, also against Croatia. We have to clarify why. Why have I
:18:07. > :18:17.learned not been able to make an impact that your form suggested you
:18:17. > :18:18.
:18:18. > :18:22.might? We were on a good run. Sometimes, things do not go as well
:18:22. > :18:28.as you hope. It is not for a lack of trying or preparation. We have
:18:28. > :18:32.just been beaten on two nights. A bit unlucky on the first night, but
:18:32. > :18:37.tonight, the have to take it on the Itchen. They are the best side I
:18:37. > :18:43.have ever played against. You have to give them credit, but at the
:18:43. > :18:48.same time, we have not made it easy for ourselves. We went 1-0 down
:18:48. > :18:53.very early on. When they can keep the ball like that, it would always
:18:53. > :18:59.be tough. Is it time to start bringing in some Dexter's? Possibly.
:18:59. > :19:04.You have to start asking the manager that. We have enjoyed
:19:04. > :19:09.getting here, but we have not enjoyed the last two results.
:19:09. > :19:14.used still keen to be part of the World Cup qualifying campaign?
:19:14. > :19:22.is a bit sooner. I will decide in a few weeks. But it is time that some
:19:22. > :19:25.more players were brought him. There is no point glossing over it,
:19:25. > :19:31.we have all come to the same conclusion, it was the referee's
:19:31. > :19:36.fault! We were totally outclassed. They showed tonight how Spain
:19:36. > :19:44.really are. We did not help ourselves, we make mistakes, but in
:19:44. > :19:47.the end, they were far superior. Four hearts of football, and they
:19:47. > :19:55.have conceded a goal in the first four minutes of each of those
:19:55. > :19:59.Hearts. It has been well-documented, against Croatia, they lost bad
:19:59. > :20:06.goals at bad times. But I do not think Croatia are a good side.
:20:06. > :20:11.Against that the Spanish -- against the Spanish, probably one of the
:20:12. > :20:16.best sides ever in possession, if you are not resolute, reliable and
:20:16. > :20:22.together, you are in trouble. Initially, the first couple of
:20:22. > :20:32.minutes, the shape it was fine, but for the call come up in the first
:20:32. > :20:37.four minute, they made elementary You cannot afford to do it. The
:20:37. > :20:41.sheikh is fine, but when they play it and it comes back to Andres
:20:41. > :20:46.Iniesta, when he picks it up, in this position, you have got to make
:20:46. > :20:54.sure that he plays it to the wind to Alvaro Arbeloa. You cannot
:20:54. > :21:00.afford to let him play it between the centre-backs, because... Sean
:21:00. > :21:07.St Ledger steps to the right, and if he steps to the left, he cuts
:21:07. > :21:12.out the past. But again, it is a simple mistake. He should hold his
:21:12. > :21:18.position and moved to his left. This is the second one. A simple
:21:18. > :21:23.pass to John O'Shea, he ignores it, he tries to force the pass, and we
:21:23. > :21:31.are in trouble. The Spanish get good possession, Xavi to Andres
:21:31. > :21:38.Iniesta. Shay Given will be very disappointed with that. Then, look
:21:38. > :21:44.at it, he passes it into the corner. People will talk about Chelsea
:21:44. > :21:50.against Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but when Chelsea were playing to
:21:50. > :21:56.those defensive lines, they have got really good players. If you are
:21:56. > :22:03.being brutally honest, he tried to do that with average players... One
:22:03. > :22:08.or two of them are Championship players. Spain, if possible, outdid
:22:08. > :22:18.themselves tonight. They say that statistics do not live. This is
:22:18. > :22:20.
:22:20. > :22:28.sensational. 929 attempted passes, a European Championships recorder.
:22:28. > :22:33.-- record. It is no shame for the Irish. What about the performance
:22:33. > :22:43.from Xavi? He is an astonishing player. His statistics are
:22:43. > :22:46.phenomenal. Two records broken tonight. He ran the show. They were
:22:46. > :22:51.unbelievably good tonight. It is not very sexy to look at the
:22:51. > :22:57.numbers, so let's look at the action. This is typical of Spain.
:22:57. > :23:02.They pass it. This is where the pass rate goes up, simple passes.
:23:02. > :23:08.All the time, as the opposition, you're having to work and
:23:08. > :23:13.concentrate, and that is tiring. Fantastic technique. It is almost
:23:13. > :23:19.like a Rolls-Royce engine. You have to receive the ball and making
:23:19. > :23:27.ankle. In fact, they have got the extra X Factor of quality like
:23:27. > :23:35.Andres Iniesta. Little moments. You press them, you think you can get
:23:35. > :23:39.after it, no, they go the other side. All of the time, you are
:23:39. > :23:47.having to work. The concentration is the key. They are pressing
:23:47. > :23:53.Ireland. In the end, they are on the counter. There is not any other
:23:53. > :23:57.team that plays as well as this, other than Barcelona. It is the
:23:57. > :24:04.type of football that is really an doing teams who have not got great
:24:04. > :24:07.quality. They did that tonight. is a joy to watch. You can be
:24:07. > :24:12.critical of the Irish and say they never got tight enough, but they
:24:12. > :24:16.kept on going and pressing. But when you are playing against that,
:24:16. > :24:26.it is so hard. It is soul- destroying when you do not have the
:24:26. > :24:26.
:24:26. > :24:30.ball. The control and the technique, it is sensational. What they have
:24:30. > :24:34.taken in the way they play, the percentage of winning the game,
:24:34. > :24:40.they have taken that and put it. They say, we will control the game
:24:40. > :24:44.from start to finish. You will not get enough chances to score.
:24:44. > :24:52.Ireland had three or four set pieces the whole game. It is very
:24:52. > :25:00.difficult. It is a bit of a Celtic mantra that we know, we do not like
:25:00. > :25:04.saying it, we showed a lot of spirit, we chased everything down.
:25:04. > :25:10.But Robbie Keane exemplified not dropping his head and keeping going
:25:10. > :25:15.until the minute he was off the pitch. He led by example. He made a
:25:15. > :25:25.run earlier on. Simon Cox did not get his head up early enough. He
:25:25. > :25:32.tried to bend his run again. Here, a free kick. If Glenn Whelan looks
:25:32. > :25:38.at it, Robbie Keane is down the side of Alvaro Arbeloa. He is too
:25:38. > :25:43.interested in marking Aiden McGeady. Robbie Keane is spinning into the
:25:43. > :25:53.Channel. This is Robbie Keane, he is chasing across the pitch. He
:25:53. > :25:55.
:25:55. > :26:05.goes again. I'd used to do that when I was covering for you! He is
:26:05. > :26:07.
:26:07. > :26:11.right. This is Robbie Keane's chance. It is no coincidence he has
:26:11. > :26:16.scored 53 goals. He is at the edge of the box, and he hits a lovely
:26:16. > :26:22.strike. It was a captain's performance, because his team were
:26:22. > :26:28.getting hammered, and he kept going. He showed such a big heart. A quick
:26:28. > :26:33.shower tap for the fans. They were singing for eight minutes solid.
:26:33. > :26:40.For the sake of this tournament, of their teams that can get at the
:26:40. > :26:46.Spanish side? They were not tested at the back. Surely, Germany can
:26:46. > :26:51.challenge them? It has been well- documented, the middle of the
:26:51. > :26:57.Parker sensational. Up front, Fernando Torres, he took the first
:26:57. > :27:01.goal well. The second goal, it was great. Perhaps a bad touch, but he
:27:01. > :27:07.took it well. His general performance was not that great. At
:27:07. > :27:11.the other end, defensively, you can get at them. But on that sort of
:27:11. > :27:17.performance, it reminds you that it will take a special team to beat
:27:17. > :27:26.them. Giovanni Trapattoni got them there in the first place, which is
:27:26. > :27:30.a good feet. Is predictable the criticism you could make of them?
:27:30. > :27:36.He named his team the week before, he plays the same tactics every
:27:36. > :27:40.game. That is what he has done from the outset. But you are playing
:27:40. > :27:46.double champions, you have got to show them the respect they deserve,
:27:46. > :27:51.especially with the bid failed they have got. For tonight, we should
:27:51. > :27:57.have gone with five at the back or five in the middle. They have --
:27:57. > :28:04.they could have played the whole squad! The Irish are gone. Now, to
:28:04. > :28:10.Poznan. The other game in Group C, both Italy and Croatia were buoyant
:28:10. > :28:13.after their first games, but that could change too easily.
:28:13. > :28:19.Big tournament players Italy again showed their pedigree in their
:28:19. > :28:26.opener against Spain, as they earned a point. Antonio di Natale
:28:26. > :28:30.was the golden boy, and they will be full of confidence. Hats off to
:28:30. > :28:35.Slaven Bilic. He was delighted with the win over Ireland, crucial goals
:28:35. > :28:42.at crucial times. Rich in the quarter-finals is a real
:28:42. > :28:52.possibility, as long as Luka Modric keeps pulling the strings and Nicky
:28:52. > :28:55.
:28:55. > :28:59.judo the pitch and Mario Mandzukic much for Croatia. Amid a troubling
:28:59. > :29:03.backdrop of corruption allegations in their domestic game, Italy's
:29:03. > :29:07.players performed better than some anticipated in their opening draw
:29:07. > :29:14.against the Spanish. The talking point for the Italians was whether
:29:14. > :29:23.Balotelli would keep his place. The answer is yes, with Antonio Di
:29:23. > :29:26.Natale named amongst the substitutes once more. De Rossi
:29:26. > :29:32.continues in a makeshift central defensive role in an unchanged
:29:32. > :29:36.line-up. The familiar face in the centre, refereeing the game, Howard
:29:36. > :29:41.Webb. His second game of the tournament having taken charge of
:29:41. > :29:44.Russia's 4-1 winner over the Czech Republic. Slaven Bilic will look
:29:44. > :29:49.for more of the same after his team's impressive showing it is
:29:49. > :29:53.Ireland. Not surprisingly, Croatia are unchanged with Captain Darijo
:29:53. > :29:58.Srna on the right and a highly sought-after Tottenham midfielder
:29:58. > :30:03.Luka Modric likely to be the key orchestrators. The two forwards
:30:03. > :30:13.have started the tournament really well. Mandzukic got two goals on
:30:13. > :30:33.
:30:33. > :30:41.Sunday and Jelavic helped himself Balotelli. A super turn. Balotelli
:30:41. > :30:44.with a neat touch. A little shimmy. Very unlucky. First time I've been
:30:44. > :30:54.to a match at these European Championships with empty seats in
:30:54. > :31:19.
:31:19. > :31:22.fluidity about some of Italy's shot in. Marchisio! What a shot.
:31:22. > :31:28.Excellent play from Italy, counter- attacking football. This was the
:31:28. > :31:33.shot. Balotelli with a really good opportunity. He did not shift the
:31:33. > :31:43.ball far enough, he did not make a good angle. Croatia are keen to get
:31:43. > :32:14.
:32:14. > :32:20.He did. Balotelli! It didn't quite fall for Marchisio. I'm not sure if
:32:20. > :32:27.he would have been offside. A straight shot. It is hit with power.
:32:27. > :32:31.You would expect any keeper to deal with that. Two good passing sides.
:32:31. > :32:39.Croatia in the last five years, at the end of a calendar year, not
:32:39. > :32:45.outside of FIFA's top 10 in the world ranking. Howard Webb has a
:32:45. > :32:50.little look... He has given it the other way. The assistant has given
:32:50. > :33:00.it the other way. The coming together. I think the assistant has
:33:00. > :33:09.
:33:09. > :33:14.got it spot on. Chiellini and that in. Srna delivers an excellent
:33:14. > :33:18.ball to the near post. Just a touch and it is in. Slaven Bilic, his
:33:18. > :33:28.first touch -- match in charge of Croatia's six years ago was against
:33:28. > :33:48.
:33:48. > :33:58.creaking of it. Just let the ball watch, he makes it look so easy. --
:33:58. > :34:33.
:34:33. > :34:38.Pirlo. Flicking it into the space, Chiellini was well forward.
:34:38. > :34:43.Balotelli, free-kick. Well, I thought we would see the opening
:34:43. > :34:52.goal there. Excellent ball, a lovely touch. Marchisio was in a
:34:52. > :35:01.good position. A great save. Pletikosa. Pirlo can do some damage
:35:01. > :35:06.with the ball at his feet from that sort of distance. It is 1-0! The
:35:06. > :35:14.midfield metronome scores with a superb finish. That is how you take
:35:14. > :35:18.a free-kick. Super strike. He misses the wall. Sometimes you have
:35:18. > :35:23.to give credit. It just went over the wall, the goalkeeper was in a
:35:23. > :35:33.good position. He can't quite get them back. Super place on it as
:35:33. > :35:34.
:35:34. > :35:40.well and it was dipping. Super What is it about them? They always
:35:40. > :35:47.seem to play well when they have a large amount of problems at home.
:35:47. > :35:53.Corruption allegations. They were up against it going into the book
:35:53. > :36:00.up in Germany in 2006 and they won the thing. -- the World Cup in
:36:00. > :36:10.Germany. That wasn't far away from Cassano! I think Cassano and
:36:10. > :36:25.
:36:25. > :36:32.Bonucci almost collided with each to prise open this Italian defence?
:36:32. > :36:37.Modric could be the man to provide it. Buffon had about half an hour
:36:37. > :36:47.to wait for the ball to arrive! Better play from Croatia. Modric
:36:47. > :37:15.
:37:15. > :37:20.to the second half. Modric has been involved in the game a lot more.
:37:20. > :37:24.Playing his game further up the park. Counter-attacking football.
:37:24. > :37:32.Croatia have got a good record against Italy. They have won three
:37:32. > :37:40.of five meetings since independence, drawing the other two. Balotelli!
:37:40. > :37:50.What a shot. He says somebody got a touch. A little bit better from
:37:50. > :37:50.
:37:50. > :38:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:38:34. > :38:40.into the left-back position. -- goal of the tournament already. You
:38:40. > :38:46.sense the goal might have been coming. Mario Mandzukic. Right in
:38:46. > :38:53.the middle of the screen, this is onside. Chiellini missed the ball.
:38:53. > :39:03.He completely mistimed it. For a centre-back, that is woeful. A good
:39:03. > :39:03.
:39:03. > :39:13.touch into his path. There you go, 1-1. He got two against Ireland and
:39:13. > :39:24.
:39:24. > :39:30.then this one. Third goal of the the challenge from Mandzukic.
:39:30. > :39:37.are all working hard now, Croatia. 15 minutes to go, all to play for
:39:37. > :39:46.between these two asides. -- two sides. Pletikosa was not taking any
:39:46. > :39:56.chances. Italy have been reduced to duck -- just a couple of chances in
:39:56. > :40:00.
:40:00. > :40:07.the second half. A decent effort no free kick for the challenge on
:40:08. > :40:13.Bonucci. Could be a chance for a late winner. Eduardo can't find the
:40:13. > :40:22.pass. Niko Kranjcar was next to him and if he had slipped it to him, he
:40:22. > :40:27.might have been put back in. Buffon keeps it interesting by letting the
:40:27. > :40:34.ball go momentarily. Howard Webb blows the final whistle
:40:34. > :40:38.in Poznan. Honours even, stalemate. A promising start from Italy, they
:40:38. > :40:42.looked comfortable at 1-0 up at half-time, but they couldn't build
:40:42. > :40:46.on it and the second half. Pirlo's free-kick gave them the lead and
:40:46. > :40:56.Mandzukic, with his third goal of the tournament, equalised for
:40:56. > :41:07.
:41:07. > :41:17.Croatia, who improved in the second Simmering to a boil. Spain and
:41:17. > :41:27.
:41:27. > :41:31.Croatia are on four Point. -- four Bass-playing and Croatia draw
:41:31. > :41:38.coupled with in Italy victory means all three will finish on five
:41:38. > :41:48.points. -- A Spain and Croatia draw. Both file Group C games are live on
:41:48. > :41:56.
:41:56. > :41:59.Alan Hansen is pointing at me. you explain that again? No. If they
:41:59. > :42:08.finish on even points, it is unbelievable what you have to go
:42:08. > :42:11.down too. And you have to explain it live on TV on Monday. I thought
:42:11. > :42:16.Pirlo in the first game rolled back the years and he picked up where he
:42:16. > :42:21.left off. We talk about the Spanish in possession, but Pirlo has
:42:21. > :42:26.undoubted quality. He played well in the first game. Today in the
:42:26. > :42:29.first half I thought he was exceptional. Eventually he got a
:42:29. > :42:33.exceptional. Eventually he got a goal. There was a huge debate about
:42:33. > :42:40.the free-kick leading up to the goal. A great free-kick, but how
:42:40. > :42:50.many times have we seen this, but a dark a fantastic bought into
:42:50. > :42:51.
:42:51. > :42:56.Balotelli. That ball. A great pass, inch-perfect. This is the debate.
:42:56. > :43:00.This happened in the 35th a minute. Cassano comes in and there's a
:43:00. > :43:05.collision between two Croatian players. A summer has done nothing
:43:05. > :43:10.wrong, but Howard Webb decides to give the Croatians are free kick.
:43:10. > :43:17.Two minutes later, Balotelli comes in and I don't think... His there
:43:17. > :43:25.anything in that? That is really soft. I think referees sometimes
:43:25. > :43:30.have that in their mind. You can't argue with a free-kick, it was
:43:30. > :43:37.sensational. Wonderful ability. First free-kick in the Euros since
:43:37. > :43:44.2004. That is an amazing stat. was a beauty. We haven't had many
:43:44. > :43:54.goals outside of the box. Now we have had van Persie. We haven't
:43:54. > :43:56.
:43:56. > :43:59.have a - we haven't had a polluter had a period of dominance in the
:43:59. > :44:04.first half, but it was maybe what we did not see at half-time that
:44:04. > :44:08.was the deciding factor. If you're coming up against the Italians,
:44:08. > :44:14.tactical geniuses apparently, but Bill which has pulled out his own
:44:14. > :44:18.tactical move today. He put Mandaric -- Mandzukic on the right,
:44:18. > :44:21.Modric went forward. In the second half when they came out, they went
:44:21. > :44:31.on the front foot and they started to dictate. Modric in particular
:44:31. > :44:36.
:44:36. > :44:40.started getting into those little He catches this one properly. He is
:44:40. > :44:48.further forward that he was in the first half. He uses the decoy to
:44:48. > :44:53.come inside, and he hit that shot many times. The two strikers
:44:53. > :44:58.pulling them apart. They are striking -- they are starting to
:44:58. > :45:08.control the game. The Italians were all at sea. As a coach, on the
:45:08. > :45:11.
:45:11. > :45:21.sideline,... It is a great finish. You have kept Giorgio Chiellini,
:45:21. > :45:21.
:45:21. > :45:26.his position is stronger. What does he do? He gets sucked in. A great
:45:26. > :45:34.touch from Mario Mandzukic. He has only had four shots on target, and
:45:34. > :45:39.he has scored three goals. On Monday, a team is going out of the
:45:39. > :45:47.tournament that is at least good. Slaven Bilic has have thought the
:45:47. > :45:54.Italians. That is who Spain play on the last day. This is his last
:45:54. > :45:59.tournament as the national manager. He is having a good show. There are
:45:59. > :46:05.two good sides going at it. One of these teams could be a potential
:46:05. > :46:11.semi-finalist. The Spaniards will beat Croatia, and the Italians will
:46:11. > :46:18.be the Irish. They will go through. Your favourite team, the Croatians,
:46:18. > :46:25.will go out. I tipped Germany! called them a good side, but they
:46:25. > :46:30.are ordinary. But to -- but for Croatia to get a result against
:46:30. > :46:37.Spain, that would not be a giant- killing act. They are ranked eighth
:46:38. > :46:43.in the world. Croatia, they have two a bit centre-forwards, Spain,
:46:43. > :46:49.they are offended against Italy, you think, if Croatia get crosses
:46:49. > :46:55.into the box, who knows? Italians played so well in the
:46:55. > :47:01.first half, but in the second half, the Italian mentality was amazing.
:47:01. > :47:11.It is hereditary! We have the European Championships
:47:11. > :47:11.
:47:12. > :47:17.We have so many ways to stay in touch with Euro 2012. All of our
:47:17. > :47:24.matches are live on the BBC Sport website, including both semi-finals
:47:24. > :47:29.and the big one. There are highlights online as well. You can
:47:29. > :47:33.keep up-to-date with all of the action on your mobile. Wherever you
:47:33. > :47:39.are, do not miss a minute of the action with commentary from Radio 5
:47:39. > :47:45.Live. Hit the red button for all of the extras and re-runs from all of
:47:45. > :47:50.the games. Catch up through the iPlayer on all of our coverage and
:47:50. > :47:56.highlights shows. The BBC is the place to be on TV, on radio and
:47:56. > :48:02.online. All of those places, you will not
:48:02. > :48:08.miss the second of England against Sweden tomorrow.
:48:08. > :48:15.We are in Kiev for England's second game, against Sweden. Blue and
:48:15. > :48:21.yellow seeds, 18,000 Sweden fans in town, compared to 5000 England fans.
:48:21. > :48:27.They will have to make a lot of noise. It is a lot colder than
:48:27. > :48:31.Donetsk, and a lot less humid. We heard earlier from Roy Hodgson and
:48:31. > :48:36.Steven Gerrard. We have not decided on the team yet.
:48:36. > :48:41.We have got a training session tonight, which will be important,
:48:41. > :48:47.in my decision-making. I was happy with the style, we played well
:48:47. > :48:52.against France. Certain aspects were good. We must maintain that.
:48:52. > :48:58.If we are going to win matches, we have to continue to work hard on
:48:58. > :49:03.the attacking side of our game and to maximise the counter-attacking
:49:03. > :49:08.opportunities, to take advantage to the full. Sweden are a strong team,
:49:08. > :49:13.but they are not France. We can be a bit bolder and more ambitious and
:49:13. > :49:19.get at them a bit more. We are confident, if we reach the same
:49:19. > :49:25.level of performance, we can win. In Zlatan Ibrahim of rich, they
:49:25. > :49:30.have a world-class talent. That is what makes them such a difficult a
:49:30. > :49:34.poet, and that is why take are always present in the big
:49:34. > :49:39.tournaments, and take of recorded as a major programme for whoever
:49:39. > :49:44.comes across them. We have watched videos, we will watch more videos,
:49:44. > :49:48.so we will be well prepared, but he is not the only good player.
:49:48. > :49:53.England's trouble in retaining possession it is the age-old
:49:53. > :50:03.possession -- issue of technical ability. But this was the manager's
:50:03. > :50:05.
:50:05. > :50:09.response. I do not think we are lagging behind. Kiev's favourite
:50:09. > :50:12.son managed to overpower the Swedish defence twice on his own,
:50:12. > :50:20.so there is a growing feeling that Andy Carroll might get the nod from
:50:20. > :50:25.Roy Hodgson. One person guaranteed his place is Joe Hart. He does not
:50:25. > :50:31.carry any of the package of his failings against Sweden. History is
:50:31. > :50:36.history. It has been and gone. We to not going to be gained 2-0 down
:50:36. > :50:41.because of previous results. -- we do not go into the game could 0
:50:41. > :50:45.down. We all know that England have not beaten Sweden in seven
:50:45. > :50:52.competitive attempts. Roy Hodgson brings a better record, he has
:50:52. > :51:02.faced them three-times with Sweden and once with Finland, two wins,
:51:02. > :51:27.
:51:27. > :51:32.Gary Lineker is already in make-up, Let's play fantasy manager, 19
:51:32. > :51:37.hours and 29 minutes before the big clash, what changes do you make us
:51:37. > :51:41.on the starting 11 in the first game? We listened to the press
:51:41. > :51:47.conference, the criticism of their lack of flair and penetration is
:51:47. > :51:54.hurting him. He will go with two strikers, Andy Carroll and Danny
:51:54. > :52:00.Welbeck, or perhaps a Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck. That will give
:52:00. > :52:04.us more attacking flair. Andy Carroll or Jermain Defoe? Andy
:52:04. > :52:10.Carroll, his presence will cause the Swedish centre-halves some
:52:10. > :52:15.issues. I would agree. I do not think Roy Hodgson would throw
:52:15. > :52:21.caution to the wind. I would have a go at them. Andriy Shevchenko got a
:52:21. > :52:26.couple of goals. A bit of movement against a static defence, Andy
:52:26. > :52:36.Carroll could do well against the centre defence. I know what you
:52:36. > :52:37.
:52:37. > :52:43.The danger is always in front of the central defender, he does not
:52:43. > :52:49.spot the danger. You have got to be on your toes. Then, he goes on his
:52:49. > :52:54.heels. Andriy Shevchenko takes advantage. The danger is always in
:52:54. > :52:59.front of him. He should have seen it, he should have closed down the
:52:59. > :53:05.space early. This is dangerous, having different man in such an
:53:05. > :53:09.important position. -- having a front man. He has got a lovely
:53:09. > :53:19.header, but what is he doing on the goal line? Andy Carroll came into
:53:19. > :53:23.good form. He - Chelsea up, when he got the start in the league game.
:53:23. > :53:28.He is on defendable, when the delivery is right. -- he is not
:53:28. > :53:33.defendable. Towards the end of the season, he was getting fitter,
:53:33. > :53:38.stronger, better. He gave Chelsea such a hard time, he was almost
:53:38. > :53:44.unplayable. One thing I have noticed about Roy Hodgson, it seems
:53:44. > :53:50.to be simpler, easier, round pegs in round holes. With Fabio Capello,
:53:50. > :53:58.it was about people being in the wrong position. Is that a good
:53:58. > :54:04.thing? Sometimes, you have got to come up with something to break
:54:04. > :54:09.down the opposition, and playing a wide foot on the left or having a
:54:09. > :54:14.player coming inside can make the difference. It can be an
:54:14. > :54:19.alternative, it can make you look like you have more flair. We look
:54:19. > :54:22.like round pegs in round holes with not too much going on. But there
:54:22. > :54:30.was no think in this Wigan against Ukraine match that you would be
:54:30. > :54:38.frightened. -- nothing in the Sweden against Ukraine matches.
:54:38. > :54:44.We have visited a Swedish Fantasy This is a footbridge over the river.
:54:44. > :54:53.Behind us, Kiev. In front of us, the island which has been renamed
:54:53. > :54:57.after Sweden, because you will find thousands of Swedish people. There
:54:57. > :55:02.are more Swedish supporters campaigned on this island that
:55:02. > :55:07.England fans who went to the first game against France. 5000 of them
:55:07. > :55:15.in total. They are enjoying the good life by the banks of the river.
:55:15. > :55:21.Explain to us the basis of this. As many Swedish people in one space as
:55:21. > :55:26.possible? That is it. As many people as possible, give us beer,
:55:26. > :55:33.and bars were the, that is all. a football tournament as well!
:55:33. > :55:39.course! The plan is to support the national team. The whole idea, the
:55:39. > :55:45.Swedish supporters, it is a social function cannot we have nice
:55:45. > :55:50.holidays, but the most important is to bring three points in the game.
:55:50. > :55:57.It is not exactly five Star, but they have thought of everything,
:55:57. > :56:03.toilet, beer, fishing, there is a horse, and there is a concert venue,
:56:03. > :56:07.for when the occasional Swedish superstar pops down. Ireland and
:56:07. > :56:15.5000 friends is a good basis for any party, but if you want a ticket
:56:15. > :56:20.to the next level, you get out the tank! Here in Kiev, as long as you
:56:20. > :56:27.wear a yellow shirt, it is as though you have known each other
:56:27. > :56:34.for 15 years. That feeling, it is the best. If we did not know each
:56:34. > :56:41.other at home, we would not speak to each other in an elevator.
:56:41. > :56:46.people are coming to, they say, it is the best feeling in my whole
:56:46. > :56:51.life, up I love it, Bankia. Plot of people will think, you are on the
:56:51. > :56:55.dream holiday -- lots of people. You are with your mates, slipping
:56:55. > :57:02.on the beach, watching football. Spot-on!
:57:02. > :57:12.He is the only man who could go there and only interview meant! --
:57:12. > :57:15.
:57:15. > :57:22.meant! The key area is the central midfield. Sebastian Larsson,
:57:22. > :57:30.quality on set plays. You have a Swedish wife. Separate rooms! She
:57:30. > :57:35.screams too loud! Move on! Very quickly, England are better on
:57:35. > :57:45.paper, but we have been here before. Paper means nothing, but if England
:57:45. > :57:48.
:57:48. > :57:52.play well, they win. The Spanish put on a masterclass,
:57:52. > :57:57.hitting four passed the Irish, and the Green army are the first to
:57:57. > :58:04.crash out. Andrea Pirlo's pearler turned the
:58:04. > :58:09.air blue, but Mario Mandzukic was the man again.
:58:09. > :58:16.Daniele de Rossi has Lee Dixon's tackle on his leg.
:58:16. > :58:26.Mick McCarthy says what he sees on the, to box. -- from the commentary
:58:26. > :58:26.
:58:26. > :58:32.Alan Hansen stays up later that he has for almost two decades. Letter,
:58:32. > :58:40.England against Sweden live on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 Live -- later.
:58:40. > :58:50.Have a good evening. You of the last line of defence.
:58:50. > :58:52.