Czech Republic sealed top spot

The Czech Republic sealed top spot in Group D with this comfortable UEFA EURO 2008™ victory in Cyprus.

Pole position
Daniel Pudil's goal gave the early initiative to Karel Brückner's side, before Jan Koller struck 16 minutes from time to secure the points. The result ensured that the Czechs would finish first in the group because of their better head-to-head record against also-qualified Germany.

Deadlock broken
The breakthrough hardly came against the run of play, as the Czechs had already threatened through Marek Matějovský, Tomáš Galásek and Michal Kadlec. In the event, it arrived via the left foot of 22-year-old midfielder Pudil, who found the bottom corner of Antonis Georgallides's goal from around 30 metres.

Dominance
Georgallides got closer to the next Czech attempts, saving from both Marek Kulič and Matějovský. By way of a first-half reply, Angelos Anastasiadis's team could only offer long-range efforts from Michalis Konstantinou and a wasted Efstathios Aloneftis free-kick.

Doubling up
Second-half substitute Milan Baroš then shot wide before strike partner Koller put the win beyond doubt. The totem connected with Jaroslav Plašil's 74th-minute corner for a headed goal. Georgallides then prevented Plašil turning from creator to scorer, and the Cyprus keeper also denied Martin Fenin late on. The defeat left the islanders with 14 points from their 12 games, 15 fewer than the Czechs.

San Marino 0 - 5 Slovakia

Marek Čech struck twice as Slovakia ended their Group D campaign with a resounding 5-0 win against San Marino in Serravalle.

Michalík breakthrough
Having restricted Wales to a narrow 2-1 victory in their last outing, San Marino must have held hopes of another close encounter as the teams approached half-time with the score goalless. However, Ľubomír Michalík made the breakthrough three minutes before the interval and from then on it was one-way traffic. Within 12 minutes of the restart it was 4-0 as Filip Hološko, Marek Hamšík and Čech all got their names on the scoresheet, and Čech rounded off the victory seven minutes from time. The result was enough for Slovakia to leapfrog Wales and Cyprus into fourth, with San Marino 14 points adrift at the foot of the table.

Selva denied
San Marino ended their UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign with a 'goals against' tally of 57, yet things looked bright for Giampaolo Mazza's team in a lively opening. Andy Selva almost gave the hosts a shock lead when his free-kick struck the crossbar on five minutes and the same player tested Štefan Senecký with a long-range effort later in the half.

Floodgates open
After Michalík headed, however, in the floodgates opened. Six minutes after the restart Hološko nodded in Hamšík's corner to make it 2-0 and when Hamšík added a third from distance two minutes later, Slovakia were cruising. Čech quickly hit his first of the night and San Marino's misery was complete when the 24-year-old applied a crisp finish to Juraj Halenár's pass to make it 5-0.


Germany 0-0 Wales

Wales earned a creditable draw in Frankfurt to end their Euro 2008 campaign on a relative high note despite finishing fifth in Group D.

The Welsh central defensive trio of Danny Gabbidon, Lewis Nyatanga and James Collins all emerged with great credit after forming a watertight defensive shield in front of 20-year-old keeper Wayne Hennessey.

Both teams went into the game with little to play for. Germany had already qualified while Wales were out of the running, and the game developed along predictably tame lines.

Germany controlled possession throughout and ex-Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger was the creative force behind many of their moves in the first half, most notably in the 10th minute when he jinked past three challenges and laid off to Lukas Podolski, who blasted just over from 20 yards.

Wales were lucky to survive in the fifteenth minute when Tim Borowski's shot cannoned off the post, onto the back of Henessey's head, back onto the post and stayed spinning inches short of the line before Hennessey finally cleared.

Robert Earnshaw, playing as a lone stiker endured a difficult night as his team-mates struggled to retain possession long enough to get the ball up to him, and the Derby County front man was eventually substituted in the 55th minute.

David Edwards and Carl Fletcher both had half chances to score shortly before half-time but in truth Jens Lehmann had very little to do in the Germany goal.

The second half started slowly and petered out from there. Wales were obviously content to play for a point and dropped increasingly deep as time progressed. Germany continued to push for a winner, but it was their final ball and decision making in the final third that let them down time and time again.

Apart from the couple of moments of danger in the first half Wales never really looked like conceding despite the pressure and despite finishing so low in the Group D table, manager John Toshack will no doubt view such a solid performance as a positive to build on for the future.