UEFA Euro 2008 Group B

Group B of the 2008 UEFA European Championships was one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first of the three rounds of matches were played on 8 June, and the final round was completed on 16 June. All six of the group's matches were played at venues in Austria, in Vienna and Klagenfurt. The group is made up of four central European nations; co-hosts Austria, as well as Croatia, Germany and Poland. Austria and Poland are appearing in a European Championship finals for the first time.

Croatia became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals from Group B when they followed up a 1–0 win against Austria in their first match with a 2–1 win over Germany. This, in conjunction with Austria's 1–1 draw with Poland, meant that Croatia would finish top of the group. The second quarter-final spot was decided by the group's final games, with Germany defeating Austria through a Michael Ballack free kick, making the result of the Poland vs Croatia match irrelevant. Had Germany lost, Poland could still have qualified with a win over Croatia. However, a goal from Ivan Klasnić won the game for Croatia, making the Croatians the first team to gain maximum points in the group stage.

Standings

Key to colours in group tables
Team progressed to the quarter-finals
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Croatia 330041+39
 Germany 320142+26
 Austria 301213−21
 Poland 301214−31

All times local (UTC+2)

Austria vs Croatia

8 June 2008
18:00
Austria  0–1  Croatia
Report Modrić  4' (pen.)
Austria[2]
Croatia[2]
GK 21Jürgen Macho
CB 15Sebastian Prödl  68'
CB 3 Martin Stranzl
CB 4 Emanuel Pogatetz  3'
DM 6 René Aufhauser
DM 19Jürgen Säumel  21'  61'
RM 2 Joachim Standfest
LM 12Ronald Gërçaliu  69'
AM 10Andreas Ivanschitz (c)
CF 20Martin Harnik
CF 9 Roland Linz  73'
Substitutions:
MF 7 Ivica Vastić  61'
MF 11Ümit Korkmaz  69'
FW 18Roman Kienast  73'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger
GK 1 Stipe Pletikosa
RB 5 Vedran Ćorluka
CB 4 Robert Kovač  51'
CB 3 Josip Šimunić
LB 22Danijel Pranjić
RM 11Darijo Srna
CM 10Niko Kovač (c)
CM 14Luka Modrić
LM 19Niko Kranjčar  61'
CF 18Ivica Olić  83'
CF 21Mladen Petrić  72'
Substitutions:
DF 15Dario Knežević  61'
FW 20Igor Budan  72'
MF 8 Ognjen Vukojević  83'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić

Man of the Match:
Stipe Pletikosa (Croatia)[1]

Assistant referees:
Adriaan Inia (Netherlands)
Hans ten Hoove (Netherlands)
Fourth official:
Kristinn Jakobsson (Iceland)

Germany vs Poland

8 June 2008
20:45
Germany  2–0  Poland
Podolski  20', 72' Report
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt
Attendance: 30,461[3]
Referee: Tom Henning Øvrebø (Norway)
Germany[4]
Poland[4]
GK 1 Jens Lehmann
RB 16Philipp Lahm
CB 21Christoph Metzelder
CB 17Per Mertesacker
LB 2 Marcell Jansen
RM 4 Clemens Fritz  56'
CM 8 Torsten Frings
CM 13Michael Ballack (c)
LM 20Lukas Podolski
CF 9 Mario Gómez  75'
CF 11Miroslav Klose  90+1'
Substitutions:
MF 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger  64'  56'
MF 15Thomas Hitzlsperger  75'
FW 22Kevin Kurányi  90+1'
Manager:
Joachim Löw
GK 1 Artur Boruc
RB 13Marcin Wasilewski
CB 14Michał Żewłakow
CB 6 Jacek Bąk
LB 4 Paweł Golański  75'
CM 5 Dariusz Dudka
CM 18Mariusz Lewandowski  60'
RW 17Wojciech Łobodziński  65'
AM 9 Maciej Żurawski (c)  46'
LW 8 Jacek Krzynówek
CF 7 Euzebiusz Smolarek  40'
Substitutions:
MF 20Roger Guerreiro  46'
MF 16Łukasz Piszczek  65'
FW 11Marek Saganowski  75'
Manager:
Netherlands Leo Beenhakker

Man of the Match:
Lukas Podolski (Germany)[3]

Assistant referees:
Geir Åge Holen (Norway)
Jan Petter Randen (Norway)
Fourth official:
Craig Thomson (Scotland)

Croatia vs Germany

12 June 2008
18:00
Croatia  2–1  Germany
Srna  24'
Olić  62' 		Report Podolski  79'
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt
Attendance: 30,461[5]
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Croatia[6]
Germany[6]
GK 1 Stipe Pletikosa
RB 5 Vedran Ćorluka
CB 4 Robert Kovač
CB 3 Josip Šimunić  45+1'
LB 22Danijel Pranjić
RM 11Darijo Srna  27'  80'
CM 14Luka Modrić  90+3'
CM 10Niko Kovač (c)
LM 7 Ivan Rakitić
SS 19Niko Kranjčar  85'
CF 18Ivica Olić  72'
Substitutions:
FW 21Mladen Petrić  72'
MF 16Jerko Leko  90+2'  80'
DF 15Dario Knežević  85'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić
GK 1 Jens Lehmann  90+2'
RB 16Philipp Lahm
CB 21Christoph Metzelder
CB 17Per Mertesacker
LB 2 Marcell Jansen  46'
RM 4 Clemens Fritz  82'
CM 8 Torsten Frings
CM 13Michael Ballack (c)  75'
LM 20Lukas Podolski
CF 9 Mario Gómez  66'
CF 11Miroslav Klose
Substitutions:
MF 19David Odonkor  46'
MF 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger Red card 90+2'  66'
FW 22Kevin Kurányi  82'
Manager:
Joachim Löw

Man of the Match:
Luka Modrić (Croatia)[5]

Assistant referees:
Peter Hermans (Belgium)
Alex Verstraeten (Belgium)
Fourth official:
Stéphane Lannoy (France)

Austria vs Poland

12 June 2008
20:45
Austria  1–1  Poland
Vastić  90+3' (pen.) Report Guerreiro  30'
Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna
Attendance: 51,428[7]
Referee: Howard Webb (England)
Austria[8]
Poland[8]
GK 21Jürgen Macho
RB 14György Garics
CB 15Sebastian Prödl  72'
CB 3 Martin Stranzl
LB 4 Emanuel Pogatetz
DM 6 René Aufhauser  74'
RM 8 Christoph Leitgeb
CM 10Andreas Ivanschitz (c)  64'
LM 11Ümit Korkmaz  56'
CF 20Martin Harnik
CF 9 Roland Linz  64'
Substitutions:
MF 7 Ivica Vastić  64'
FW 18Roman Kienast  64'
MF 19Jürgen Säumel  74'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger
GK 1 Artur Boruc
RB 13Marcin Wasilewski  58'
CB 2 Mariusz Jop  46'
CB 6 Jacek Bąk (c)  90+3'
LB 14Michał Żewłakow
RM 5 Dariusz Dudka
CM 18Mariusz Lewandowski
LM 8 Jacek Krzynówek  61'
AM 20Roger Guerreiro  85'
CF 11Marek Saganowski  83'
CF 7 Euzebiusz Smolarek
Substitutions:
DF 4 Paweł Golański  46'
MF 17Wojciech Łobodziński  83'
MF 19Rafał Murawski  85'
Manager:
Netherlands Leo Beenhakker

Man of the Match:
Roger Guerreiro (Poland)[7]

Assistant referees:
Darren Cann (England)
Mike Mullarkey (England)
Fourth official:
Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

Poland vs Croatia

16 June 2008
20:45
Poland  0–1  Croatia
Report Klasnić  53'
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt
Attendance: 30,461[9]
Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece)
Poland[10]
Croatia[10]
GK 1 Artur Boruc
RB 13Marcin Wasilewski
CB 14Michał Żewłakow (c)
CB 5 Dariusz Dudka
LB 3 Jakub Wawrzyniak
CM 19Rafał Murawski
CM 18Mariusz Lewandowski  38'  46'
RW 17Wojciech Łobodziński  55'
AM 20Roger Guerreiro
LW 8 Jacek Krzynówek
CF 11Marek Saganowski  69'
Substitutions:
DF 23Adam Kokoszka  46'
FW 7 Euzebiusz Smolarek  55'
FW 21Tomasz Zahorski  84'  69'
Manager:
Netherlands Leo Beenhakker
GK 23Vedran Runje
RB 2 Dario Šimić (c)
CB 6 Hrvoje Vejić  45'
CB 15Dario Knežević  27'
LB 22Danijel Pranjić
RM 16Jerko Leko
CM 8 Ognjen Vukojević  85'
CM 13Nikola Pokrivač
LM 7 Ivan Rakitić
CF 17Ivan Klasnić  74'
CF 21Mladen Petrić  75'
Substitutions:
DF 5 Vedran Ćorluka  27'
FW 9 Nikola Kalinić  74'
MF 19Niko Kranjčar  75'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić

Man of the Match:
Ivan Klasnić (Croatia)[9]

Assistant referees:
Dimitris Bozatzidis (Greece)
Dimitris Saraidaris (Greece)
Fourth official:
Olegário Benquerença (Portugal)

Austria vs Germany

16 June 2008
20:45
Austria  0–1  Germany
Report Ballack  49'
Austria[12]
Germany[12]
GK 21Jürgen Macho
RB 14György Garics
CB 3 Martin Stranzl  13'
CB 17Martin Hiden  55'
LB 4 Emanuel Pogatetz
CM 6 René Aufhauser  63'
LM 5 Christian Fuchs
AM 10Andreas Ivanschitz (c)  48'
RW 20Martin Harnik  67'
LW 11Ümit Korkmaz
CF 22Erwin Hoffer  31'
Substitutions:
MF 8 Christoph Leitgeb  55'
MF 19Jürgen Säumel  63'
FW 18Roman Kienast  67'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger[note 1]
GK 1 Jens Lehmann
RB 3 Arne Friedrich
CB 17Per Mertesacker
CB 21Christoph Metzelder
LB 16Philipp Lahm
RM 4 Clemens Fritz  90+3'
CM 8 Torsten Frings
CM 13Michael Ballack (c)
LM 20Lukas Podolski  83'
CF 9 Mario Gómez  60'
CF 11Miroslav Klose
Substitutions:
MF 15Thomas Hitzlsperger  60'
FW 10Oliver Neuville  83'
MF 18Tim Borowski  90+3'
Manager:
Joachim Löw[note 1]

Man of the Match:
Michael Ballack (Germany)[11]

Assistant referees:
Juan Carlos Juste Jiménez (Spain)
Jesús Calvo Guadamuro (Spain)
Fourth official:
Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Both managers were expelled by referee Mejuto González in the 41st minute.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Full-time report Austria-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Full-time report Germany-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Germany-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Full-time report Croatia-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Croatia-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Full-time report Austria-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Full-time report Poland-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Poland-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Full-time report Austria-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.