World champions Germany began their bid to claim a record fourth UEFA European Championship title by beating Ukraine 2-0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy near Lille.
Advertisement
Schweinsteiger was brought on in the 90th and scored just two minutes later when he rounded off a rapid counter-attack, steering home a flawless cross from Mesut Ozil.
Schweinsteiger, who suffered his second serious knee injury of the year in training on March 22 and hadn’t played since, came on in the last minute.
After the sprint forward, I was a bit out of breath.
“It was incredible. You could have only wished for such a thing to happen”.
Mustafi impressed at the heart of the defence alongside Boateng, with his first-half header and a superb late interception to stop a Ukraine counter-attack capping a strong all-round display.
Germany coach Joachim Loew hailed Boateng, who was the target of right-wing German politician Alexander Gauland this month. The 26-year-old left back Jonas Hector, playing in his first major tournament, was the only exception. “It’s good to have Jerome Boateng as your neighbour in defence”. “So unsafe was the situation”.
Northern Ireland’s loss was their first in 13 games and they must now get back on track against Ukraine.
“We ran a lot in the first half but we seemed to have some problems in the transition, we lost a lot of balls”, he said. Another 50 leading suspects took part in the skirmishes which followed the major battles between Russian Federation and England fans in Marseille.
Croatia have opened their Euro 2016 campaign in the best possible way, clinching a narrow 1-0 victory in a tight encounter with Turkey in Paris.
“It was important for us to start with a win”, Mustafi said. “It sometimes was an open match, an English match”, said Mustafi.
Croatia were the better side and created more chances but needed the brilliance of their inspirational midfielder to win their Group D opener at Parc des Princes and gain a measure of revenge after their bitter quarter-final elimination by the same opponents at Euro 2008.
“He really played well, he was our leader”.
Never a man of many words, Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko could find no other reason to explain his side’s spirited but ultimately vain attempt to hold off the German steamroller in an opening Euro 2016 Group C game that ended 2-0.
“We didn’t put them under pressure anymore and then it’s hard against a team like them”.
Poland’s man-of-the match, Gregorz Krychowiak, added to the air of confidence.
Advertisement
“It wasn’t really the plan that Bastian was going to surface so far forward”, Low said. “The players knew they would be facing a team at a very high level”.
