Euro 2008 Netherlands Vs Italy Photos

The Netherlands took a grip on Euro 2008's so-called "Group of Death" by beating Italy in a classic encounter. Well done Holland! They deserved to win.

Pictures says more than words:

The slogan on this banner says: ‘Play hard, play fair, have fun!’

The team who defeated Italy 3-0.

The MOTM just scored with his head

Van Persie and Van Nistelrooy enjoying themselves…

Van Nistelrooy celebrates his goal as Italy claim offside

Celebration of goal

Fans in Bern watching on the big screen

Cheering to there heroes

Players thanking the fans and vice versa

Kuyt and Van der Sar delight in win

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Euro 2008 Romania Vs France Highlights video

The opening match of the Group C was probably the poorest match of the tournament until this moment. Romania preferred to defend themselves for 90 minutes, while France where not able to send the ball into the net and did not even create themselves to many scoring opportunities.

With Anelka in the role as the worst player of the squad France missed its biggest scoring chance in the 33rd minute as Chelsea’s striker managed to head the ball over the crossbar from 7 meters. With a Romanian side defending with all its players in their own half the second and last major scoring chance for France was registered in the second half. Benzema sent a poor shot from a favorable position after a nice combination.

The Romanian side did not register any major scoring opportunity. They just relied on a few corner kicks and some free kick crosses, but this was to little to score a goal. Watch the most important scoring opportunities in the next videos.

Romania 0 - 0 France

Match Stats:
shots on target : 0 - 1
shots off target : 4 - 8
possession (%) : 46 - 54
corner kicks : 3 - 3
offsides : 1 - 1
fouls : 18 - 21
yellow cards : 3 - 1
red cards : 0 - 0

Referee: Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)
Attendance: 30,585

First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

9′ Benzema misses the first chance for France.

33′ Anelka has the biggest miss of the match for France.

49′ Malouda has a nice run finished with a shot.

57′ Benzema has another shot for France.

Source:

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Euro 2008 Netherlands Vs Italy Highlights video

The Netherlands ended a 30-year wait for a victory over Italy in emphatic fashion as they began their Group C campaign with a rousing 3-0 win against the world champions in Berne.

Ruud van Nistelrooy side-footed the Oranje ahead in the 26th minute, a lead doubled superbly by his Real Madrid CF colleague Wesley Sneijder soon after. Edwin van der Sar, becoming only the third player to appear in four UEFA European Championships, then kept the advantage intact, leaving Giovanni van Bronckhorst to complete the scoring with a headed third in the 79th minute. The Netherlands can now look forward with confidence to Friday's meeting with France, while Italy must pick themselves up from a worst-ever EURO defeat when they face Romania.

Opening goal
Sneijder first fizzed one set-piece in from the left which Marco Materazzi headed clear. Then Rafael van der Vaart did likewise from the right, the scrambling Buffon's punched clearance eventually reaching birthday boy Sneijder whose powerful drive from the corner of the box was side-footed in by Van Nistelrooy as the Azzurri defence appealed for offside. Italy went close to levelling from an inswinging corner five minutes later yet were caught flat-footed in the 31st minute when Van Bronckhorst, who had cleared off the line, was able to charge half the length of the field unchallenged.

1-0 R.van Nistelrooy 26′

Probing Sneijder
The Feyenoord man made the most of the time afforded him, pinging a perfect crossfield ball to Kuyt whose cushioned header was spectacularly hooked inside Buffon's near post by the leaping Sneijder. Italy's three-man midfield of Gennaro Gattuso, Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini could not contain Sneijder as he probed the left side, creating space for Van Bronckhorst. The full-back was able all too easily to dissect an Azzurri back line missing injured captain Fabio Cannavaro with a pass that released Van Nistelrooy on goal. Buffon stood tall, however, clipping the shot over with his feet.

2-0 W.Sneijder 31′

Van der Sar saves
Italy sought a way back into the match after the break. Substitute Alessandro Del Piero failed to profit from two half-chances before Toni lofted a shot over when free on the penalty spot on 76 minutes. Van der Sar then foiled Fabio Grosso at close range before diving at full stretch to keep out a Pirlo free-kick, leaving Van Bronckhorst to wrap things up at the other end following smart work by Kuyt. The last time the Netherlands beat Italy they went on to reach the 1978 FIFA World Cup final – a lucky omen as they look to claim a first European crown since their coach volleyed them to glory in 1988.

3-0 G.van Bronckhorst 79′

Main highlights

Holland Italy (3 - 0 )
26′ R.v. Nistelrooy [1 - 0]
31′ W. Sneijder [2 - 0]
79′ G.v. Bronckhorst [3 - 0]

Match Stats:
shots on target : 8 - 5
shots off target : 5 - 11
possession (%) : 51 - 49
corner kicks : 3 - 5
offsides : 4 - 3
fouls : 16 - 10
yellow cards : 1 - 3
red cards : 0 - 0

Referee: Peter Fröjdfeldt (Sweden)
Attendance: 38,777

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