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England 1-1 Russia: Wasteful Three Lions miss chance to win
Sam Williams
The Three Lions missed a number of chances to add to Eric Dier's superb free-kick, and were ultimately punished by a late sucker punch, with Roy Hodgson's men left with a point
Russia captain Vasili Berezutski scored an injury-time equaliser to deny England a deserved win in their Euro 2016 opener in Marseille.
Roy Hodgson's side were dominant from start to finish at the Stade Velodrome, but were left to rue a combination of wasteful finishing and Russian resilience as Leonid Slutsky's side somehow escaped with a 1-1 draw.
Eric Dier finally gave England the lead their performance merited with an unstoppable free-kick from just outside the area in the 73rd minute, but Russia kept themselves in the game and stole a point when Berezutski's looping header at the back post beat Joe Hart two minutes into stoppage time.
The equaliser also ignited unsavoury scenes behind Hart's goal, as fan clashes seen on the streets of Marseille in the days leading up to the game erupted inside the Velodrome.
Much of the pre-game talk was centred around Hodgson's team selection, and the England boss plumped for a front three of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana, with captain Wayne Rooney deployed in a deeper role.
Hodgson was rewarded with a hugely impressive first-half display, particularly from his skipper, with Russia clinging on in the face of wave after wave of England pressure.
Understandably, England's intensity dropped after the break, but it looked as if Dier's intervention was going to be enough to earn all three points.
However, Russia had a response, leaving Wales sitting top of Group B heading into Thursday's Home Nations clash in Lens after their win over Slovakia earlier in the day.
England began on the front foot and Lallana's stinging half-volley, which came about after an enterprising run forward from Kyle Walker, forced Igor Akinfeev into a smart save seven minutes in.
Rooney was being afforded the freedom of the Velodrome from his deeper position, and the England skipper started a move that ended with Dele Alli glancing Sterling's inswinging cross from the left wide, with Kane just unable to make contact behind him.
Russia were struggling to get out of their own half, and another two England chances went begging in the opening 20 minutes.
First, Alli failed to anticipate Danny Rose's dangerous low delivery from the left that would have left him with a tap-in, before Lallana dragged a shot wide after more good work from Walker.
Kane then finally had the ball in the net only to be correctly denied by the offside flag, before Rooney - advancing forward for the first time - fizzed an effort from 20 yards straight at Akinfeev.
Half-time came at the wrong time for a relentless England side, and they struggled to move back through the gears after the interval.
Russia looked increasingly comfortable as England's intensity dropped, and Fyodor Smolov had Joe Hart scrambling when he attempted to curl an effort into the bottom corner just after the hour.
Slutsky had his goalkeeper to thank for keeping his team level in the 70th minute. Danny Rose's low cross was only half-cleared to the onrushing Rooney, who tried to place a low effort into the corner only to be denied by a stunning one-handed stop from Akinfeev.
But there was nothing Akinfeev could do moments later, when Dier finally broke the deadlock in some style.
It appeared as if Kane would strike the free-kick from just outside the box, but he ran over the ball to allow his Tottenham team-mate to thump an unstoppable, side-footed drive into the top corner.
Dier's goal was no more than England deserved, but they were made to pay for their lack of ruthlessness when skipper Berezutski rose highest to nod back across goal and in.
Fabregas: Germany & Italy copied Spain in search for success
Nizaar Kinsella
The midfielder dismissed La Roja's tag as one of the tournament favourites but claims his country's record-breaking achievements inspired, among others, the new Chelsea manager
Cesc Fabregas has claimed Spain 's rivals at Euro 2016 have copied the holders' style in the search for success.
La Roja head into their opener against against Czech Republic at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse among the favourites to lift the crown on July 10, having won the previous two tournaments.
Fabregas feels Spain's short passing and possession-based approach has been emulated by the likes of world champions Germany and new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's Italy.
"I have no doubt about it [Spain's influence]." Fabregas told Goal at a Q&A during Puma's #choosetricks boot launch in London.
"Since 2006-08 when we started playing this kind of football, I don’t remember seeing so many teams trying to play or trying to adapt their system to what we were used to do.
"If you play the same way and you don’t win no one will copy you, but if you win and you have success then you will see people trying to copy your tactics or the way you are playing. Of course there was Germany or even Italy under Conte."
The Azzurri boss is charged with getting Chelsea back to the top of English football after a disastrous season saw the club record a worst ever defence of a Premier League title, with Fabregas previously telling Goal that he forgot how to play football .
Fabregas is aiming to return to Stamford Bridge with another European Championships winners' medal, but dismissed Spain's pre-tournament favourites tag.
"We don’t really mind if we are favourites or not, at the end of the day the best team will be the ones who have the fittest players that get there in the best moment of the season," he said.
"Sometimes you have a fantastic team but, for whatever reason, you get there and you are a little bit more tired or you have lost with your club and you are a little bit down. For so many reasons things could change from good to bad in one second.
"You just have to go there with the hunger and passion we have been playing with since 2006. From there we will try to do our best and make sure we give the country something to be proud of.
"In 2008, we were going there like we didn’t even exist. No one believed in us and we won. We were by far the best team. It will be a tough Euros, I don’t know who is going to win but we will try to be there until the end."
The Manchester United star has been trusted to line up in goal for the reigning European champions in their first clash of Euro 2016 on Monday
David De Gea has replaced Iker Casillas in the Spain starting XI for their opening game of Euro 2016 against Czech Republic.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has used both De Gea and Casillas in the run up to the competition, though it is the former Real Madrid and current Porto shot stopper who has been relied upon most often.
The reigning European champions' preparations for the tournament have been marred due to De Gea's alleged involvement in an ongoing sex case which he has strongly denied.
However, Del Bosque defended the Manchester United No.1 shortly after the reports emerged and has since told the dressing room that it is the 25-year-old who will line up in goal for Monday's encounter.
The coach and Sergio Ramos have both declared that the mood in the Spain camp has not been soiled by the implications, but Del Bosque had said before the game that he was willing to wait to see if De Gea was in the right frame of mind before deciding to start him.
He said: "We will see if the player is able to play. If not, we will take another decision without any problem.
"We have to think about these situations for the team. We are not going to think about just the goalkeeper. We are going to think about the whole team."
Russia handed suspended disqualification from Euro 2016
By Jon Fisher
UEFA has warned Russia that a repeat of the violence that marred the game with England on Saturday will see them kicked out of Euro 2016
The Russian Football Union have been handed a suspended disqualification from Euro 2016 and fined €150,000 following the violence that marred the Euro 2016 game with England in Marseille on Saturday, UEFA has announced.
Hundreds of Russian fans charged through a flimsy security cordon at the Stade Velodrome following the final whistle in the 1-1 draw to attack England fans.
The incident came at the end of a day of clashes between the two sets of supporters, as well as police and local gangs, in the Old Port area of the city.
UEFA on Sunday warned both England and Russia could be thrown out the tournament if there was a repeat but Tuesday's statement made it clear European football's governing body can only act on clashes that occur inside the ground.
The statement read: "The independent UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) met today in Paris to deal with the disciplinary proceedings opened against the Russian Football Union (RFU) following the incidents which occurred inside the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, at the UEFA EURO 2016 match against England on 11 June (1-1).
"Charges relating to crowd disturbances, use of fireworks and racist behaviour had been brought against the RFU, and the CEDB decided to impose the following sanctions:
• A fine of €150,000.
• A suspended disqualification of the Russian national team from UEFA EURO 2016 for the crowd disturbances. In accordance with Article 20 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, this disqualification is suspended until the end of the tournament. Such suspension will be lifted if incidents of a similar nature [crowd disturbances] happen inside the stadium at any of the remaining matches of the Russian team during the tournament.
"The decisions of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body is open to appeal.
"This decision only relates to the incidents which occurred inside the stadium and are therefore under the jurisdiction of the UEFA Disciplinary Bodies."
Austria v Hungary: Schopf demands supreme effort against neighbours
12 June 2016
Austria midfielder Alessandro Schopf says nothing but a top-level display from his side will be enough to beat neighbours Hungary in their Euro 2016 opener.
Marcel Koller's side, co-hosts of the 2008 tournament, progressed to the finals through a qualifying campaign for the first time in laudable fashion, winning nine and drawing one of their 10 matches.
With an 11-game unbeaten run in competitive fixtures and a squad boasting the talents of David Alaba, Marko Arnautovic and Aleksandar Dragovic, Austria are firm favourites to open their campaign in France with victory over a Hungary side who are appearing in their first major finals since 1986.
But with the Hungarians boasting the better head-to-head record - they have won 66 and lost 40 of 137 meetings - Schalke midfielder Schopf expects a stern test in Bordeaux.
"It will certainly be a difficult game for us," the 22-year-old, who only made his senior debut in March, told the Austrian Football Association website.
"They're a compact opponent, defensively very well organised. In attack, they always create chances. We have to give 120 per cent or we won't win this game.
"There's currently a huge euphoria in Austria. We want to give something back."
Hungary qualified for their first European Championship finals since 1972 by beating Norway 3-1 in the play-off round, after they finished third in Group F behind Romania and Northern Ireland.
Their chances of progressing from a group which also contains Portugal and Iceland appear slim, but a result against much-fancied Austria would give them a fighting chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.
For Richard Guzmics, hopes of beating their neighbours will depend on how well they nullify the influence of centre-back Dragovic and strike duo Arnautovic and Mark Janko.
"Dragovic and Janko effectively determine how the Austria team plays. But they've got Arnautovic, as well," he said this week.
"They're very strong on the wings and we have to make sure we're prepared for this. We've shown that we're organised. The team defends and attacks together."
Regardless of the result, Hungary can make history on Tuesday: at 40 years and 75 days, goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly will become the oldest player to play at the tournament, beating the record of 39 years and 91 days held by Lotthar Matthaus.
Key Opta Stats:
- Hungary are unbeaten in their last three games against Austria (W2 D1). Their only previous encounter in a major tournament was in the 1934 World Cup: Austria won 2-1 in the quarter finals.
- Austria have been knocked out in the group stages in each of their last three major tournaments (World Cup 1990, World Cup 1998, Euro 2008).
- Austria only converted one of their 46 shots at EURO 2008, their only previous appearance in the finals.
- Hungary's only win to date at the European Championship came in June 1964 against Denmark (3-1 in the third place final). They have lost the other three games.
- Marcel Koller is participating in his first major tournament as coach. He played two games for Switzerland at Euro 1996 (draw against England followed by a defeat against Scotland).
Romania v Switzerland: Schar pleased to move on from Albania encounter
13 June 2016
Fabian Schar is pleased to have the emotional weight of Switzerland's Group A opener against Albania in the past as they attempt to secure a place in the knockout stages of Euro 2016 versus Romania.
Schar's early header was enough to secure a 1-0 win at Lens' Stade Bollaert-Deleis, which enjoyed one of the most memorable atmospheres of the fledgling tournament.
Six members of the Albania squad were born in Switzerland and the match featured the unusual spectacle of brothers Granit and Taulant Xhaka facing each other on opposing sides.
Switzerland struggled for fluency and could not further punish their opponents after Lorik Cana's first-half red card, while Vladimir Petkovic's men were indebted to goalkeeper Yann Sommer for a pair of stunning saves to deny Albania a point.
Speaking at a news conference ahead taking on Romania at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, Schar conceded his colleagues were eager to draw a line under Saturday's contest.
"There was a lot of pressure, we are delighted to have put the match against the Albanians behind us," he said.
"After the early goal we made the mistake to get them back into the game. It is true that we had chances to score the 2-0, but we failed."
A tale of missed chances is certainly familiar to Romania following their opening night loss to France.
Bogdan Stancu cancelled out Olivier Giroud's opener with a 65th-minute penalty before Dimitri Payet's sensational late winner, but the Genclerbirligi forward passed up a pair of glorious opportunities at the start of each half that might have wholly altered the complexion of the contest at the Stade de France.
Centre-back Dragos Grigore knows there are further tough moments ahead in the group but believes UEFA's new 24-team format means it is not a case of all-or-nothing against Switzerland.
"There will be two matches as difficult as that against France," Grigore told a news conference.
"The match with Switzerland is important, but do not think it is decisive. We will enter the field thinking to win this game. We know it will be difficult but at the end of the match I hope we can enjoy.
"Of course, in the next period after the game, you remember every phase of the game, but trying to move on as quickly as possible. Unfortunately we did not put up any points.
"I hope that at the end of the competition Romanians will be proud of our team."
As Anghel Iordanescu's team took the host to the brink on the opening night, Schar was a keen and impressed observer.
"We have seen what they are capable, it is not easy to play against them," he added. "We are expecting a tough game."
Key Opta stats:
- Romania and Switzerland are finely balanced across their previous encounters with five wins apiece and two draws.
- Switzerland’s 4-1 win over Romania in the 1994 World Cup is the only previous instance of these teams facing off at the finals stage of a major competition. Anghel Iordanescu was the Romania coach - the first of his three spells in charge.
- Romania have only won one of their 14 games at the European Championships, a 3-2 win over England at Euro 2000.
- In the opening game against France, Romania conceded as many goals as they did over the whole qualifying campaign for Euro 2016.
- Xherdan Shaqiri has had a hand in nine goals in his last eight competitive appearances for Switzerland (five goals, four assists).
Lewandowski: Poland must be fearless against Germany
14 June 2016
Robert Lewandowski has stressed Poland must be fearless in their upcoming Group C game against Germany, who he believes are the undisputed favourites to win Euro 2016.
Poland beat Northern Ireland 1-0 on matchday one to record their first-ever win at the Euros.
They could seal qualification for the next round with a win over Germany, although Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski expects a tough match.
"It will be a special game against Germany. We know each other very well. We met twice in the qualifiers and Germany are the favourites for me, not just on Thursday but also to win the tournament. They can go all the way," Lewandowski told Die Welt.
"We know how strong Germany are. But we will fight. Everything is possible in a tournament like this.
"We have to stay calm and act confident. We must play without fear and don't have any stress. We know it will be hard, but it's only football and we must enjoy ourselves. We can do it if we approach the game like that."
Ukraine v Northern Ireland: Evans hints at change in approach
14 June 2016
Jonny Evans has indicated Northern Ireland may try a different approach for what he has described as a "make-or-break" Euro 2016 clash with Ukraine.
Michael O'Neill's men were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Poland on their European Championship debut as Arkadiusz Milik settled the encounter in Nice, the goal just reward for a dominant performance by Adam Nawalka's side.
That result leaves Northern Ireland facing a tough task to make it into the last 16, with world champions Germany awaiting them in the Group C finale after Thursday's fixture at the Stade de Lyon.
However, Evans refuses to throw in the towel just yet and is hopeful they can get a result against Ukraine in order to keep their chances alive.
"Michael has hinted that we might try different things against different teams, especially Ukraine who are very good from the wide areas," Evans told the British media.
"[Andriy] Yarmolenko is probably their most dangerous player. He plays off the right side and that's something Michael has talked about, so we'll analyse the Poland game and see if we can take any positives from aspects of our game.
"It would have been nice to take something from the game [against Poland] but we know we can't lose [versus Ukraine], especially as we are up against Germany in the last game who are going to dominate better than anyone.
"It might be a make-or-break for us against Ukraine."
Ukraine, meanwhile, are in an equally difficult position after losing their opener versus Germany 2-0.
Mikhail Fomenko's men had their chances against Germany, Yevhen Konoplyanka seeing an effort cleared off the line by Jerome Boateng in a performance that left Ukraine with plenty of room for encouragement despite the defeat.
They will fancy their chances of getting the full three points versus Northern Ireland, who are winless in four matches against Ukraine.
However, Fomenko has warned his players not to take Northern Ireland lightly in a contest that is likely to prove pivotal to their hopes of reaching the knock-out rounds.
"Northern Ireland are not underdogs at all," Fomenko told World Soccer prior to the Germany game.
"They play a typically British style of football and are not an easy rival either. Every match will require complete discipline and motivation.
"It is necessary always to have serious ambitions.
"Taking into account the teams that we have to play, our priority is to qualify from the group."
Key Opta facts:
- Northern Ireland have never beaten Ukraine (drawing twice and losing twice), but their last two meetings have ended in goalless draws.
- Ukraine have lost their last three games at the Euros without scoring a single goal (five goals conceded).
- Northern Ireland have won only one of their last 10 games at a major tournament, beating Spain in the 1982 World Cup.
- Ukraine striker Roman Zozulya only made 10 touches and completed three passes in 66 minutes against Germany. He did not attempt a single shot.
- Northern Ireland attacker Kyle Lafferty had more touches in his own box (three) than in the opposition's (one) in their opening game against Poland.
A bus-load of Russian supporters - including Alexander Shprygin, the far-right head of the All-Russian Fans' Union - were being held by French authorities in southern France on Tuesday.
Shprygin claimed they had been told they face deportation and had asked for the Russian consul to intervene on the stand-off in Cannes.
In a series of tweets, Shprygin wrote: "They’ve pulled our bus over, demanding we all get out, searching for weapons and drugs and checking documents.
"They’re deporting two women who particpated in precisely nothing.
"We are an official group of fans, this is a circus."
Marseille's chief prosecutor Brice Robin on Monday confirmed not a single Russian had been arrested for the violence that marred their Euro 2016 opener against England in the city on Saturday.
Despite admitting around 150 "ultra-violent and ultra-rapid" Russian hooligans were involved in the trouble prior to and following the game, the majority detained were British.
That has prompted French police to try to round up those they believe were involved, but Shprygin claims they are currently investigating the wrong people.
"Not one person who took part in the Marseille violence has been apprehended but instead they’re deporting the whole Russian supporters union in three days," he tweeted.
“We’re not getting off the bus. A complete farce.
"They have offered us lunch but no water and we are not able to go to the toilet."
Alcohol ban and 2,400 security reinforcements for England´s clash with Wales
14 June 2016
A 2,400-strong security force will be deployed in Lens this week as part of extra precautions taken against fan violence at Euro 2016, French authorities have confirmed.
The additional police and private security personnel will reinforce the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, the fan zone and the town centre for Thursday's Group B match between England and Wales. They will also oversee improved segregation of fans within the stadium.
"We will have a strong police presence with more than 1,200 police officers present in Lens and you can add 1,200 more with the private security that will be mobilised that day," regional administration head Fabienne Buccio said at a media conference in Arras.
"We have strengthened the safety systems on the inside of the stadium. They will be present in the stands ready in order to intervene promptly if there are clashes between supporters.
"There will be reinforced procedures outside the stadium. The town will be in lockdown by the police."
Restrictions on the sale of alcohol will also be in place. Bars in Lens can sell beer with an alcohol level lower than five per cent in plastic or paper cups, but supermarkets will be banned from selling any alcohol between 0600CET Wednesday and 0600CET Friday.
Service stations between Lille and Lens, and the route from the port town of Calais, will have similar restrictions, while authorities have been in contact with P&O Ferries and Eurostar officials in order to limit the sale of alcohol to fans crossing the English Channel.
Concerns had been raised about the number of supporters who will descend on a town that has a population of just 36,000 – less than that of the stadium capacity.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 England and Wales fans are expected to have travelled to Lens by the time the match kicks off at 1500CET on Thursday.
Alcohol was available for Switzerland's clash with Albania last Saturday, but a ban during the days surrounding England’s match with Wales had already been mooted prior to the start of the tournament.
Concern about the behaviour of fans has grown in recent days after a series of violent confrontations, most notably between Russian and English supporters in Marseille.
Six English nationals were jailed as a result of skirmishes in the city, with riot police dispersing troublemakers using teargas.
UEFA announced on Tuesday that the Russian Football Union had been handed a suspended disqualification from the tournament following the violence that flared following the final whistle at the Stade Velodrome.
The Three Lions boss insists his side thoroughly deserve to be at the top of Group B and has paid tribute to Wayne Rooney's performances as a midfielder at Euro 2016
Roy Hodgson believes England fully deserve to lead Group B with four points from two Euro 2016 matches following Thursday's win over Wales.
An injury-time strike from Daniel Sturridge sealed the victory in Lens after Jamie Vardy had cancelled out a first-half free-kick from Gareth Bale.
England were denied a victory over Russia thanks to an equaliser from Vasili Berezutski just a few seconds before the final whistle in their opening game in Marseille, but Thursday's win has put them a point ahead of Wales and Slovakia at the top of the group with a game to play.
And Hodgson feels his side's performances in their two matches makes their position fully justified.
"I'd have been less ecstatic had we not conceded late on against Russia," he said. "It was always going to be important to win today and we thought we might if we put in a similar performance but the Welsh worked hard and restricted clear-cut chances.
"It took a lot of probing and effort but I was pleased to see both chances go in. Four points is the minimum we deserved from the two performances."
Vardy came off the bench to score the equaliser on his maiden appearance at a major tournament for England, who went on to win their first match at a showpiece competition while trailing at half-time.
And Hodgson was quick to compare the impact made by Vardy and team-mate Sturridge to that of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann, who had helped France to a 2-0 win over Albania after starting among the substitutes for the hosts on Wednesday.
"He [Vardy] has a lot of confidence and I had no hesitation to put him on the field," Hodgson continued. "Harry Kane looked a bit tired so it was great to have him to step in, as well as Marcus Rashford and particularly Daniel Sturridge to ask some questions.
"I don't trust stats but it seemed we were on the ball so much, we had to make so many decisions on the ball and around the penalty area.
"Of the 23 players, the ones not selected will feel hard done by. I think it'll be a feature of the tournament, and watching France play Albania last night, it was similar when Pogba and Griezmann came on the field - they got the victory they looked like they might be denied."
Captain Wayne Rooney once again impressed in a midfield role and Hodgson believes the Manchester United man has vindicated his faith following some doubts over his pre-tournament form and fitness.
"It's not just his offensive qualities - it's nice to have a player like him in midfield as he is still a goalscorer," he added.
"But we're happy with the composure he brings, the calmness when it gets a bit frantic. His long cross-field passes have always been a feature of his game. In particular, having survived some of those doubts about him in the build-up to my selection, I'm pleased that he's shown he still has such an influence on the team."
Mykhaylo Fomenko's side are the first team to be eliminated from the tournament following Germany's draw with Poland, which leaves them stranded at the bottom of Group C
Ukraine have become the first team to be eliminated from Euro 2016.
Germany's 0-0 draw with Poland on Thursday evening leaves Mykhaylo Fomenko's side stranded at the bottom of Group C following their 2-0 defeat to Northern Ireland.
Ukraine are three points behind the Green and White Army with one group match - against Poland - remaining and the first tiebreaker used to separate teams is their head-to-head record.
That means the eastern European nation cannot overtake Northern Ireland regardless of their results on matchday three.
Germany lead Group C on goal difference, with Poland level with the world champions on four points and Northern Ireland, on three, also still in with a chance of topping the table.
Russia supporters arrested after confrontation in Cologne
Eliot Rothwell
After a confrontation in the German city, a number of Russian fans were arrested by police ahead of their trip back to Moscow
Six Russian supporters were arrested in the German city of Cologne on Thursday after attacking a number of Spanish tourists.
According to local newspaper Kölner Express, the seven Russian supporters set upon the group of tourists, injuring two and leaving one Spaniard with a broken nose.
Police then arrived on the scene, taking six of the Russian supporters into custody, while one reportedly managed to evade the attention of the authorities.
The Russians belongings were inspected following their arrest, with police finding tickets for Saturday's 1-1 draw with England in Marseille, while a police spokesperson confirmed that the supporters were set to travel back to Russia from Cologne later on Thursday evening.
"The people were on their way to the airport in the evening to go back to Moscow," the spokesperson said.
The incident becomes the latest in a number of violent scenes linked to Euro 2016, with UEFA issuing Russia with a suspended disqualification following the disorder in Marseille, as fans charged from the Russian section of the stadium to towards England fans at full-time in the Group B clash.
Another tragedy has befallen the Green and White Army's travelling contingent, with a supporter collapsing and dying during the win over Ukraine in Lyon on Thursday
The Northern Ireland fan who collapsed while watching his side's 2-0 win over Ukraine in Lyon has died, police confirmed on Thursday.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland were informed by their counterparts in Lyon that a man in his 60s collapsed during the Group C encounter at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
The death is the second tragedy to befall the country's followers in France, after 24-year-old Darren Rodgers was killed in an accident in Nice last weekend.
Northern Ireland's fans paid an emotional tribute to Rodgers in the 24th minute of their game against Ukraine.
Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn sealed the country's maiden win in what is their European Championship debut and first major tournament appearance since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
