UEFA Euro 2008 Group B

Group B of UEFA Euro 2008 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.

Teams
Draw position Team Pot Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Previous best
performance		 UEFA Rankings FIFA Rankings
June 2008
November 2007[nb 1] May 2008[nb 2]
B1 Austria1Co-host12 December 20021st—Debut272992
B2 Croatia2Group E winner17 November 20073rd2004Quarter-finals (1996)21115
B3 Germany[nb 3]3Group D runner-up13 October 200710th2004Winners (1972, 1980, 1996)745
B4 Poland4Group A winner17 November 20071st—Debut121328

Notes

  1. The UEFA rankings of November 2007 were used for seeding for the final draw.
  2. UEFA unveiled a new ranking system in May 2008 based on results up to November 2007.
  3. From 1972 to 1988, Germany competed as West Germany.

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Croatia 3 3 0 0 4 1 +3 9 Advance to knockout phase
2  Germany 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6
3  Austria (H) 3 0 1 2 1 3 −2 1[lower-alpha 1]
4  Poland 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1[lower-alpha 1]
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Host.
Notes:
  1. Tied on head-to-head result (Austria 1–1 Poland). Overall goal difference was used as the tiebreaker.

In the quarter-finals,

  • The winner of Group B, Croatia, advanced to play the runner-up of Group A, Turkey.
  • The runner-up of Group B, Germany, advanced to play the winner of Group A, Portugal.

Matches
All times Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Austria vs Croatia
Austria 0–1 Croatia
Report
Attendance: 51,428[1]
Austria[2]
Croatia[2]
GK21Jürgen Macho
CB15Sebastian Prödl 68'
CB3Martin Stranzl
CB4Emanuel Pogatetz 3'
DM6René Aufhauser
DM19Jürgen Säumel 21' 61'
RM2Joachim Standfest
LM12Ronald Gërçaliu 69'
AM10Andreas Ivanschitz (c)
CF20Martin Harnik
CF9Roland Linz 73'
Substitutions:
MF7Ivica Vastić 61'
MF11Ümit Korkmaz 69'
FW18Roman Kienast 73'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger
GK1Stipe Pletikosa
RB5Vedran Ćorluka
CB4Robert Kovač 51'
CB3Josip Šimunić
LB22Danijel Pranjić
RM11Darijo Srna
CM10Niko Kovač (c)
CM14Luka Modrić
LM19Niko Kranjčar 61'
CF18Ivica Olić 83'
CF21Mladen Petrić 72'
Substitutions:
DF15Dario Knežević 61'
FW20Igor Budan 72'
MF8Ognjen 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
Germany 2–0 Poland
 Report
Attendance: 30,461[3]
Germany[4]
Poland[4]
GK1Jens Lehmann
RB16Philipp Lahm
CB21Christoph Metzelder
CB17Per Mertesacker
LB2Marcell Jansen
RM4Clemens Fritz 56'
CM8Torsten Frings
CM13Michael Ballack (c)
LM20Lukas Podolski
CF9Mario Gómez 75'
CF11Miroslav Klose 90+1'
Substitutions:
MF7Bastian Schweinsteiger 64' 56'
MF15Thomas Hitzlsperger 75'
FW22Kevin Kurányi 90+1'
Manager:
Joachim Löw
GK1Artur Boruc
RB13Marcin Wasilewski
CB14Michał Żewłakow
CB6Jacek Bąk
LB4Paweł Golański 75'
CM5Dariusz Dudka
CM18Mariusz Lewandowski 60'
RW17Wojciech Łobodziński 65'
AM9Maciej Żurawski (c) 46'
LW8Jacek Krzynówek
CF7Euzebiusz Smolarek 40'
Substitutions:
MF20Roger Guerreiro 46'
MF16Łukasz Piszczek 65'
FW11Marek Saganowski 75'
Manager:
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
Croatia 2–1 Germany
 Report
Attendance: 30,461[5]
Croatia[6]
Germany[6]
GK1Stipe Pletikosa
RB5Vedran Ćorluka
CB4Robert Kovač
CB3Josip Šimunić 45+1'
LB22Danijel Pranjić
RM11Darijo Srna 27' 80'
CM14Luka Modrić 90+3'
CM10Niko Kovač (c)
LM7Ivan Rakitić
SS19Niko Kranjčar 85'
CF18Ivica Olić 72'
Substitutions:
FW21Mladen Petrić 72'
MF16Jerko Leko 90+2' 80'
DF15Dario Knežević 85'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić
GK1Jens Lehmann 90+2'
RB16Philipp Lahm
CB21Christoph Metzelder
CB17Per Mertesacker
LB2Marcell Jansen 46'
RM4Clemens Fritz 82'
CM8Torsten Frings
CM13Michael Ballack (c) 75'
LM20Lukas Podolski
CF9Mario Gómez 66'
CF11Miroslav Klose
Substitutions:
MF19David Odonkor 46'
MF7Bastian Schweinsteiger 90+2' 66'
FW22Kevin 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
Austria 1–1 Poland
 Report
Attendance: 51,428[7]
Referee: Howard Webb (England)
Austria[8]
Poland[8]
GK21Jürgen Macho
RB14György Garics
CB15Sebastian Prödl 72'
CB3Martin Stranzl
LB4Emanuel Pogatetz
DM6René Aufhauser 74'
RM8Christoph Leitgeb
CM10Andreas Ivanschitz (c) 64'
LM11Ümit Korkmaz 56'
CF20Martin Harnik
CF9Roland Linz 64'
Substitutions:
MF7Ivica Vastić 64'
FW18Roman Kienast 64'
MF19Jürgen Säumel 74'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger
GK1Artur Boruc
RB13Marcin Wasilewski 58'
CB2Mariusz Jop 46'
CB6Jacek Bąk (c) 90+3'
LB14Michał Żewłakow
RM5Dariusz Dudka
CM18Mariusz Lewandowski
LM8Jacek Krzynówek 61'
AM20Roger Guerreiro 85'
CF11Marek Saganowski 83'
CF7Euzebiusz Smolarek
Substitutions:
DF4Paweł Golański 46'
MF17Wojciech Łobodziński 83'
MF19Rafał Murawski 85'
Manager:
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
Poland 0–1 Croatia
Report
Attendance: 30,461[9]
Poland[10]
Croatia[10]
GK1Artur Boruc
RB13Marcin Wasilewski
CB14Michał Żewłakow (c)
CB5Dariusz Dudka
LB3Jakub Wawrzyniak
CM19Rafał Murawski
CM18Mariusz Lewandowski 38' 46'
RW17Wojciech Łobodziński 55'
AM20Roger Guerreiro
LW8Jacek Krzynówek
CF11Marek Saganowski 69'
Substitutions:
DF23Adam Kokoszka 46'
FW7Euzebiusz Smolarek 55'
FW21Tomasz Zahorski 84' 69'
Manager:
Leo Beenhakker
GK23Vedran Runje
RB2Dario Šimić (c)
CB6Hrvoje Vejić 45'
CB15Dario Knežević 27'
LB22Danijel Pranjić
RM16Jerko Leko
CM8Ognjen Vukojević 85'
CM13Nikola Pokrivač
LM7Ivan Rakitić
CF17Ivan Klasnić 74'
CF21Mladen Petrić 75'
Substitutions:
DF5Vedran Ćorluka 27'
FW9Nikola Kalinić 74'
MF19Niko Kranjčar 75'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić

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

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

Austria vs Germany
Austria 0–1 Germany
Report
Attendance: 51,428[11]
Austria[12]
Germany[12]
GK21Jürgen Macho
RB14György Garics
CB3Martin Stranzl 13'
CB17Martin Hiden 55'
LB4Emanuel Pogatetz
CM6René Aufhauser 63'
LM5Christian Fuchs
AM10Andreas Ivanschitz (c) 48'
RW20Martin Harnik 67'
LW11Ümit Korkmaz
CF22Erwin Hoffer 31'
Substitutions:
MF8Christoph Leitgeb 55'
MF19Jürgen Säumel 63'
FW18Roman Kienast 67'
Manager:
Josef Hickersberger[note 1]
GK1Jens Lehmann
RB3Arne Friedrich
CB17Per Mertesacker
CB21Christoph Metzelder
LB16Philipp Lahm
RM4Clemens Fritz 90+3'
CM8Torsten Frings
CM13Michael Ballack (c)
LM20Lukas Podolski 83'
CF9Mario Gómez 60'
CF11Miroslav Klose
Substitutions:
MF15Thomas Hitzlsperger 60'
FW10Oliver Neuville 83'
MF18Tim Borowski 90+3'
Manager:
Joachim Löw[note 1]

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

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

Notes
  1. Both Hickersberger and Löw were expelled by the referee in the 41st minute.

References
  1. "Full-time report Austria-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  3. "Full-time report Germany-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Germany-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  5. "Full-time report Croatia-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  6. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Croatia-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  7. "Full-time report Austria-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  8. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Poland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  9. "Full-time report Poland-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  10. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Poland-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  11. "Full-time report Austria-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  12. "Team Line-ups – Group B – Austria-Germany" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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