SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 47 Stalemate edges Germany, Poland towards last 16

PARIS: Old rivals Germany and Poland fought a in the dressing rooms at France’s national stadium battle of attrition that ended in a goalless draw and when a series of jihadist attacks across left 130 edged both countries towards a place in the last 16 dead on a night they faced the French in a friendly. of Euro 2016 on Thursday. The stalemate left However, the emotional return did not seem to Germany on top of Group C on goal difference with affect Joachim Loew’s side. They made by far the both sides on four points from two matches. better start as Mario Goetze headed just over from Poland’s had the best chance ’s cross, whilst also failed to when he bundled the ball wide from point-blank hit the target as he burst into the box. range early in the second-half. Germany’s Jerome At the other end, Lewandowski was kept in Boateng complained that his side had been “too close check by Boateng and the returning Mats rigid”, but agreed that a draw was a fair result from Hummels-playing in his first game for a month due a tightly contested encounter. to a calf injury. A drab end to the first-half was “We can be happy with the nil-nil,” Boateng quickly forgotten by a fast start to the second peri- said, but he criticized his side’s lack of attacking od. The hordes of Polish supporters watched in punch. “We didn’t take the game to our opponents, amazement when on 48 minutes Milik-scorer of the we weren’t dangerous enough and we have to only goal against Northern Ireland-somehow failed improve that or we won’t get far,” he told ZDF. to turn home ’s dangerous cross from “We’ve now got to make sure we win the last group barely a meter out. game so that we go through as group winners.” Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was not Poland’s superstar was forced into a save in the first-half as he deputized kept quiet by his Bayern Munich teammate for the injured Wojciech Szczesny. However, the Boateng, but was content to hold the world cham- Swansea City stopper was finally called into pions. “We’re happy with the point. We showed action as Goetze fired straight at him when well- Germany a bit too much respect in the first half,” he placed inside the area. Milik drove a well-worked said. “It’s a pity that we didn’t get the goal, but free-kick just wide before Boateng produced a that’s football and it’s not a bad result for us.” Their SAINT-DENIS: Poland’s (C) vies for the ball against Germany’s miraculous last-ditch challenge to deny opponents will be Northern Ireland, whose 2-0 win forward Mario Goetze during the Euro 2016 group C football match between Germany and Lewandowski as Poland began to look the more over Ukraine earlier Thursday leaves Michael Poland at the stadium in Saint-Denis. — AFP threatening. Ajax striker Milik fluffed his lines O’Neill’s men just a point behind the leaders ahead Germany once in 20 previous meetings, but that Return to night of trauma again when he failed to make a clean contact of the final group game in Paris on Tuesday. came in qualifying for Euro 2016 and the Poles Germany were playing at the Stade de France when picked out again by Grosicki inside the box. Poland take on Ukraine in in their final were full of confidence having won their first ever for the first time since they were caught up in the Yet, Fabianski then produced a stunning stop to pool match with a draw enough to seal their place European Championship finals match against November 13 militant attacks in Paris. Die turn Mesut Ozil’s fierce strike from the edge of in the knockout stages. Poland had only beaten Northern Ireland on Sunday. Mannschaft were forced to spend a traumatic night the box over the bar. —AFP Northern Ireland in first win Matches on TV (Local Timings) that helps eliminate Ukraine UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP LYON: Northern Ireland won its first game at the Hooligan violence Pyatov. Northern Ireland grew in confidence European Championship on Thursday, a 2-0 victory During the match, Northern Ireland’s players through the first half and with McAuley’s goal regis- Belgium v Ireland 16:00 over Ukraine that helped to eliminate its opponent. wore black armbands and its fans dedicated a tered its first goal in an international competition beIN MAX 2 HD Northern Ireland’s victory - its first in a major com- round of applause to pay their respects to another since the 1986 World Cup. With rain pouring down, beIN MAX 3 HD EN petition in 34 years - combined with the later 0-0 supporter who died following the loss to Poland on O’Neill’s team showed the extra aggressiveness he beIN MAX 1 HD draw between Germany and Poland to leave Sunday. Darren Rodgers, who was 24, died after a had requested for the match at the Stade de Lyon. beIN MAX 4 HD FR Ukraine unable to advance from Group C. fall unrelated to the hooligan violence that has A short suspension in play in the 58th minute Building on a strong finish to the first half, marred the competition at times. because of hail did not alter the team’s intent. Iceland v Hungary 19:00 Northern Ireland center back Gareth McAuley put Northern Ireland was a far different team “It’s probably the proudest I have felt in a beIN MAX 2 HD his team ahead with a header from an Oliver against Ukraine than the one that failed to even dugout as manager,” O’Neill said. “When you get a beIN MAX 3 HD EN Norwood free kick in the 49th minute. Substitute register a shot on goal against Poland. Coach performance that is just pure commitment, pure beIN MAX 1 HD Niall McGinn added the second deep in stoppage Michael O’Neill made five changes to his team in heart, you can’t ask for anything more.” Northern beIN MAX 4 HD FR time when Ukraine was chasing an equalizer. The response to that lackluster start to the tournament. Ireland made Ukraine look downright lethargic victory, which followed a 1-0 defeat to Poland in its His team’s first shot between the posts came as and had little trouble in marking wingers Andriy Portugal v Austria 22:00 first game, is Northern Ireland’s first since beating soon as the 4th minute when new addition Stuart Yarmolenko and out of the beIN MAX 2 HD host Spain in the 1982 World Cup. It also means the Dallas fired into the arms of goalkeeper Andriy match.—AP beIN MAX 3 HD EN team has a good chance of qualifying for the beIN MAX 1 HD knockout stages of Euro 2016. beIN MAX 4 HD FR “It has been a long time,” the 36-year-old McAuley said. “We talked about leaving a legacy COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO from this tournament. A few years down the line when I am finished and I look back on it, it will be Peru v Colombia 3:00 extra special. It’s just sinking in, and now it means staying in the tournament.” After two games, beIN SPORTS 1 HD FR Northern Ireland team now has three points, just beIN MAX 2 HD behind Germany and Poland, which both have beIN MAX 3 HD EN four. Northern Ireland’s next Group C game is beIN MAX 4 HD FR against world champion Germany on Tuesday at the in Paris. Tomorrow In the 24-team format that’s being used at Euro Argentina v Venezuela 2:00 2016 for the first time, some third-placed group beIN MAX 2 HD teams will qualify for the round of 16. The long- beIN MAX 3 HD EN awaited victory was dampened by the death of a beIN MAX 4 HD FR second Northern Ireland fan at the tournament. Northern Ireland spokesman Neil Brittain said that a Mexico v Chile 5:00 team supporter died in the stadium, without giving beIN MAX 2 HD more details. “The fan passed away as he was beIN MAX 3 HD EN watching the game in the stadium,” Irish FA chief RHONE: Northern Ireland’s players celebrate after scoring during the Euro 2016 group C foot- beIN MAX 4 HD FR executive Patrick Nelson said. “This puts any result ball match between Ukraine and Northern Ireland at the Parc stadium in of a football match into perspective.” Decines-Charpieu. — AFP