Euro 2008 – Group B
GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D | STATS | BETSLIP COMP. | EURO ’08 SPECIALS
——
Group B Info
Group B kicks off on June 8 until June 16 2008. This group consists of co-hosts Austria plus Croatia, Germany and Poland.
Expert advice from Euro 2008 trader, Mark Barlow:
I can’t see much further past Germany for this group, but there could be some value in “To Qualify” betting or “Forecast” betting for the Group. It is difficult to see Austria making much of an impression in Euro 2008, even as joint hosts, but it must be noted that their final group game is against Germany. Giving that Germany may have 6 points and have already qualified for the Second Round by then, they may take the foot off the pedal and let neighbors Austria sneak into second place.
Group B Forecast: 1. Germany – 2. Austria
——
Bet on Group B matches at Betway.com
June 8: Austria vs Croatia
(Austria, Vienna – Ernst Happel)
June 8: Germany vs Poland
(Austria, Klagenfurt – Wörthersee)
June 12: Croatia vs Germany
(Austria, Klagenfurt – Wörthersee)
June 12: Austria vs Poland
(Austria, Vienna – Ernst Happel)
June 16: Poland vs Croatia
(Austria, Klagenfurt – Wörthersee)
June 16: Austria vs Germany
(Austria, Vienna – Ernst Happel)
——
Group B: Team Info:
——
- AUSTRIA
- FIFA world ranking: 101
- Head coach: Josef Hickersberger
- Most capped player: Andreas Herzog (103 caps)
- Top goal scorer: Toni Polster (44)
Euro 2008 Squad:
GK
Christian Gratzei (Sturm Graz)
Jürgen Macho (AEK)
Alex Manninger (Siena)
Helge Payer (Rapid Vienna)
DF
Johannes Ertl (Rapid Vienna)
Ronald Gercaliu (Austria Vienna)
Martin Hiden (Rapid Vienna)
Andreas Ibertsberger (Hoffenheim)
Markus Katzer (Rapid Vienna)
Jürgen Patocka (Rapid Vienna)
Emanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough)
Sebastian Prödl (Sturm Graz)
Franz Schiemer (Austria Vienna)
Joachim Standfest (Austria Vienna)
Martin Stranzl (Spartak Moscow)
MF
René Aufhauser (Salzburg)
Christian Fuchs (Mattersburg)
György Garics (Napoli)
Andreas Ivanschitz – Captain (Panathinaikos)
Veli Kavlak (Rapid Vienna)
Christoph Leitgeb (Salzburg)
Jürgen Säumel (Sturm Graz)
Markus Weissenberger (Frankfurt)
FW
Martin Harnik (Werder Bremen)
Marc Janko (Salzburg)
Roman Kienast (Hamarkameratene)
Saniel Kuljic (Austria Vienna)
Roland Linz (Sporting Braga)
Euro 2008 qualification:
Qualified automatically as co-host.
Prepared by only friendly games before co-hosting the finals, Austria have endured some tough times. New coach Josef Hickersberger lost his first three games in charge before a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica eased the pressure somewhat. A win finally came his way in his fifth game in the hot seat, a 2-1 win over Liechtenstein, followed by a 2-1 victory against fellow hosts Switzerland.
After beating Trinidad & Tobago in October 2006, but it was to be another year before Austria tasted victory again, besting Ivory Coast 3-2.
Hickersberger continues to blood young talent, and is convinced that Austria and Switzerland as co hosts will reach the quarter-finals.
European Championship record
2008 will be Austria’s first appearance in the competition.
——
- CROATIA
- FIFA world ranking: 13
- Head coach: Slaven Bilić
- Most capped player: Dario Šimić (97 caps)
- Top goal scorer: Davor Šuker (45)
Euro 2008 Squad:
GK
Mario Galinović (Panathinaikos)
Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow)
Vedran Runje (Lens)
DF
Vedran Ćorluka (Manchester City)
Dario Knežević (Livorno)
Robert Kovač (Borussia Dortmund)
Dario Šimić (AC Milan)
Josip Šimunić (Hertha Berlin)
Hrvoje Vejić (Tom Tomsk)
MF
Manuel Pamić (Salzburg) reserve
Nikola Pokrivač (Monaco)
Niko Kovač – Captain (Salzburg)
Niko Kranjčar (Portsmouth)
Jerko Leko (Monaco)
Luka Modrić (Tottenham)
Danijel Pranjić (Heerenveen)
Ivan Rakitić (Schalke)
Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Ognjen Vukojević (Dinamo Zagreb)
FW
Anas Sharbini (NK Rijeka) reserve
Igor Budan (Parma)
Nikola Kalinić (Hajduk Split)
Ivan Klasnić (Werder Bremen)
Ivica Olić (Hamburger)
Mladen Petrić (Borussia Dortmund)
Euro 2008 qualification:
Croatia were the most consistent side in a competitive Group E, qualifying with a game to spare thanks to Russia’s defeat at the hands of Israel. Under former international defender Slaven Bilić, Croatia’s only defeat in the campaign was to F.Y.R. Macedonia.
Their 3-2 win against England at Wembley ended Beckham and co’s hopes of qualifying. “We are good – very good,” said Bilić.
| Group E | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Winner | Croatia | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 8 | 29 |
| Runner-up | Russia | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 24 |
Not qualified: England, Israel, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Estonia & Andorra.
Euro 2008 qualifying results:
- (away) vs. Russia: 0-0
- (home) vs. Andorra: 7-0
- (home) vs. England: 2-0
- (away) vs. Israel: 4-3
- (home) vs. F.Y.R. Macedonia: 2-1
- (away) vs. Estonia: 1-0
- (home) vs. Russia: 0-0
- (home) vs. Estonia: 2-0
- (away) vs. Andorra: 6-0
- (home) vs. Israel: 1-0
- (away) vs. F.Y.R. Macedonia: 0-2
- (away) vs. England: 3-2
European Championship record
- 1996: Quarter Finals
- 2004: Round 1
——
- GERMANY
- FIFA world ranking: 5
- Head coach: Joachim Löw
- Most capped player: Lothar Matthäus (150 caps)
- Top goal scorer: Gerd Müller (68)
Euro 2008 Squad:
GK
Robert Enke (Hannover)
Timo Hildebrand (Valencia)
Jens Lehmann (Arsenal)
DF
Gonzalo Castro (Bayer Leverkusen)
Manuel Friedrich (Bayer Leverkusen)
Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin)
Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen)
Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich)
Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen)
Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid)
Christian Pander (Schalke)
MF
Michael Ballack – Captain (Chelsea)
Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen)
Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen)
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart)
Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen)
Jan Schlaudraff (Bayern Munich)
Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg)
FW
Mario Gómez (Stuttgart)
Mike Hanke (Hannover)
Patrick Helmes (Köln)
Stefan Kießling (Bayer Leverkusen)
Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich)
Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke)
David Odonkor (Real Betis)
Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich)
Euro 2008 qualification:
Germany were the first side to secure qualification for Euro 2008 with a 0-0 draw in the Republic of Ireland, in what was a pretty impressive campaign by Joachim Löw’s team – including a record-breaking 13-0 win in San Marino. The low point of the campaign was a 3-0 defeat at home against group winners Czech Republic.
| Group D | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Winner | Czech Republic | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 29 |
| Runner-up | Germany | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 7 | 27 |
Not qualified: Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Wales, Cyprus & San Marino
Euro 2008 qualifying results:
- (home) vs. Republic of Ireland: 1-0
- (away) vs. San Marino: 0-13
- (away) vs. Slovakia: 1-4
- (away) vs. Cyprus: 1-1
- (away) vs. Czech Republic: 1-2
- (home) vs. San Marino: 6-0
- (home) vs. Slovakia: 2-1
- (away) vs. Wales: 0-2
- (away) vs. Republic of Ireland: 0-0
- (home) vs. Czech Republic: 0-3
- (home) vs. Cyprus: 4-0
- (home) vs. Wales: 0-0
European Championship record
- 1972: Winners
- 1976: Runners-up
- 1980: Winners
- 1984: Round 1
- 1988: Semi-finals
- 1992: Runners-up
- 1996: Champions
- 2000: Round 1
- 2004: Round 1
——
- POLAND
- FIFA world ranking: 27
- Head coach: Leo Beenhakker
- Most capped player: Grzegorz Lato (104 caps)
- Top goal scorer: Włodzimierz Lubański (48)
Euro 2008 Squad:
GK
Artur Boruc (Celtic)
Łukasz Fabiański (Arsenal)
Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United)
DF
Michal Pazdan (Górnik Zabrze)
Jacek Bąk (Austria Vienna)
Grzegorz Bronowicki (Red Star Belgrade)
Dariusz Dudka (Wisła Kraków)
Paweł Golański (Steaua Bucharest)
Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow)
Adam Kokoszka (Wisła Kraków)
Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht)
Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw)
Michał Żewłakow (Olympiakos)
MF
Roger Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw)
Radoslaw Majewski (Groclin Dyskobolia)
Rafał Murawski (Lech Poznań)
Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund)
Łukasz Garguła (GKS Bełchatów)
Jacek Krzynówek (VfL Wolfsburg)
Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Wojciech Łobodziński (Wisła Kraków)
Euzebiusz Smolarek (Racing Santander)
FW
Radosław Matusiak (Wisła Kraków)
Marek Saganowski (Southampton)
Tomasz Zahorski (Górnik Zabrze)
Maciej Żurawski – Captain (Larissa)
Euro 2008 qualification:
Dutch head coach Leo Beenhakker led Poland to their first ever European Championship finals, securing their qualification with a game to spare in a 2-0 home win over Belgium.
| Group A | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Winner | Poland | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 12 | 28 |
| Runner-up | Portugal | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 10 | 27 |
Not qualified: Serbia, Finland, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Armenia & Azerbaijan
Euro 2008 qualifying results:
- (home) vs. Finland: 1-3
- (home) vs. Serbia: 1-1
- (away) vs. Kazakhstan: 0-1
- (home) vs. Portugal: 2-1
- (away) vs. Belgium: 0-1
- (home) vs. Azerbaijan: 5-0
- (home) vs. Armenia: 1-0
- (away) vs. Azerbaijan: 1-3
- (away) vs. Armenia: 1-0
- (away) vs. Portugal: 2-2
- (away) vs. Finland: 0-0
- (home) vs. Kazakhstan: 3-1
- (home) vs. Belgium: 2-0
- (away) vs. Serbia: 2-2
European Championship record
2008 will be the first time Poland has qualified for the European Championships. Poland will also co host Euro 2012 together with Ukraine.
