EURO hopefuls seek friendly fillips

Monday, 5 February 2007
by Andrew Haslam
from London

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Although UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying does not resume in earnest until next month, the 2007 international calendar gets off to a hectic start this week with a busy programme of friendlies in which England, Spain and Portugal are among teams looking for morale-boosting victories.

Scolari reunion
The action starts on Tuesday evening when, in the pick of the seven games, Luiz Felipe Scolari's Portugal side take on his native Brazil, whom he guided to glory in the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, at the Arsenal Stadium in north London. The last of the sides' four meetings came in March 2003 when another Brazilian-born talent, Deco, marked his debut for Portugal with the winning goal. Scolari's side certainly need the confidence a victory would bring having collected just seven points from their first four Group A games.

Greece in form
Reigning European champions Greece, on the other hand, have made an impressive start to their trophy defence with three wins from three Group C games. Otto Rehhagel will be hoping his players carry that form into their fixture with the Korean Republic, also in London, which is the venue for Denmark's meeting with Australia. The Danes are unbeaten after three Group F games while Bulgaria, second in Group G, are also yet to lose in the qualifying campaign and return to action against Latvia in the Cyprus International Tournament.

England expects
There are 17 more matches involving European teams on Wednesday, when England and Spain meet at Old Trafford with both in need of a win. Steve McClaren's England side took just a point from their last two qualifying fixtures to concede the Group E initiative, while Spain are fifth in Group F having won only one of their opening three games – against Liechtenstein. There is another high-profile fixture in Paris where FIFA World Cup finalists France take on Argentina at the Stade de France, surprisingly the first time the countries have met since 1986.

Co-hosts in action
In Dusseldorf Group D leaders Germany tackle UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts Switzerland, who have lost their last two matches, while their co-hosts in two summers' time, Austria, look to extend a three-game winning streak in Malta. Croatia, unbeaten in Slaven Bilić's five games in charge and out in front in Group E, welcome to Rijeka a Norway side who have not won in three and slipped to third in Group C. The leaders of that pool, Turkey, have won all three games so far and will be full of confidence for their trip to Georgia. Elsewhere Group G leaders the Netherlands play Russia, the Czech Republic visit Belgium and Israel meet Ukraine.

UEFA EURO 2008™ friendlies
6 February
Australia v Denmark Brazil v Portugal
Bulgaria v Latvia Cyprus v Hungary
Greece v Korean Rep. Mali v Lithuania
Nort.Ireland v Wales


UEFA EURO 2008™ friendlies
7 February
Albania v F.Y.R. Macedonia Belgium v Czech Republic
Andorra v Armenia China v Kazakhstan
Croatia v Norway Egypt v Sweden
England v Spain France v Argentina
Georgia v Turkey Germany v Switzerland
Netherlands v Russia Iran v Belarus
Israel v Ukraine Malta v Austria
Romania v Moldova Slovakia v Poland
Slovenia v Estonia


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