Euro 2012 Photos

Euro 2012: Gomez powers Germany to win over Portugal

June 10, 2012 02:42

A second-half header from striker Mario Gomez was enough to give Germany a 1-0 win over Portugal in their opening Euro 2012 match.

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A second-half header from striker Mario Gomez was enough to give Germany a 1-0 win over Portugal on Saturday in their opening Euro 2012 match.
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Gomez was moments away from being substituted, with Miroslav Klose already waiting on the touchline, when he rose to knock in a deflected cross from Sami Khedira in the 72nd minute.
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After victories both in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 and the third-place play-off at the 2006 World Cup, this was the German's third straight win over Portugal in major tournaments to give Germany a winning start in Group B.
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Portugal captain and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo had a subdued night by his own lofty standards and he rarely got the better of his marker Jerome Boateng.
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Germany had the better of the opening exchanges.
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With the Portuguese turning up the pressure, Holger Badstuber was booked for a foul on Manchester United's Nani with halftime approaching.
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Real Madrid star Pepe came perilously close to putting Portugal ahead a minute before the break when his strike beat Manuel Neuer, but the ball deflected down off the crossbar onto the goal-line to bounce away from danger.
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Pepe and Portugal could hardly believe their luck when the ball bounced barely an inch away from what could have been a goal.
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Nani hit the crossbar in the 84th minute, the second time Portugal struck the frame in the match.
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And Silvestre Varela shot straight at Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from close range in the 89th.
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Portugal created 11 chances and had seven shots on target, which was three more than Germany, but failed to find the back of the net.

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