Peter Fraser watches skipper Michael Ballack inspire the favourites to an opening Euro 2008 win.
Reporter Peter Fraser watches skipper Michael Ballack inspire favourites Germany to an opening Euro 2008 win
Three-time winners Germany ended a 12-year wait for a European Championship victory with a characteristically clinical finals display as Michael Ballack captained his side to a 2-0 win against historic rivals Poland.
A brace from Polish-born Lukas Podolski allowed Germany to comfortably record their first victory in a European Championship match since 1996 and sets up a decisive clash with Group B rivals Croatia on Thursday, with the winner guaranteed a quarter-final spot.
Germany's cosiness against Poland came largely from the midfield influence of Ballack, who epitomised every characteristic which could well see the pre-tournament favourites add to their three previous successes this summer.
The 31-year-old was the all-action driving force in Chelsea's, ultimately unsuccessful, push towards silverware in last season's Premier League and UEFA Champions League but, in Klagenfurt, Ballack was Germany's calming influence.
Joachim Low's captain oozed confidence, style and predictable efficiency as he patrolled the centre circle and pulled the strings with a succession of simple, but valuable passes.
Bruising battle
To say that these two nations experience a tense relationship would perhaps be an understatement and prior to kick-off expectation suggested a bruising battle.
However, Poland and Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc was approachable as early as the fifth minute as his team-mates offered an olive branch to a combination of Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez.
Boruc was horribly exposed as the pair charged forward in tandem but, as Bhoys followers waited to examine their No.1's international form, Klose's decision to misplace his pass left everyone rooted, untroubled and bemused.
And, a frustrated wave of the arms apart, Boruc produced an equally helpless reaction when Germany opened the scoring in the 20th minute as Podolski showed Klose and Gomez how it should be done.
Klose again broke free of a generous Polish defence and this time made no mistake as he squared to Podolski and Boruc's anger at his obligingly open and high-lined backline was more than apparent as he collected the ball from the back of the net.
Transfer kitty
Boruc was at his best midway through the second half when - despite the absence of British Home Nations in Austria and Switzerland - England and Scotland did battle as the Poland shot-stopper expertly tipped over a Ballack pile driver.
However, Boruc was unable to keep Germany out for long as Podolski doubled his tally with a volley from close range on 72 minutes.
At the other end, any Arsenal fans who were predicting Jens Lehmann would have his temperament examined in a heated affair at Worthersee stadium were to be proved wrong as their Stuttgart-bound goalkeeper watched largely as a spectator.
Lehmann's work-rate increased slightly in the second 45 minutes as Poland pushed for a way back, but the former member of Arsenal's 2003/04 'Invincibles' was only truly forced to test his handling at the occasional cross.
The cleanliness of Lehmann's gloves can be attributed to the performance of Philipp Lahm, who has been linked with a summer move to Britain.
And a host of Premier League bosses will be both gleefully fine-tuning their shopping lists and wincing at the thought of a deepening hole in their transfer kitty following the Bayern Munich full-back's impressively price-inflating performance.
