Like their co-hosts Switzerland 24 hours earlier, Austria did better than expected in their opening fixture but the outcome was the same. Indeed, having given away a penalty after only four minutes, it looked like the Austrians were in for a proper doing. A wild lunge by Aufhauser at Olik, a clear pen, and the very impressive Luka Modric, who will soon team up with Alan Hutton at Tottenham, tucked it away, although if goalkeeper Jurgen Macho had stood still there is a fair chance the ball would have bounced off the toes of his boots.
Croatia strolled through the first half-hour but they got slack and a flurry from the home team towards half-time had me expecting Slaven Bilic to read the riot act in the dressing-room. But the momentum of the game had switched, it was more of the same after the interval and, with the crowd getting excited, an equaliser looked likely. It didn't happen simply because Austria lacked a cutting edge up front, although second half subs Vastic and Keinast (didn't his auld fella do a number on Septic in 1984?) looked more lively than the guys who had started the game.
Without playing particularly well, Croatia opened up with a win so they won't be too upset about how things panned out. They have so much more to offer and will surely move up a couple of gears when they face Germany in Klagenfurt on Thursday. No doubt Bilic will have paid close attention to the way the Germans sliced through Poland, seemingly at will, in the opening stages of the first half. The pace of Klose, Podolski and Gomez ripped the Poles apart and had Artur Askey waving his arms about like an overworked windmill.
Whatever possessed Klose to pass to Gomez when he was right through on Boruc, with the big clown's legs wide apart as if he was about to give birth? But Poland didn't learn and after 20 minutes Klose broke through again, once more opting to pass instead of shoot, and this time Lukas Podolski rattled the ball into the gaping net. At that point, I really expected it all to be done and dusted by half-time but a mis-kick by Gomez let Poland off the hook and, with just a solitary goal between the sides, it was all about what Leo Beenhaaker could change at the break.
The Dutchman introduced Brazilian Guerreiro for Zurawski and the sub did more in his first 15 minutes than the not-so-magic one did in the entire first half. By the way, with a Brazilian playing for Poland, a Brazilian playing for Germany and two Poles in the German team, who says there is no transfer market in international football? Jens Lehmann flapped at a couple of crosses and Germany were briefly rattled but they weathered the storm and were soon bombing down on top of Boruc again. Saves from Schweinsteiger and Ballack kept his team in the game but a comedy of errors in the Polish defence presented Podolski with another chance and his left foot volley had the holy goalie pawing at fresh air as the ball flashed into the roof of the net.
Knowing the rivalry, hatred even, which exists between Germany and Poland, I wondered about what tasteless t-shirt Boruc might be wearing under his jersey. Well, seeing as his team was well gubbed, we'll never know the answer to that but I heard a wee whisper that, when leaving the ground, he was confronted by a German fan wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with 'I Love Maria Mandel'. Nothing sinister, just for a wee laugh, of course. News that some pre-match and post-match pugilism led to more than 100 arrests between both venues got me thinking. Do the maths, 100 from less than 100,000 European fans, 44 out of 200,000 Bears in Manchester, doesn't it put things into some perspective? Do you think questions might be asked in the European Parliament? Nope, me neither.
It astonished me to learn that beating Poland was Germany's first victory in a European Championship game since they beat the Czech Republic to win Euro96 at Wembley. They look perfectly capable of winning a right few more before they are finished with this tournament, although Croatia might be better equipped to test a back-line which the TV 'experts' reckon is a bit ropey. We shall see.
Anyway, my 100% record is about to come under threat as Group C, the 'group of death' - there is always one! - gets under way. Having tipped both France v Romania and Italy v Holland to finish level, if I can pull off a draw-draw double, I might just quit this diary tonight and retire undefeated!!!
LITTLE BOY BLUE