Despite starting with a comfortable win over Poland, one or two concerns were expressed about the German defence. Left-back Marcell Jansen had looked iffy and the centre-back partnership of Metzelder and Mertesacker (tagged the Sleepy Brothers by the German media) gave the impression they would struggle against clever or pacey opponents. Germany's worst fears came to pass in Klagenfurt. Midway through the first half Pranjic fired over a cross from the left and, with Jansen sleeping, Darijo Srna got to the ball first to shoot home.
Croatia really should have wrapped things up before half-time. Niko Kranjcar shot over when it looked easier to hit the target, then the same player smashed in a powerful left foot volley, only to see Jens Lehmann make a great save. The likelihood of Croatia being made to pay for letting the Germans off the hook was uppermost in my mind at the start of the second half when, out of nothing, a big break settled the game. A Rakitic cross took a deflection off Podolski, wrong-footing Lehmann and beating him at his near post, the ball hit the upright and rolled across the six-yard box for Ivica Olic to score with the simplest of tap-ins.
But those Germans are a resilient lot and Podolski got them back into it with the same sort of left foot volley which killed off the Poles at the weekend. Croatia, however, refused to panic, they kept the ball well, frustrating their opponents and it was all too much for Bastian Schweinsteiger who became the first player to be red-carded at Euro2008 when he got involved in some nonsense with Jerko Leko right at the death.
Germany's defeat gave both Austria and Poland a bit of a lift for their game in Vienna. It looked like the co-hosts would be the chief beneficiaries when they threatened to overrun the Poles in the first half. It will be worrying Timothy that his religious zealot of a keeper looked capable of foiling the Austrians singe-handed. If Boruc really is on the radar of so many big clubs - more interested parties than Allan McGregor? - Ra Sellick's determination to hold on to him will be tested soon. Do they want this eejit who is sure to provoke a major incident sooner rather than later or do they want the money? Over to you, Mr Integrity.
Just as the TV 'experts' reckoned would happen, Austria paid for their failure to make their superiority count. In one of Poland's few first half ventures upfield, Brazilian attacker Roger Guerreiro, whose citizenship papers were rushed through to enable him to play in this competition, scored from a blatantly offside position. God only knows what interpretation of the offside law UEFA will come up with to protect the blindfolded linesman who, perhaps modelling himself on the corrupt Tom Murphy, refused to lift his flag.
It looked like Austria would be following fellow hosts Switzerland out of the tournament as the Poles took control of the second half and looked to be playing out time comfortably. Then in injury time, after all the usual wrestling in the box had forced English ref Howard Webb to have a word in a few ears, the referee pointed to the penalty spot when he spotted Lewandowski having a tug at Sebastian Prodl's jersey and substitute Ivica Vastic, who is even older than David Weir, smashed home the equaliser. In the television studio, whilst praising the referee's bravery for giving the pen, it was suggested that, if applied across the board, Webb's interpretation of a foul would lead to four or five penalties in every game. Perhaps consistent application of the laws of the game and the award of four or five penalties per game will finally convince defenders that ripping the shirt off an attacker's back is not such a clever idea!!!
So Croatia are through as group winners, just as I tipped them to be, and Germany are likely to join them, probably needing only a draw in their final game with Austria. But failing to win the group now has the Germans on course for a quarter-final clash with Portugal and suddenly they don't look such red-hot favourites. Yes, it is all getting very interesting.
LITTLE BOY BLUE