Italy and Netherlands handed European wake-up call

PARIS – World Cup winners Italy and former European champions Holland suffered a double reality check on Saturday as they took their first stuttering steps on the long road to Euro 2008.

Italy had to come back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with unheralded Lithuania while the Dutch, European champions in 1988, scraped a 1-0 win at humble Luxembourg. In stark contrast, however, England, France, Germany and Spain kept the old guard in charge with winning starts to their campaigns.Italy’s top players have yet to begin their domestic league campaigns and their ring-rustiness showed in Naples as Roberto Donadoni’s side were held by a team ranked 65th in the world.The visitors even took a shock lead through Tomas Danilevicius in the 21st minute, before Filippo Inzaghi equalised for the Azzurri nine minutes later in the Group B clash, for his 23rd international goal.Donadoni admitted that Italy’s lack of match sharpness was obvious.”It’s nothing more than this,” he said.”We created lots of chances and I thought we were very unlucky.”Marco van Basten’s Dutch were equally unimpressive in their Group G match in tiny Luxembourg and needed a 17th minute goal from Hamburg defender Joris Mathijsen to secure the points.The Dutch were without injured Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneider, the suspended Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Khalid Boulahrouz while van Basten had not selected Mark van Bommel and Ruud van Nistelrooy.There were no such problems for Steve McClaren’s England who enjoyed a comfortable 5-0 victory over hapless Andorra at Old Trafford in Group E.England were without the injured Michael Owen and the suspended Wayne Rooney but they were never troubled by an Andorra side who have won just one match in their 10-year history.Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch grabbed two goals each with Steven Gerrard adding the other in an inspirational midfield performance which meant England never missed David Beckham.”We handled the game very well.The players did just what we asked of them,” said England coach McClaren in his first competitive match since taking over from Sven-Goran Eriksson.”It was always going to be a test but we controlled the tempo.We scored at the right times and could have had more.They were good goals against any opposition and it was nice to see the main strikers score.”France, who face their World Cup conquerors Italy in Paris next week, warmed up for that mouth-watering Group B encounter with a 3-0 stroll against Georgia in Tbilisi.Florent Malouda gave Raymond Domenech’s side a seventh-minute lead which was doubled by Louis Saha nine minutes later.A bizarre own goal by Malkhaz Asatiani just after the interval made sure of the three points for the French.”It was pleasing but there will be more difficult tests ahead,” said midfielder Franck Ribery who has slotted into the role left vacant by the second retirement of Zinedine Zidane.Germany, semi-finalists at the World Cup, edged the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Group D in Stuttgart but needed a deflected free-kick from Lukas Podolski to secure victory.In the same group, the Czech Republic squeezed past Wales 2-1 in Prague with substitute David Lafata grabbing both goals on his debut appearance.Scotland are in the same group as France and Italy and they got their campaign off to a flyer at Parkhead with a 6-0 lashing of the Faroes.A brace for Kris Boyd and goals from Darren Fletcher, James McFadden, Kenny Miller and Garry O’Connor gave Walter Smith’s side the emphatic victory.Iceland beat Northern Ireland 3-0 in Group F in Belfast.Gunnar Heidar Thorvaldsson gave Iceland a perfect start with a 13th minute strike and Hermann Hreidarsson and Eidur Gudjohnsen piled on the misery for the home side with further goals.Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored twice as Norway beat Hungary 4-1 in Budapest in Group C while defending champions Greece came away from Moldova with a 1-0 win.Another veteran Jari Litmanen rolled back the years to score twice in Finland’s 3-1 Group A win in Poland.Group F favourites Spain eased past Liechtenstein with goals from Fernando Torres, David Villa (2) and Liverpool’s Luis Garcia.Nampa-AFPIn stark contrast, however, England, France, Germany and Spain kept the old guard in charge with winning starts to their campaigns.Italy’s top players have yet to begin their domestic league campaigns and their ring-rustiness showed in Naples as Roberto Donadoni’s side were held by a team ranked 65th in the world.The visitors even took a shock lead through Tomas Danilevicius in the 21st minute, before Filippo Inzaghi equalised for the Azzurri nine minutes later in the Group B clash, for his 23rd international goal.Donadoni admitted that Italy’s lack of match sharpness was obvious.”It’s nothing more than this,” he said.”We created lots of chances and I thought we were very unlucky.”Marco van Basten’s Dutch were equally unimpressive in their Group G match in tiny Luxembourg and needed a 17th minute goal from Hamburg defender Joris Mathijsen to secure the points.The Dutch were without injured Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneider, the suspended Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Khalid Boulahrouz while van Basten had not selected Mark van Bommel and Ruud van Nistelrooy.There were no such problems for Steve McClaren’s England who enjoyed a comfortable 5-0 victory over hapless Andorra at Old Trafford in Group E.England were without the injured Michael Owen and the suspended Wayne Rooney but they were never troubled by an Andorra side who have won just one match in their 10-year history.Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch grabbed two goals each with Steven Gerrard adding the other in an inspirational midfield performance which meant England never missed David Beckham.”We handled the game very well.The players did just what we asked of them,” said England coach McClaren in his first competitive match since taking over from Sven-Goran Eriksson.”It was always going to be a test but we controlled the tempo.We scored at the right times and could have had more.They were good goals against any opposition and it was nice to see the main strikers score.”France, who face their World Cup conquerors Italy in Paris next week, warmed up for that mouth-watering Group B encounter with a 3-0 stroll against Georgia in Tbilisi.Florent Malouda gave Raymond Domenech’s side a seventh-minute lead which was doubled by Louis Saha nine minutes later.A bizarre own goal by Malkhaz Asatiani just after the interval made sure of the three points for the French.”It was pleasing but there will be more difficult tests ahead,” said midfielder Franck Ribery who has slotted into the role left vacant by the second retirement of Zinedine Zidane.Germany, semi-finalists at the World Cup, edged the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Group D in Stuttgart but needed a deflected free-kick from Lukas Podolski to secure victory.In the same group, the Czech Republic squeezed past Wales 2-1 in Prague with substitute David Lafata grabbing both goals on his debut appearance.Scotland are in the same group as France and Italy and they got their campaign off to a flyer at Parkhead with a 6-0 lashing of the Faroes.A brace for Kris Boyd and goals from Darren Fletcher, James McFadden, Kenny Miller and Garry O’Connor gave Walter Smith’s side the emphatic victory.Iceland beat Northern Ireland 3-0 in Group F in Belfast.Gunnar Heidar Thorvaldsson gave Iceland a perfect start with a 13th minute strike and Hermann Hreidarsson and Eidur Gudjohnsen piled on the misery for the home side with further goals.Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored twice as Norway beat Hungary 4-1 in Budapest in Group C while defending champions Greece came away from Moldova with a 1-0 win.Another veteran Jari Litmanen rolled back the years to score twice in Finland’s 3-1 Group A win in Poland.Group F favourites Spain eased past Liechtenstein with goals from Fernando Torres, David Villa (2) and Liverpool’s Luis Garcia.Nampa-AFP