Euro 2008: Serbia hails her Lisbon lions

Serbia snatched a last-gasp equalizer in Lisbon last night to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. After 178 minutes of ineptitude and frustration, just when Serbia’s qualification hopes looked to be dead and buried, and the players’ wives and girlfriends thought they were free to start making plans for next year’s summer holidays – anywhere except Austria and Switzerland – the unthinkable happened. Serbia scored. Euro 2008: Serbia hails her Lisbon lions The hero of the hour was in the unlikely form of Lokomotiv Moscow right-back Branislav Ivanovic. In the dying seconds, team captain Dejan Stankovic drifted in a free-kick from the right, causing panic in the Portuguese penalty box. In the ensuing melee, the ball broke to Ivanovic who drilled the ball past keeper Ricardo to send the visiting fans into raptures. However, the early signs had not boded well. From the opening whistle, the Portuguese took the game to the visitors, who had started with only one man up front. Despite earlier rumours to the contrary, Valencia forward Nikola Zigic started on the bench, leaving Milan Jovanovic as the sole striker. In the eleventh minute, the home side won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, some twenty-five yards out. Simao Sabrosa stepped up, and sent an exquisite curling shot inside keeper Vladimir Stojkovic’s right-hand post to put Portugal one up. It looked like it was going to be a long night. Ten minutes later, things could have got even worse. Jose Bosingwa, who was making hay down Serbia’s left flank, broke free again, and whipped in a tantalizing cross. Nuno Gomes rose heighest in the box, only to see his header crash off the post. The resulting rebound fell to Nuno Maniche ten yards out, who sent the ball goalwards, but by now Stojkovic had found his bearings, and pulled off a great save to keep the visitors in the match. Serbia, by now virtually encamped on the edge of their own eighteen-yard box, and with as shots raining in on their goal, somehow managed to cling on until half-time, and Javier Clement was able to regroup his charges. In the second half, he made a bold decision. He took off the out-of-sorts Milos Krasic and Zoran Tosic, and brought on Marko Pantelic and Zigic, changing to an attacking 4-3-3 formation. If nothing else, Zigic’s arrival gave the team and the visiting fans alike a boost. The swap almost brought benefits immediately. The big striker caused Ricardo to spill a cross from the right, which fell to Jovanovic on the volley ten yards out. Sadly, the young striker sliced his shot, and the ball flew harmlessly into the stands behind the goal. This was to set a pattern for the second half, as the home side began to pull more men back, in a bid now to hang for a 1-0 victory. And though Serbia looked more threatening than they had in the opening period, Portuguese manager Scolari’s tactics seemed to be paying off, as they were unable to put the home goal under any serious threat. And it was then, two minutes from time, with Portuguese fans heading for the exits, confident that their side had done enough, that Ivanovic had his moment of glory. Drama was to follow after the final whistle when an unseemly scuffle broke out along the touchline, TV pictures showing Scolari striking Ivica Dragutinovic on the chin, after an argument. UEFA will undoubtedly be looking further into the incident While it was not the result of the night – little could match Scotland's triumph in Paris – few can argue that Ivanovic’s goal was the footballing equivalent of getting away with murder. The draw, together with the 1-1 draw in Helsinki between group rivals Finland and Poland, means the Eagles still have their Euro 2008 destiny in their own hands, and can go into next month's clash with Armenia with heads held high and all guns blazing. Post-match touchline brawl (FoNet)

Euro 2008: Serbia hails her Lisbon lions

The hero of the hour was in the unlikely form of Lokomotiv Moscow right-back Branislav Ivanović. In the dying seconds, team captain Dejan Stanković drifted in a free-kick from the right, causing panic in the Portuguese penalty box. In the ensuing melee, the ball broke to Ivanović who drilled the ball past keeper Ricardo to send the visiting fans into raptures.

However, the early signs had not boded well. From the opening whistle, the Portuguese took the game to the visitors, who had started with only one man up front. Despite earlier rumours to the contrary, Valencia forward Nikola Žigić started on the bench, leaving Milan Jovanović as the sole striker.

In the eleventh minute, the home side won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, some twenty-five yards out. Simao Sabrosa stepped up, and sent an exquisite curling shot inside keeper Vladimir Stojković’s right-hand post to put Portugal one up. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

Ten minutes later, things could have got even worse. Jose Bosingwa, who was making hay down Serbia’s left flank, broke free again, and whipped in a tantalizing cross. Nuno Gomes rose heighest in the box, only to see his header crash off the post. The resulting rebound fell to Nuno Maniche ten yards out, who sent the ball goalwards, but by now Stojković had found his bearings, and pulled off a great save to keep the visitors in the match.

Serbia, by now virtually encamped on the edge of their own eighteen-yard box, and with as shots raining in on their goal, somehow managed to cling on until half-time, and Javier Clement was able to regroup his charges.

In the second half, he made a bold decision. He took off the out-of-sorts Miloš Krasić and Zoran Tošić, and brought on Marko Pantelić and Žigić, changing to an attacking 4-3-3 formation. If nothing else, Žigić’s arrival gave the team and the visiting fans alike a boost.

The swap almost brought benefits immediately. The big striker caused Ricardo to spill a cross from the right, which fell to Jovanović on the volley ten yards out. Sadly, the young striker sliced his shot, and the ball flew harmlessly into the stands behind the goal.

This was to set a pattern for the second half, as the home side began to pull more men back, in a bid now to hang for a 1-0 victory. And though Serbia looked more threatening than they had in the opening period, Portuguese manager Scolari’s tactics seemed to be paying off, as they were unable to put the home goal under any serious threat.

And it was then, two minutes from time, with Portuguese fans heading for the exits, confident that their side had done enough, that Ivanović had his moment of glory.

Drama was to follow after the final whistle when an unseemly scuffle broke out along the touchline, TV pictures showing Scolari striking Ivica Dragutinovic on the chin, after an argument. UEFA will undoubtedly be looking further into the incident

While it was not the result of the night – little could match Scotland's triumph in Paris – few can argue that Ivanović’s goal was the footballing equivalent of getting away with murder. The draw, together with the 1-1 draw in Helsinki between group rivals Finland and Poland, means the Eagles still have their Euro 2008 destiny in their own hands, and can go into next month's clash with Armenia with heads held high and all guns blazing.