Euro 2012: Danes stun Dutch, Germany start with win

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http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/10/soccer-euro-dutch-denmark-germany-portug-idINDEE85900720120610

The feared Dutch strikeforce malfunctioned as Euro 2012 crossed into Ukraine on Saturday but Germany proved as reliable as ever when they opened their tournament with a 1-0 win over Portugal.

World Cup runners-up Netherlands had 28 goal attempts in the eastern city of Kharkiv's spider-like Metalist stadium but failed to convert any of them in a 1-0 loss to Denmark that leaves them in serious peril in a treacherous Group B.

Michael Krohn-Delhi's opportunist goal after 24 minutes earned the Danes victory while later in Lviv, Mario Gomez's header was enough for Germany to join the Danes on three points.

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Bayern Munich's Gomez, guilty of several bad misses in the Champions League final against Chelsea, guided home a 72nd-minute header to settle a cagey clash with Portugal for whom Ronaldo failed to produce the form he displays for Real Madrid.

By contrast, Germany were iron-willed, gradually grinding down a Portuguese side who came close to breaking the deadlock when Pepe curled a shot against the woodwork in the first half.

"I had a good feeling from the start here and I wanted to give something back for the trust the coach put on me," Gomez said.