Schweinsteiger is back as Germany start with win

PARIS, France -- Bastian Schweinsteiger had time for three touches of the ball and scored with one as world champions Germany started their European Championship campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukraine.

The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder came on in the 90th minute and quickly put away a perfect pass from Mesut Ozil for the deciding goal.

With fan violence again tainting the tournament, Germany's win followed 1-0 victories for Poland over Northern Ireland and Croatia over Turkey.

Schweinsteiger is coming back from a three month knee ligament layoff and the the joy of his first international goal in five years apparently took a toll.

"I ran so hard in the celebrations that I'm a bit out of breath still.

"It was amazing for that to happen, it's the kind of thing you can only wish for, but the most important thing is the team wins," he said of his quickfire goal in the Group C match.

Defender Shkodran Mustafi headed the opener in the first half but goalkeeper Manuel Neus had to make several key saves and Jerome Boateng made a spectacular goalline clearance to block a sure equaliser.

Germany coach Joachim Loew hailed Boateng, who was the target of right-wing German politician Alexander Gauland this month. Gauland said Germans would not want Boateng as their neighbour and that the national team was no longer "German in the classical sense."

"It is good to have Jerome Boateng as your neighbour in the defence," countered Loew.

"He sees dangerous situations, he reacted and very clearly the ball was not behind the line."

The evening was only blemished by fighting between German and Ukraine supporters in Lille before the game. German police said they arrested 21 known hooligans who tried to get across the border. Another 50 leading suspects took part in the skirmishes which followed the major battles between Russia and England fans in Marseille.

- Fan gatecrasher -

A fan gatecrashed Luka Modric's celebrations after he scored Croatia's Group D winner over Turkey with a brilliant volley.

The Real Madrid playmaker performed an equally spectacular knee dive into the corner of the Parc des Princes, where he was joined by team-mates but also a fan in a Croatia replica shirt and red and white painted head.

Stewards led the man away after the security breach.

"It could have been also a supporter from Turkey, but thank God it was our supporter! After scoring this kind of goal, I didn't even notice," Modric said.

Croatia coach Ante Cacic said the goal had been "magical".

It was Modric's 11th goal for his country and they have never lost when he has scored.

"Luka really deserves to be talked about, especially after this match," said Cacic. "It was one of his best matches in Croatia's history. He was really playing well. He was really our leader."

Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik rifled home the only goal in his country's Group C win over Northern Ireland in Nice -- his country's first ever at a European Championship final.

Poland had three draws and three losses over two appearances in 2008 and 2012.

Coach Adam Nawalka is now looking forward to playing Germany at the Stade de France on June 16 with a spot in the last 16 likely to be at stake.

"We have been preparing for them for a long time, we prepare to win against Gemany," said Nawalka.

For Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland, it was a disappointing end to their first ever European Championship match. It was also 30-years to the day since their last game in a major tournament -- a 3-0 defeat by Brazil at the 1986 World Cup.

Northern Ireland kept the lid on Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski, but still needed some spectacular saves by Michael McGovern in goal to stay in the game.
"It was a difficult match. Poland were excellent," said O'Neill.

"At times early on we were almost overpowered by their physical strength. We tried to get something out of it, but didn't manage to create anything of significance. In all honesty, the best team won on the day."

Northern Ireland now play Ukraine in Lyon on Thursday with both sides needing a win to stay in the hunt for the knockout stages.

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Brazil may excel without Neymar, says Schweinsteiger

SANTO ANDRE, Brazil - Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger said on Sunday he was saddened Brazil's Neymar will not feature in their semi-final but believed the hosts may play above themselves with the whole nation behind them.

He added Germany were looking forward to a classic game on Tuesday against Brazil, who won the 2002 World Cup final in the only previous clash between the pair at a major tournament. Schweinsteiger only wished it could have been the final.

"We're all feeling deeply saddened that he won't be able to play," the midfielder said of forward Neymar, who was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after suffering a back injury in Friday's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia.

"It's always best when the greatest players are on the pitch for the great matches. I think his team mates are going to rally around even more now with him out, and they'll want to win the World Cup for him. They'll derive strength from that."

Schweinsteiger, who has played an important role for his coach Joachim Loew as a leader on the pitch, said Brazil have plenty of great players but Germany are ready for the hosts.

"The mood on our team is very good and focused," he told a news conference near Germany's training camp on the Atlantic ocean in northeastern Brazil. "We want to win."

Brazil, Germany's first South American opponents at this World Cup, will be difficult to beat, he said. The Germans have won four of their matches and played out a 2-2 draw with Ghana.

"They've got a lot of strengths," Schweinsteiger said when asked to list Brazil's advantages. "They've got the individual class of every player on their team. They've got a lot of great soccer players.

"They've got two great coaches with Luiz Scolari and Carlos Alberto Parreira. Both of them have won the World Cup.

"I believe the team with the most intelligent coach will win the tournament. Plus Brazil also have home advantage. I think the biggest opponent will be the experience of their coaches."

FIRST NEWS CONFERENCE

Schweinsteiger, in his first news conference in Brazil, said he felt fit after overcoming injuries before the World Cup.

Loew had said on Friday he might not be fit enough to play lots of matches in a row, especially after the midfielder almost collapsed near the end of extra time in the 2-1 win against Algeria on Monday and had to be replaced.

"I'm feeling really good," he said. "I feel like I can now play at the highest possible level. I'm fit and ready to play more than 90 minutes if we have to - although I hope we'll be able to win the match in 90 minutes."

Schweinsteiger said his team were even stronger than the Germany side that finished third at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after losing to Spain in the semi-final.

"We're a step further now," he said. "Not only is the Nationalmannschaft a step further but every player has developed further with their clubs. The number of really good players on the team is greater now than before. That's why we're better."

A beaming Schweinsteiger also explained to reporters why he had avoided them until Sunday, which triggered speculation he was unhappy about being on the bench in the first two matches.

"I was just concentrating on getting fit and healthy again," he said. "I'm not a big fan of talking and beating around the bush. I'd rather talk about the pressing issues internally with the team.

"There was no malice," he said, referring to his avoiding the media. "At the start of the tournament I just wanted to focus a bit more on my fitness and getting over injury."

(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Bayern hold upper hand after 1-1 draw at United

MANCHESTER, England - Holders Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at a resilient Manchester United on Tuesday but remain favorites to clinch their Champions League quarter-final despite losing Bastian Schweinsteiger to a red card.

Bayern played the last few minutes at Old Trafford with 10 men after Schweinsteiger, who scored their equaliser in the 67th minute, got a second booking for tripping Wayne Rooney, ruling him out of next Wednesday's second leg at the Allianz Arena.

Schweinsteiger's superbly taken first-time lash into the roof of David De Gea's net came nine minutes after United skipper Nemanja Vidic stretched to clinically head a Rooney corner past stranded goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 58th.

"Congratulations to the team," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. "I am satisfied because Manchester United is one of the best teams in the world and that is something we should not forget.

"The away goal is extremely important even though the 1-1 can be tricky. We will try to win the return leg and I have full confidence in my players," added the Spaniard whos team are still on track to repeat the treble they claimed last season.

United's performance was in stark contrast to their recent 3-0 home defeats by arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in a lacklustre Premier League campaign.

Although the draw ended United's run of four straight Champions League home wins this season, it was a huge improvement on much of their domestic league form which has left them stranded in seventh place in the table.

Manager David Moyes, who has endured a tough baptism this season after taking over from the retired Alex Ferguson, had said his main wish was to have a foothold in the tie going into the second leg and he was encourged by United's performance.

"I was really pleased with the way we played there was a great atmosphere a great crowd, it was really gutsy, " he told ITV Sport.

"There was a real determination tonight to make sure we did well. Its a competition we have a really good history in, and we played a really good side tonight."

With Schweinsteiger and defender Javi Martinez now suspended for the return, Moyes was asked if he had more belief in winning next week against a side who retained their domestic title with seven matches left and are in the German Cup semi-finals.

"Well we have to score a goal because if the score stays as it is, Bayern goes through and we have to do something about it.

"We said we wanted to go into the second leg with a real chance and we have done that. We have given ourselves a real opportunity. We will go to Munich and try and get a victory."

BAYERN SUCCESS

Bayern had won their last four matches on English soil in the last 13 months, including two wins at Arsenal, a victory at Manchester City and success in last season's Champions League final when they beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

After a scare when United's Danny Welbeck saw a goal ruled out after five minutes for raising his foot too high, Bayern looked capable of extending that winning run, and taking their overall Champions League away record to eight successive wins.

They established a grip on the game, creating seven scoring chances in the opening 35 minutes, as defenders David Alaba and Rafinha poured forward to support the attack and they looked sharper to the ball than the home side.

But, for once, the German side, who had scored in their last 60 matches in all competitions, appeared to have lost their cutting edge in front of goal.

The best of those first-half efforts came after 31 minutes when winger Arjen Robben was allowed too much space and De Gea had to dive full length to beat away his inswinging shot.

Despite being overrun by Bayern's attacking momentum, United had the best chance before the break when Rooney found fellow England striker Welbeck with a low through ball after 40 minutes which Bayern defender Jerome Boateng attempted to block but fell over instead.

That allowed Welbeck time and space to beat Neuer but his weak chip gave the keeper the chance to paw the ball safely away.

Ryan Giggs, making his 141st Champions League appearance, one short of Raul's record, suffered a groin injury and had to be replaced by Shinji Kagawa at halftime.

The enterprising Japanese midfielder, who never lost to Bayern when he was at Dortmund, caused the visitors plenty of problems with some intelligent runs and passes.

From one of them United won a corner which Rooney swept into the box. The ball went slightly behind the incoming but unmarked Vidic who turned his head to nod past Neuer for his first goal in Europe for more than five years.

United only led for nine minutes though before Schweinsteiger replied.

Dutchman Robben came close to a late goal for Bayern but, despite only drawing, the tie is balanced in their favour before as they prepare for the return in Germany next week without Schweinsteiger and Martinez.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; editing by Ken Ferris)

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