Germany and Romania shared the points in a game full of cut and thrust and offering a memorable contrast in styles.

Exciting game
A superb drive from Mehmet Scholl earned the defending champions a point after Romania had shocked them with a quick goal. Gheorghe Hagi took his place in the Romanian team after much debate about his groin injury. His experience and cunning would prove vital to their hopes and at 35 he was hardly the old man of the contest. That 'honour' went to Lothar Matthaus, still performing on the international stage at 39. He assumed his customary libero role; in attack the Germans named Paolo Rink in place of the injured Ulf Kirsten.

Romania ahead
Romania kept the ball well in the early stages and were quick to display their intent. On five minutes they surprised the defending champions with a goal that arrived following a slip by Thomas Linke down the left. His failure to cut out a long ball presented Adrian Ilie with a chance to shoot for goal or try and feed his forward partner Viorel Moldovan. He chose the latter option and played the cutest of passes across the goal area for Moldovan to finish. Germany were stunned. If they believed all the pre-tournament notices that they are a declining force then morale would have been at rock-bottom at that stage, and before they could stake their own claims there was more defending to do.

Sorcery from Hagi
Hagi set up Moldovan for a shot that flew too high. Then came more sorcery from the Galatasaray SK midfield player as Moldovan nodded Ilie's cross over. Hagi appeared to pick up an injury attempting to reach a high ball and he slowed visibly. It may have been a critical factor in the pattern of the game because Germany began to retain possession better and push bodies forward. Oliver Bierhoff forced a fine reflex save from Bogdan Stelea in the 24th minute. Four minutes later the Germans equalised after a bout of patient passing released Mehmet Scholl for a swerving shot that seemed to take Stelea by surprise. Just before the break Ilie had gone down under a challenge from Jens Nowotny. No penalty was given, referee Kim Nielsen booking the forward for simulation and Hagi for his protests.

Chances shared
Erich Ribbeck replaced Linke at half-time with Marko Rehmer. The newcomer was still trying to judge the pace of the game when he hesitated over a long ball and allowed Moldovan a clear sight of goal. Oliver Kahn turned it wide. Bierhoff sent a header against a post before Germany had a remarkable double let-off. Under pressure from Ilie, Kahn failed to gather a lofted ball but first with his left-foot, then with his right, Moldovan failed to make it count.

Portugal booked their quarter-final place with a goal deep into injury-time in Arnhem. Luis Figo's free-kick was headed home by substitute Costinha but there was little evidence of the dazzling style that had accounted for England in what was an encounter almost devoid of excitement until its dramatic finale.

Award for Popescu
There was a special award before the start of the match to Gheorghe Popescu in recognition of his 100th appearance for Romania. His team-mates received little else in the opening minutes as Portugal kept the ball with an easy assurance. Rui Costa, influential from the first kick, was clearly ready to try and do to the Romanians what he did to England. A second-minute free-kick to Luis Figo induced a sharp burst by the FC Barcelona man before he tumbled in the penalty area, however the referee was unimpressed. When Cristian Chivu lost possession just outside his area Figo was onto it in an instant, releasing Nuno Gomes on his right. It was a decent chance but the shot was dragged across the face of goal.

Plenty of room for Rui Costa
Romania had said before the game that both the Portuguese maestros would come in for close man-to-man attention and it can only have worried their followers that Costa in particular was discovering plenty of room. There was a further blow for Romania when Gheorghe Hagi went into the referee's book after 15 minutes for a foul on Joao Pinto. His second caution of the tournament means he will miss the game with England in Charleroi on Tuesday. Vitor Baia spilled a simple catch which gave Romania some encouragement however he also saved bravely when Chivu made ground down the left and crossed dangerously. Adrian Ilie's swerving free-kick caused Portugal momentary alarm but Baia pushed it away for a corner. At the other end Figo swung a free-kick towards Fernando Couto who should have made more of the heading opportunity. Just before half-time Hagi took aim from distance and was not far wide.

Few chances
It was a game of few chances and the early momentum had long since dissipated. Romania's best hopes of breaking through seemed to lie in set-pieces. A 53rd-minute corner was met by Viorel Moldovan who was unfortunate to see his header divert off a defender. Portugal needed an injection of pace and Sergio Conceicao made an early appearance in the second-half along with Sa Pinto. There was little they could do to influence matters in the short term as Romania had tightened their game considerably. Hagi, found by Dan Petrescu's chip to the far post, screwed his volley wide. Sa Pinto's unsuccessful effort to meet a high ball from the right led to appeals that he had been unfairly blocked. With five minutes remaining Hagi, again shooting from distance, drew a tip-over save.

Substitute Ionel Ganea calmly slotted home an 89th-minute penalty to give Romania a dramatic victory in a pulsating UEFA EURO 2000? Group A clash in Charleroi. England seemed on course for the draw they needed when Phil Neville clumsily tripped Viorel Moldovan to gift Romania second place in the group and send them through to a quarter-final meeting with Italy.

Martyn and Mutu recalled and involved
England coach Kevin Keegan was forced into a last-minute change with David Seaman picking up an injury in the warm-up. He was replaced by Nigel Martyn. Romania, meanwhile, replaced the suspended Gheorghe Hagi with Adrian Mutu. Martyn and Mutu were both quickly involved. Mutu's run was halted illegally and Adrian Ilie's well struck free-kick from the edge of the area was saved at full stretch by Martyn.

Patient passing and pretty patterns
That set the tone for the early exchanges. As England struggled to gain possession, Romania weaved pretty patterns and began to stretch the England defence. Dorinel Munteanu sent a 25-metre shot just over after eight minutes. Then Dan Petrescu played Moldovan through but he shot straight at Martyn. England eventually settled and their main threat came down the right. After 17 minutes Michael Owen shot over from Phil Neville's throw-in, while a minute later Sol Campbell narrowly failed to connect with David Beckham's free-kick.

Chivu strikes
After 22 minutes Romania took the lead with a freakish goal. England failed to clear from a corner and Cristian Chivu picked up possession. His attempted cross deceived everyone and went in off the far upright for his first goal for his country. Romania suffered a blow after 32 minutes when veteran Gheorghe Popescu retired injured to be replaced by Miodrag Belodedici. They squandered a glorious chance for a second goal two minutes later when Ilie sent a free header straight at Martyn. Then Chivu almost claimed his second after a storming run but fired over.

Romania pay penalty
Romania paid the penalty for their profligacy as England equalised after 41 minutes. Paul Ince was bundled over by Chivu and Alan Shearer blasted home the penalty. On the stroke of half-time, Michael Owen raced onto Paul Scholes' pass and rounded Bogdon Stelea to score.

Romania restore parity
However, within three minutes of the restart Romania were level. Moldovan's cross was punched straight by Martyn to Munteanu, and he crashed a left-foot volley to the net. Both sides were looking good on the ball at this stage, but equally vulnerable in defence. Romania could have regained their lead after 61 minutes as Mutu's cross was laid back by Moldovan to Ilie, but his low shot was saved.

England holding on
Although England had brought on Emile Heskey to hold the ball up, they were struggling to escape a tightening Romanian straitjacket. However, Romania lacked the cutting edge of earlier and were largely reduced to long-range shots, with Munteanu and Petrescu both threatening Martyn. The introduction of Ionel Ganea gave them more thrust and he combined well with Moldovan after 77 minutes but was unable to get to the return pass. Seconds later, Martyn did well to hold a sweetly-struck Mutu strike as Ganea prepared to pounce.

Romania rescued
An interchange between Heskey and Nicky Barmby culminated in the latter shooting wide, but Romania continued to threaten. It took an excellent block by Martin Keown to deny Laurentiu Rosu after 82 minutes. Indeed, Romania seemed to have exhausted all options until Phil Neville's foul came to Romania's rescue.

Italy reached the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship for the third time with a convincing victory against a depleted Romanian team further handicapped by the dismissal of Gheorghe Hagi in probably his last game for his country.

Suspended trio
Italy, for whom Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi scored in the first half, now meet The Netherlands or Yugoslavia for a place in the final. Romania went into the match with three players suspended after the group phase as well as Gheorghe Popescu injured. Coach Emeric Ienei placed his faith in Internazionale FC's Adrian Mutu as a replacement for Adrian Ilie up front, while their veteran captain Gheorghe Hagi was back in midfield after suspension.

Nervous start
Both teams began nervously but it was Italy who made the first chance when Demetrio Albertini, Francesco Totti and Stefano Fiore combined fluently on the left to set up Filippo Inzaghi. But the striker's first-time shot was just wide. For Romania Hagi ballooned a free-kick over the bar and Viorel Moldovan made a hash of a header from another Hagi free-kick. A cross-shot from a tight angle by Totti was well held by Bogdan Stelea.

Italy look sharp
Romania were enjoying marginally more possession but Italy's movement on the break was sharp and in the 27th minute they might have taken the lead. Totti found Inzaghi in space on the right and his cross was met on the half-volley by the unmarked Stefano Fiore, but the ball flew off target. Moments later Miodrag Belodedici stopped Inzaghi in his tracks as he burst into the Romanian area, but when an Italian corner was cleared only as far as Fiore on the edge of the area the Udinese Calcio man chipped a delightful ball in for Totti to beat the offside trap and place his shot carefully beyond Stelea to put Italy ahead.

Game opens up
Hagi went agonisingly close to an equaliser within two minutes, lobbing Francesco Toldo, but the ball rebounded off the post. As the game opened up Totti lifted one over the bar and the impressive Galca volleyed inches wide for Romania. But two minutes before the break the Romanian offside trap failed for a second time. This time it was Albertini who threaded the ball through from near the centre circle, Inzaghi was left with a clear run at Stelea and the Juventus FC striker made no mistake. Again Hagi responded instantly but Toldo held his drive from the edge of the area.

Hagi's farewell
There was a glimmer of hope for Romania at the start of the second half when Paolo Maldini was replaced by Gianluca Pessotto. Another Galca effort cleared the bar and Hagi was booked for a foul on Antonio Conte. Romania brought on Ioan Ganea for Moldovan and the VfB Stuttgart forward might have scored from Dorinel Munteanu's pass but Pessotto came to Italy's rescue. Then, in the 59th minute, Hagi claimed Gianluca Zambrotta had brought him down in the area. Sadly for Hagi, referee Melo Pereira adjudged that Hagi had dived and showed him the yellow card for the second time in six minutes.

Romania keep going
But while Hagi's illustrious international career may have come to a sad end, Romania were not finished. Munteanu fired just over, Liviu Ciobotariu's shot cannoned away off Zambrotta on the Italian goal-line and Toldo dived bravely at the feet of Mutu moments later. Inevitably there would be chances for Italy and twice Inzaghi missed from passes by Albertini. The first hit the foot of the post with only Stelea to beat, and the second was pulled well wide.