Ballack's strike seals win for Germany
published: Sunday | June 1, 2008

France's Patrice Evra (right) and Paraguay's Sergio Aquino challenge for the ball during their friendly in Toulouse yesterday. The game ended 0-0. - AP

LONDON (AP):

MICHAEL BALLACK'S 82nd-minute goal completed Germany's come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Serbia, and Portugal and Romania also warmed up for Euro 2008 with easy triumphs.

Portugal beat Georgia 2-0 in Viseu yesterday although the freescoring Cristiano Ronaldo failed to hit the target and Romania outplayed Montenegro 4-0 with Nicolae Dica scoring twice.

The European Championship kicks off next Saturday and the 16 qualifiers are making their final adjustments to tactics and testing players' fitness.

Three-time champions Germany fell behind to a 19th-minute goal from Bosko Jankovic in Gelsenkirchen and trailed until the 74th against the defence-minded Serbs, who failed to qualify for the Euros.

But 35-year-old substitute Oliver Neuville equalised four minutes after entering the game and Ballack, in recent standout form for Champions League runners-up Chelsea, netted the winner with a swerving free kick.

"He drives the entire team, he goads them on and he is in a very good physical shape," Germany coach Joachim Loew said of his captain.

Germany are in the same group as Croatia, Poland and co-hosts Austria. Loew's team starts off against Poland in Klagenfurt on June 8.

Joao Moutinho (13th minute) and Simao Sabrosa (44th minute penalty) scored Portugal's first-half goals in Viseu. But Ronaldo, who has scored 42 league and cup goals for Champions League and Premier League winners Manchester United, was subdued until he had a free kick pushed on to the bar by the Georgian goalkeeper.

Luiz Felipe Scolari made nine changes after the half-time break which broke the team's rhythm. His team faces Turkey in Geneva in its first group match at the Euros and then meets the Czech Republic and co-hosts Switzerland.

"I'm happy, especially with the way we played in the first half," Scolari said. "And we can learn some things from the second half."

Romania are in the toughest of the four groups against former champions France, the Netherlands and Italy. Their first game is against the French in Zurich June 9.

Adrian Mutu gave the Romanians a 15th-minute lead and Sorin Ghionea scored the second goal in the 49th minute with a close-range header. Dica scored in the 55th and 69th minutes in Bucharest.