EURO opening games: First goals, results, scorers (part 1)
Let’s look back at the scores, opening goals, and venues of the games that got each UEFA European Championship started.
1960: France 4-5 Yugoslavia, Parc des Princes, Paris
Vincent 12, Heutte 43 62, Wisniewski 53; Galić 11, Žanetić 55, Knez 75, Jerković 78 79
Opening goal: Milan Galić’s early strike against France in Paris set the 1960 competition alight. However, Yugoslavia’s one-goal advantage lasted less than 60 seconds as Les Bleus promptly equalized.
1964: Spain 2-1 Hungary, aet, Estádio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
Pereda 35, Amancio 112; Bene 84
Opening goal: Jesús María Pereda netted a goal for La Roja 35 minutes into the Madrid semi-final. The Spain midfielder praised his team-mates for working well as a unit and soon they would be champions.
1968: Italy 0-0 Soviet Union, Stadio San Paolo, Naples
Opening goal: The tournament’s first goal did not come in Naples but later on the opening day of action, in Florence, where Yugoslavia’s Dragan Džajić jabbed in a winner 4 minutes from time against England.
1972: Belgium 1-2 West Germany, Bosuilstadion, Antwerp
Polleunis 83; Müller 24 71
Opening goal: West Germany ace Gerd Müller topped off a darting run by glancing over Belgium’s goalkeeper, claiming the competition’s first goal.
1976: Czechoslovakia 3-1 Netherlands, aet, Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb
Ondruš 19, 73, Nehoda 114, Veselý 118
Yugoslavia 2-4 West Germany, aet, Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade
Popivoda 19, Džajić 30; Flohe 64, Müller 82 115 119
Opening goals: Both semi-finals started at the same time and the first goal in each game was scored in the 19th minute: Danilo Popivoda for Yugoslavia and Anton Ondruš for Czechoslovakia.
1980: Czechoslovakia 0-1 West Germany, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Rummenigge 57
Opening goal: Karl-Heinze Rummenigge of West Germany flung himself at Hansi Müller’s lofted cross to nod in at the back post, sealing Die Mannschaft’s opening victory.