Austria inflict penalty on Japan

Austria 0-0 Japan (Austria win 4-3 on pens)
UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts Austria overcame Japan 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after neither side could produce a goal in normal time.

Post rattled
Japan will probably feel harshly done by as they almost took a 22nd-minute lead when Tatsuya Tanaka hit the post after Helge Payer had parried Yasuhito Endo's free-kick. Austria were pushed deep into their own half for much of the opening period and showed little attacking vim. At the other end Tanaka fired a good chance wide just after the interval and Shunsuke Nakamura also failed to cause Payer a problem but Japan continued to dominate. Christoph Leitgeb's free-kick was Austria's best effort but the hosts held on for penalties and Yuji Nakazawa's failure gave Austria the narrowest of victories.