Holland 1-2 Germany

Mario Gomez's double secured Germany a 2-1 win against Holland to virtually seal their place in the last-eight of Euro 2012.

Gomez scored twice in the opening half of the game at the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, before the Dutch rallied after the break and pulled one back via Robin van Persie. However, Joachim Loew's men held on comfortably and now top Group B on six points, while a draw in their final game against Denmark will be enough to put them into the quarter-finals. Holland must defeat Portugal and hope the other result and then goal difference goes in their favour following a second successive defeat. The Dutch started brightly and they had the first chance on seven minutes when Johnny Heitinga's long ball up-field beat the German offside trap, but Van Persie at full stretch could not get any power behind his strike and it ran through to Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The Germans hit back and went closer within a minute as Mesut Ozil's effort from outside the area rebounded off the post and into the grateful hands of Dutch custodian Maarten Stekelenburg. Germany did take the lead on 24 minutes when a flowing attacking move ended with Bastian Schweinsteiger's defence-splitting pass finding Gomez who turned on a sixpence before firing low into the bottom corner. The Germans continued to look more dangerous going forward and should have gone two-up on 37 minutes when Schweinsteiger somehow headed straight at Stekelenburg from a few yards out after he got on the end of Ozil's free-kick. Germany didn't have to wait long before they did grab a second as, within a minute, Schweinsteiger again played in Gomez down the right of the Dutch area and his angled drive found the far corner of the net. Stekelenburg prevented a third goal in first half stoppage time when he had to tip the ball over his own bar at full stretch after Schweinsteiger's free-kick took a wicked deflection off Arjen Robben. Germany went close on 52 minutes when Mats Hummels was given time and space by the Dutch defence to shoot at goal from the edge of the area. Stekelenburg parried his first scuffed attempt, before producing a fine save to prevent his follow-up effort finding the net. Holland, improved by the half time introduction of Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart, almost pulled one back on 58 minutes but Neuer was at full stretch to tip away Van Persie's first time strike. The deficit was halved on 73 minutes when Van Persie advanced to the edge of the Germany area before unleashing a fierce drive which flew past Neuer. However, Germany comfortably saw out the final 17 minutes to edge closer to the knockout stage.