Group A favourites Russia got their Euro 2012 campaign off to a great start with a 4-1 thrashing of the Czech Republic in Wroclaw.
Alan Dzagoev bagged a brace for the Russians and Roman Shirokov and Roman Pavlyuchenko also notched in an entertaining encounter at the Municipal Stadium.
Russia took the lead with a fine goal, Dzagoev (15) smashing home the rebound after Aleksandr Kerzhakov had arrived at the back post to head Konstantin Zyryanov's great cross against the post.
Dzagoev then sliced another good chance wide of the post but the Russians were soon two-up in any case, Shirokov (24) cleverly flicking the ball over Petr Cech after Andrey Arshavin's pass found its way to the back post.
Kerzhakov then blazed a good chance to make it three over the bar and the Czechs were back in it after the break, Vaclav Pilar (52) latching onto Jaroslav Plasil's slide-rule pass and rounding the keeper before slotting home.
Russia pressed forward but Zyryanov's shot went just over the bar and Kerzhakov pulled two great chances wastefully wide, while Vyatcheslav Malafeev did well to keep out Tomas Rosicky's effort at the other end.
And the Russians then wrapped it up when a neat first-time pass from sub Pavlyuchenko played in Dzagoev (79), who lashed a right-footed shot past Cech.
Pavlyuchenko got in on the act himself three minutes later, cutting in from the left and bewildering defender Roman Hubnik before finding the top corner with a great strike.
Russia coach Dick Advocaat was understandably pleased: "We are quite happy, we scored four goals and in any international game that is a very good result.
"We could have scored more goals, in fact we should have scored more as we had a lot of chances."
For Czech coach Bilek the result made for a miserable start to their campaign, and he knows his team will have to regroup quickly ahead of their meeting with Greece on Tuesday.
He said: "I think we started well, in the first 15 minutes we had plenty of possession, but there were some attacking situations we did not finish off.
"Then we lost the ball in our opponents' half, they broke quickly and it was a mistake that cost us.
"We tried to change it after half-time and we scored a goal, but then we lost the ball again and the opponent punished us and that is why the result is what it is."
Alan Dzagoev bagged a brace for the Russians and Roman Shirokov and Roman Pavlyuchenko also notched in an entertaining encounter at the Municipal Stadium.
Russia took the lead with a fine goal, Dzagoev (15) smashing home the rebound after Aleksandr Kerzhakov had arrived at the back post to head Konstantin Zyryanov's great cross against the post.
Dzagoev then sliced another good chance wide of the post but the Russians were soon two-up in any case, Shirokov (24) cleverly flicking the ball over Petr Cech after Andrey Arshavin's pass found its way to the back post.
Kerzhakov then blazed a good chance to make it three over the bar and the Czechs were back in it after the break, Vaclav Pilar (52) latching onto Jaroslav Plasil's slide-rule pass and rounding the keeper before slotting home.
Russia pressed forward but Zyryanov's shot went just over the bar and Kerzhakov pulled two great chances wastefully wide, while Vyatcheslav Malafeev did well to keep out Tomas Rosicky's effort at the other end.
And the Russians then wrapped it up when a neat first-time pass from sub Pavlyuchenko played in Dzagoev (79), who lashed a right-footed shot past Cech.
Pavlyuchenko got in on the act himself three minutes later, cutting in from the left and bewildering defender Roman Hubnik before finding the top corner with a great strike.
Russia coach Dick Advocaat was understandably pleased: "We are quite happy, we scored four goals and in any international game that is a very good result.
"We could have scored more goals, in fact we should have scored more as we had a lot of chances."
For Czech coach Bilek the result made for a miserable start to their campaign, and he knows his team will have to regroup quickly ahead of their meeting with Greece on Tuesday.
He said: "I think we started well, in the first 15 minutes we had plenty of possession, but there were some attacking situations we did not finish off.
"Then we lost the ball in our opponents' half, they broke quickly and it was a mistake that cost us.
"We tried to change it after half-time and we scored a goal, but then we lost the ball again and the opponent punished us and that is why the result is what it is."