Euro: Northern Ireland eliminates Ukraine, Poland ties Germany

Northern Ireland's victory — its first in a major competition in 34 years — combined with the 0-0 draw between Germany and Poland has left Ukraine unable to advance from Group C at the European Championship.

Germany and Poland played out the first goalless draw of the tournament in a dour match at the Stade de France.

Arkadiusz Milik, who scored Poland's winner against Northern Ireland on Sunday, miscued a header as he fell to his knees in Germany's goalmouth and the ball bounced just wide of Manuel Neuer's right-hand post.

That error, less than 20 seconds into the second half, hinted at better things after a lifeless first period.

However, neither team could sustain any attacking pressure, and a point suits both after their opening wins. Ukraine will finish last in the group after a pair of 2-0 losses, first to Germany then against Northern Ireland earlier Thursday.

German coach Joachim Loew said it was a difficult match because Poland has a good team.

"Poland's defence was good — ours, too," he said. "It can be expected in the group stage that teams try first of all not to concede."

Both teams played as if a draw was a decent night's work, and arguably a product of the newly expanded 24-team format for the championship.

Now that most third-place teams advance from the groups, four points will likely ensure a place in the round of 16.

England 2, Wales 1

Halftime substitute Daniel Sturridge scored an injury-time winner to give England a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Wales.

England had fallen behind after Gareth Bale scored from a long-distance free kick in the 42nd minute. But England coach Roy Hodgson brought on Jamie Vardy and Sturridge at halftime in an aggressive move to get more finishing power up front.

Vardy scored the equalizer, pouncing on a misdirected defensive clearance in the 56th minute with just his third touch. Sturridge muscled his way into the box to score the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time.

From looking in a weak position in Group B, the English now find themselves in first place and cannot finish lower than third, likely earning a spot in the last 16.

Wales has three points.

Hodgson has silenced the critics who, perhaps unfairly, label him a defensively minded coach. His choice and timing of substitutions was criticized against Russia on Saturday — England conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 — but he got it right at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, with Vardy and Sturridge making an impact.

Wales' Gareth Bale had led the sniping and jibes coming from the Welsh camp in the build-up to the all-British match, calling England the "enemy" and saying Wales had more passion than its neighbor.

He backed up all his straight-talking with another set-piece goal — but again there were question marks over the goalkeeper trying to save it.

Northern Ireland 2, Ukraine 0 

Northern Ireland won its first game at the European Championship with a 2-0 victory over Ukraine that helped to eliminate its opponent.

Building on a strong finish to the first half, Northern Ireland centre back Gareth McAuley put his team ahead with a header from an Oliver Norwood free kick in the 49th minute. Substitute Niall McGinn added the second deep in stoppage time when Ukraine was chasing an equalizer.

The victory, which followed a 1-0 defeat to Poland in its first game, is Northern Ireland's first since beating host Spain in the 1982 World Cup.

"It has been a long time," the 36-year-old McAuley said. "We talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament. A few years down the line when I am finished and I look back on it, it will be extra special. It's just sinking in, and now it means staying in the tournament."

After two games, Northern Ireland team now has three points, just behind Germany and Poland, which both have four. Northern Ireland's next Group C game is against world champion Germany on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

In the 24-team format that's being used at Euro 2016 for the first time, some third-placed group teams will qualify for the round of 16.

"It's probably the proudest I have felt in a dugout as manager," O'Neill said. "When you get a performance that is just pure commitment, pure heart, you can't ask for anything more."

For Ukraine, it was its second straight 2-0 loss. Even if it wins its final game against Poland and Northern Ireland loses its last match to Germany, it won't be able to overtake the Northern Irish even though both will have three points. Under UEFA rules, teams with the same amount of points are first separated by results against each other.