Denmark defeat holders England to reach last fourDenmark 2 (Fischer 13, Zohore 21) England 0

A fine first-half display, including a splendid strike from Viktor Fischer, earned Thomas Frank's team a semi-final place as Group A winners. 

Denmark are assured of a place in the semi-finals following a 2-0 Group A victory against England.
The holders, unbeaten in a competitive game under coach John Peacock since their last group match of the 2009 finals, now need to beat Serbia on Monday to stand a chance of extending their title defence. Their attempts to retain the trophy were dealt a major blow by an impressive Denmark outfit, who won courtesy of first-half goals from Viktor Fischer and Kenneth Zohore.
Thomas Frank's team were brimming with confidence after their opening win against Serbia. Carrying on from where he left off on Tuesday, when he scored a late winner, Fischer was first to apply the finishing touch. Given all the time and space he needed, the striker let loose from 25 yards with a shot which whistled into the top corner.
Denmark's second came via Zohore, a real route one effort and his shotflew past Jordan Pickford. That setback briefly sparked England into life but still they were second best, Hope's tame header and wayward shot the only fruits of their labour.
Fresh from Peacock's half-time advice, England at last began to stretch their opponents down the flanks that proved so profitable against France. Still, though, chances were at a premium until midway through the half, Max Clayton smashing the bar with a splendid volley before turning narrowly wide from close range 30 seconds later.
Dominant in possession until the final whistle, Peacock's charges could simply find no way through a dogged Danish defence.

In todays other game France drew their second match 1-1 against hosts Serbia so it is between those two and England to decide the second semi fianlist from the group then they play on Monday.

Group B matches kick off at 4pm (BST)

Australia 2 Serbia 1

Scorers: Cahill (Aus), Holman (Aus), Pantelic (Srb)

Attendance: 38836

Australia got the win they wanted in Nelspruit on Wednesday night, but not the number of goals they needed as the Socceroos were eliminated from Group D on goal difference behind Ghana. Germany, 1-0 winners over the Black Stars in Johannesburg, topped the group on six points, while the Aussies and Ghanaians finished on four and the Serbians three.

Budweiser Man of the Match Tim Cahill was back in the team, after being dismissed in the ultimately decisive 4-0 opening loss to the Germans, and it was the Everton man who scored the crucial opening goal of the match on 69 minutes. Substitute Brett Holman doubled the lead just four minutes later before Marko Pantelic pulled one back late on to set up a grandstand finish.

Both teams approached the encounter at the Mbombela Stadium knowing they needed to win and the game started at a high tempo. Serbia's Milos Krasic was an early danger down their right wing, testing goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer at his near post inside the first five minutes. In the 12th minute, Krasic had an even better chance when sprung free in the box by Milos Ninkovic's defence-splitting pass after an Australia corner, but the CSKA Moscow man took it too wide and could not get his shot on target around the advancing Schwarzer.

Krasic then turned provider, finding Zdravko Kuzmanovic streaking into the area, but he fired well wide when he might have done better in the 16th minute. Another pass from the right in the 23rd minute picked out Branislav Ivanovic, who pulled the ball back well from close range, but Schwarzer reacted quickly to save with his out-stretched left arm. The onslaught against Australia left-back David Carney continued in the 34th minute as Ivanovic crossed to a loosely marked Nikola Zigic, but the Serbia striker did not connect cleanly and the ball slid off his head. Four minutes later, Krasic did have the ball in the back of the Australian net, but he was narrowly offside.

The two best chances of the first half for the Asian Zone representatives fell to Cahill, but the Everton midfielder headed wide just after the half-hour mark and then lost his footing in the 39th minute after Carney had picked him out all alone in the middle of the Serbian box. But Pim Verbeek's side came out with more purpose in the second half and two long-range efforts put a lump in Serbian throats. First, Jason Culina blazed wide from 25 yards after the defence failed to clear a free-kick, and Bresciano then stung the goalkeeper's hands with a blast from just outside the area when given too much space.

And though the Serbians continued to create chances as well, with Zigic firing over from close range and Kuzmanovic heading over from near the penalty spot, it was the Aussies who found the net. Again talisman Cahill was the inspiration, showing more determination to leap over the defence and head in a long cross. As Serbia pushed for the equaliser, Australia produced another moment of brilliance, this time from Holman, who picked the ball up near his halfway line and screamed in a long-range shot low into Vladimir Stojkovic's goal.

With their South Africa 2010 hopes slipping away, the eastern Europeans battled forward and second-half substitute Zoran Tosic was a constant threat. It was his hard shot that was spilled by Schwarzer, and fellow substitute Pantelic was first to the ball for an easy score. Remarkably that meant that the Serbians could have gone through with another goal, but despite some goalmouth opportunities, they did not force a save from Schwarzer, although Culina did have a one-on-one bravely saved by Stojkovic at the other end in the final moments.

Germany 0 Serbia 1

Scorer: Jovanovic (Ser)
Attendance: 38294


A 38th-minute Milan Jovanovic goal proved enough for Serbia to edge a Germany side that played the entire second half at a numerical disadvantage and missed a penalty. Joachim Low's charges had the majority of the possession and chances at Port Elizabeth Stadium, but Miroslav Klose's dismissal and Lukas Podolski's failure to beat Vladimir Stojkovic from 12 yards proved costly for a Germany team beaten in a FIFA World Cup™ group game for the first time since 1986.

The result means that Germany, who remain top of Group D on goal difference, Ghana and Serbia all now have three points, while Australia are yet to get off the mark. The Black Stars and the Socceroos will play their second game in Rustenburg tomorrow.

Germany quickly found their rhythm following kick-off, but it was Serbia who had the first meaningful attempt on goal, Zdravko Kuzmanovic executing a firm, low drive from the edge of the box that went two yards wide. The Germans responded instantly, stringing a series of passes together to work the ball out to Mesut Oezil, on the right. The Werder Bremen playmaker duly dinked it through to Sami Khedira, who was promisingly positioned inside the area but unable to keep his volley down. Podolski was next to try his luck, reacting first to Nemanja Vidic's clearance and sending a thumping volley narrowly wide of Vladimir Stojkovic's upright.

Serbia then enjoyed a fruitful five-minute spell. Krasic neatly set up Milos Ninkovic, who volleyed over from inside the area. Then Ninkovic skipped around Arne Friedrich and was felled as he approached the Germany penalty area but Radomir Antic’s side wasted the consequent free-kick. The Serbia defence was standing firm against the three-time world champions –  Neven Subotic made one crucial challenge on Khedira, while a Vidic interception denied Klose a run on goal.

Klose did have the ball in the net on the half-hour mark but had strayed marginally offside. The Germany forward's afternoon reached an early end eight minutes before half-time, however, when following an earlier booking, he received a second yellow card for bringing down Dejan Stankovic from behind, and was duly sent off. Serbia capitalised immediately. Krasic outstripped his marker down the right, got to the byline, and crossed to the back post, where Zigic was hovering. The towering striker nodded the ball back across goal and into the path of Jovanovic, who took it on his chest and fired acrobatically past Manuel Neuer from five yards.

Germany, a man and a goal down, pushed forward and came agonisingly close to restoring parity on the stroke of half-time. From an Oezil corner, Stojkovic could only punch the ball into the path of Khedira, who thumped it against the crossbar from 12 yards. From the rebound, Thomas Mueller produced an overhead kick but Kolarov was intelligently positioned on the line and managed to hook the ball to safety.

Germany raced out of the blocks following the restart. Bastian Schweinsteiger almost went through on goal, but Vidic made a sliding challenge to avert the danger. Oezil then slid Podolski in only for the Cologne ace to power his shot into the side-netting from eight yards. Poldi had a far better opportunity to put his side back on level terms on the hour mark. Vidic unnecessarily handled Arne Friedrich's cross inside the box, and the referee pointed to the spot, handing the Manchester United centre-back a yellow card. Podolski tried to pass the ball into the bottom corner, but Stojkovic flung himself down to his left and pulled off a great save.

The game flowed from end to end in the remaining 30 minutes. The inventive Krasic worked an opening for himself and forced Neuer into a good save, while the same player also crossed for Zigic, whose header struck the crossbar. Germany's best opportunities fell to Podolski. Oezil and Mueller combined to free him down the left of the penalty area but he scuffed his shot. He tried again with four minutes remaining but failed to get a good connection on his ten-yard effort. It was not Podolski's – or Germany's – afternoon. Serbia, who pipped France to first place in their qualifying group, had once again served notice of their ability to hang with the heavyweights.

Serbia 0 Ghana 1

Scorer: Gyan (GHA)

Attendance: 38833

An 83rd-minute Asamoah Gyan penalty snatched Ghana a deserved 1-0 victory over Serbia in their Group D opener at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Black Stars, despite having the better of the play, appeared en route to a goalless draw until the Beli Orlovi hit the self-destruct button late on, with Aleksandar Lukovic earning himself a red card before Zdravko Kuzmanovic’s needless handball presented the Africans with the spot-kick from which they seized the three points.

The game got off to a lively start, with Gyan firing a free-kick narrowly over from the edge of the box before Prince Tagoe shot wide. Ghana continued to press forward. Kwadwo Asamoah’s 18th-minute set-piece found the head of Mensah, who was unable to direct it on target, while Gyan, from six yards out, was just inches from connecting with Boateng’s teasing cross two minutes later when the slightest of touches would have surely broken the deadlock.

Serbia spurned a golden opportunity on 26 minutes. Milijas curled a set-piece into the path of Pantelic, who had cleverly spun and lost his marker to find space inside the penalty area. However, the Ajax forward’s control deserted him and the ball went out for a goal-kick. Soon after, Kolarov curled a firmly-stuck free-kick narrowly wide of the post.

Ghana emerged from the break in determined mood and proceeded to monopolise possession. The opportunities duly began to flow. Eight minutes after the restart, Tagoe curled a delightful ball to the back post, but the unmarked Ayew somehow failed to hit the target with a close-range header. With the half-hour mark approaching, Gyan stole in front of Vidic to head the ball against the post from five yards, and Tagoe then volleyed wide a difficult chance at the back post.

With 16 minutes remaining, Ghana gained a numerical advantage. Lukovic, who had already been booked, held back Gyan and was consequently given a second yellow card. This, curiously, spurred Serbia into life and when Marko Pantelic’s mishit shot fell inviting into the path of Krasic, the CSKA Moscow winger should have done better then shooting straight at goalkeeper Richard Kingson.

Milovan Rajevac’s side swiftly regained control, though, and got the reward they merited seven minutes from time. There appeared no danger when an overhit cross from the left travelled towards Kuzmanovic, but he inexplicably handled it to afford Ghana a glorious chance to clinch victory. And that Gyan did, thumping the ball down the middle and into the back of the net.

The scorer then hit the post late on, but that will have done little to dampen his delight on an afternoon when he walked away with the Budweiser Man of the Match Award, Ghana put three points on the board and Africa got its first victory of this FIFA World Cup

Serbia: 1.Stojkovic, 3. Kolarov, 5. Vidic, 6. Ivanovic, 9. Pantelic, 10. Stankovic, 11. Milijas, 13. Lukovic, 14. Jovanovic, 15. Zigic, 17. Krasic

Subs Used: 8. Lazovic, 20. Subotic, 22. Kuzmanovic

Ghana: 22. Kingson, 2. Sarpei, 3. Gyan, 4. Pantsil, 5. Mensah, 6. Annan, 12. Tagoe, 13. Ayew, 15. Vorsah, 21. Asamoah, 23. Boateng

Subs Used: 10. Appiah, 19. Addy, 20. Owusu-Abeyie