FULL-TIME: AUSTRIA 0-1 CROATIA

Kienast glances a cross from the left marginally wide from eight yards and with that goes his side's chance of a deserved point

The seconds are ticking on Austria's hopes - they've arguably been the better side but have come up a little short in the attacking third

Three minutes of stoppages will be added to this tense game

Stranzl now saves his side as he slides in front of Budan to concede a corner but prevents the striker from poking home a low cross

Stranzl is sporting a shirt which has been ripped right down the side, but with just seconds to go he's not interested in a wardrobe change!

Pletikosa pushes away a curling 18-yard shot from the lively Korkmaz which would have crept inside the far post - this is a nervy ending by the much-fancied Croatians

This really is a grandstand finish now with Croatia rocking on their heels and Austria desperately pushing for an equaliser

Two thirds of the Ernst Happel Stadion appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty as Knezevic controls with is midriff before hacking the ball clear

Croatia send on Ognjen Vukojevic for Olic as they look to protect their slender lead

Croatia are clearly struggling to cope with this home onslaught and they really could be there for the taking

Vastic meets a cross with a powerful header from 15 yards and a shaky Pletikosa grabs it at the second attempt - the home fans are enjoying this push for an equaliser

Kienast makes a nuisance of himself in the box and Harnik drives a shot just over the bar as a clearly shaken Croatia defence begin to panic

Sub Korkmaz already looks a handful with a couple of tricky runs and he could provide the key to unlock the Croatia defence

Linz heads off to be replaced by Roman Kienast for Austria

Pletikosa flaps at a Harnik cross and has to rely on his defence to clear the danger as Austria are given another glimmer of hope

Croatia send on Igor Budan for Petric

Ivanschitz is getting closer as he bends a left-foot shot from 20 yards over the top with Pletikosa covering the effort

Austria send on Umit Korkmaz for Gercaliu

Prodl is rightly booked for a cynical grab at the shirt of Olic who had beaten him

Croatia are slowly getting back on top in this match but their lead remains a slim one and Austria can't be discounted yet

Srna skips down the left flank but after beating his marker can only find the head of Pogatetz with a disappointing cross when Olic was lurking in space just behind with a sight of goal

Robert Kovac gets up well but can only flick Srna's deep free-kick well over the bar with a back header

Srna requires treatment after being caught by Ivanschitz but it looks little more than a time-wasting tactic

Kranjcar is replaced by Dario Knezevic for Croatia

Ivica Vastic comes on for Saumel as Austria make a first change

Stranzl saves Austria as he dives in bravely to prevent a low Modric cross from reaching the sliding Olic on the edge of the six-yard box - that would surely have been a second for Croatia

Harnik controls on his chest and delivers a low driven cross through the six-yard box which none of his team-mates anticipate - he looks disgusted by their lack of effort in reaching that!

Harnik takes a swipe at fresh air when trying to meet a driven Standfest cross from the byline and Croatia are handed a let off

Austria remain in the ascendancy at the start of this second period and an equaliser really could be on the cards

Srna delivers a deep free-kick which almost picks out the arriving Petric at the back post before a corner is conceded

Robert Kovac has his name taken for a lunge at the breaking Linz in midfield

Modric started this game brightly for Croatia but he has become a peripheral figure and that will be a concern for Slaven Bilic

Ivanschitz is clearly up for this second period as he steadies himself before lashing a 30-yard shot high over the crossbar from a central position - the home fans are enjoying this though

Andreas Ivanschitz gets to the byline but his cut back drops to a blue shirt who hacks the ball clear of the danger zone

Pranjic stops a dangerous run from Martin Harnik on the edge of the Croatia box as Austria start the second half at a high tempo

Croatia get the second half underway

HALF-TIME: AUSTRIA 0-1 CROATIA

Austria are pushing forward as the seconds tick away on this first period but they look like heading in at the break a goal behind

Two minutes will be added to this first period

The home fans have been roused from their slumbers by the way their side are ending this first half - Croatia are most definitely on the back foot

Standfest is allowed space at the back post but he meets a deep cross with a header which he guides well over the bar - Austria though suddenly look an attacking force

Josip Simunic saves his side with a vital interception to put a near-post cross behind for a corner - Linz would surely have converted that clear chance from close range

Standfest does well to whip over a cross from the byline which Pletikosa has to palm away from the lurking Linz on the penalty spot

Petric almost finds himself in on goal but a through ball is cut out and again it's Croatia who look the most likely to find the second goal

Petric is in acres of space at the back post but he slashes as a deep cross and drives the ball comfortably high and wide when he should have done better

Roland Linz over-hits a lay-off looking for a team-mate which would have opened up Croatia for the first time - again Austria lack quality in the final third

Aufhauser meets a corner with a free header but he can only direct it woefully off-target from 12 yards when he could at least have hit the target

Vedran Corluka almost picks out Mladen Petric with a long ball from the back but he can't quite control and the keeper gathers

Pogatetz is perhaps fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card for pulling back Olic - the Croatia striker hardly covers himself in glory either as he falls down holding his face

Niko Kovac is not punished for a two-footed tackle on Pogatetz on the touchline - luckily for him, he won the ball relatively cleanly but concedes a free-kick

Croatia really could take the home side to the cleaners here this afternoon should they wish as, without being great themselves, they are significantly better

Aufhauser's low shot rolls into the waiting gloves of Pletikosa and Austria look totally devoid of ideas in the final third

Macho races off his line and punches the ball clear - he collided with Niko Kranjcar though and the Portsmouth man requires treatment

Saumel is cautioned for pulling back Robert Kovac when he was closing in on the Austrian penalty area

Sebastian Prodl goes for goal from some distance but his curling left-footed effort is comfortably wide of Pletikosa's goal

Slaven Bilic looks a fairly contented man in the Croatia technical area and who can blame him as his team is well in control

Darijo Srna's dangerous near-post corner is almost converted by the head of Olic but Joachim Standfest just about nods it clear under pressure - this is a one-sided game at the moment

Robert Kovac sends in a low free-kick from wide on the right and after Olic fails to get a touch on the ball it drifts through the six-yard box and almost creeps in at the far post

Austria are struggling to get a foothold in this game as Croatia dominate possession and territory just now

Modric already looks a quality player on the ball in his free role just behind the strikers and he could well be one of the stars of the tournament

Stipe Pletikosa sets himself and holds an ambitious 20-yard shot from Jurgen Saumel on his goalline

The large home contingent inside the stadium have been silenced by that and instead it is the red and white checked masses who are making all the noise

AUSTRIA 0-1 CROATIA: LUKA MODRIC keeps his cool as he strokes a low spot-kick right down the middle and into the net as Jurgen Macho had committed himself to his right

Emanuel Pogatetz is incensed by the decision of the referee and has his name taken for dissent

Rene Aufhauser is adjudged to have caught Ivica Olic in the box and it's an early penalty - that was a really clumsy attempt at a tackle!

Danijel Pranjic whips over a cross from the left following a good free-kick move but it's too high for his strikers to reach

Austria kick-off this match at the Ernst Happel Stadion as a wall of noise echoes around this 50,000 capacity ground

However, two qualifying victories over England proved they are no pushovers and in Spurs-bound Luka Modric they have a potential star of Euro 2008 in their ranks

Croatia have once again been labelled dark horses, but their own chances of glory have been undermined by the loss of Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva through injury

The Austrians are making their European Championship debut and, as they are easily the lowest FIFA ranked team in the competition (92nd), they are not expected to progress from the group stages

Co-hosts Austria start their Group B campaign against Croatia in Vienna this afternoon