Told your mates/boss/dog you'll be watching every game? Had to pop down to the shops, take the girlfriend to watch SATC or (gasp) fancied a night off the footy? We're here to save your reputation...
Day 19: Sunday 29 June
The Result
Germany 0 Spain 1 (Torres)
The High Point
Fernando Torres had been a frustrating player in Spain's previous games. By no means terrible, he displayed none of the scintellating form shown for Liverpool, a view obviously shared by Luis Aragones, who substituted the forward in every game. However, in scoring the only goal he showed just how brilliant he can be, taking emphatic advantage of some extremely hesitant defending from Philip Lahm to burst past the full-back and clip a brilliant finish into the corner.
The Low Point
There really can't be any low point to a tournament as good as this one. The only slight let down could be that it was merely a very good final, rather than an exceptional one. The best team of both final and tournament won - you can't really top that.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Proof that sometimes, you can write off the Germans."
Day 18: Thursday 26 June
The Result
Spain 3 (Xavi, Guiza, Silva) Russia 0.
The High Point
While you couldn't say the introduction of Cesc Fabregas turned the game for the Spanish (they were in control even before David Villa limped off), the Arsenal midfielder was superb in his 50-odd minutes on the pitch. The theory before the tournament was that he couldn't play with Xavi and Iniesta, but Fabregas proved his versatility by playing a roving role, when he's usually required to direct things from the middle in the Premier League.
The Low Point
As impressive as Fabregas was, Russia's playmaker disappointed terribly. Andrei Arshavin was the talk of Vienna before the game, with all and sundry lining up to sing his praises, including Barcelona. However, the Russian was largely anonymous, proving that when he ticks, Russia do.
What To Say To Your Mates
"If that doesn't get Fabregas in the team for the final, Luis Aragones is an ignorant fool. Hang on..."
Day 17: Wednesday 25 June
The Result
Germany 3 (Schweinsteiger, Klose, Lahm) Turkey 2 (Ugur Boral, Semih Senturk)
The High Point
As seemingly always when Turkey play, the end of the game. The last eleven minutes saw Klose give Germany the lead, Semih Senturk haul his country level (Fatih Terim getting a smack in the face during the wild celebrations) and a late winner from Philipp Lahm that gave the Turks a taste of what they've been doing to everyone else. If their games were like this for 90 minutes you wouldn't be able to watch for fear of a heart-attack.
The Low Point
That most of the continent missed large parts of the game - including Klose's goal and the final whistle - thanks to a problem with the TV feed. And, of course, that injuries and suspensions robbed Turkey of many of their best players, although to dwell on that too much would be to do a disservice to the men who actually took to the field.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Never write off the Germans." Repeat ad infinitum.
Day 16: Sunday 22 June
The Result
Italy 0 Spain 0 (Spain won 4-3 on penalties)
The High Point
Cesc Fabregas' winning penalty.
The Low Point
The previous two hours.
What To Say To Your Mates
"It was a struggle to stay awake. Honestly, Magny-Cours provided more entertainment."
Day 15: Saturday 21 June
The Result
Holland 1 (Ruud van Nistelrooy) Russia 3 (Pavluchenko, Torbinsky and Arshavin)
The High Point
It's in this kind of match that you realise why Guus Hiddink is held in such high regard, and why he has such an impressive record. It was in many ways a complete performance from the Russians. In defence they were disciplined and narrow, so as to frustrate the previously flowing Dutch, while in attack they were dynamic and incisive. The only concern was that they wouldn't produce the finish their build-up play deserved, but the two quick goals in extra-time saw to that.
The Low Point
Really, it was a shame that Holland and Russia had to come up against each other so (relatively) early on. These are teams that would have produced a wonderful final, but as it is there will be at least one side from the pragmatist school in Vienna a week Sunday.
What To Say To Your Mates
"In a tournament when the pragmatists have been most successful, it's refreshing to see a side playing such great football in the semis."
Day 13: Friday 20 June
The Result
Croatia 1 (Klasnic) Turkey 1 (Senturk) AET - Turkey won 3-1 on penalties.
The High Point
Possibly the most bonkers minute of international football you have ever seen. Slaven Bilic cavorted around the pitch like a man recently set free from an asylum when Klasnic poked in the 119th minute goal, only to crumble like a broken man when Senturk popped up with the equaliser. From there, of course, the game was Turkey's. Another extraordinary moment in a remarkable tournament.
The Low Point
Before the goals, we were 'treated' to almost two hours of unusually turgid, cagey football, not befitting a tournament of this quality. Perhaps it was a result of two teams producing their best performances when they are underdogs. Bodes well for Turkey's semi-final against Germany though.
What To Say To Your Mates
"The sages are nodding their heads and saying 'Yeah, but the Turks will get found out soon enough', but that's what they said about the Greeks four years ago. Could it happen again?"
Day 12: Thursday 19 June
The Results
Germany 3 Portugal 2
The High Point
The four-minute spell in which Germany grabbed a two-goal lead. The first was a classic counter attack, the second a demonstration in how to maximise an advantage (in the Germans' case, a height advantage over their vertically-challenged opponents). But it was a lack of marking rather than a lack of height that Portugal will rue, while questions will be asked of Luiz Felipe Scolari's tactical acumen after his team's initial struggles to cope with Germany's five-man midfield.
The Low Point
The Germans' cynicism, both in defence and in attack - most noticeably when Michael Ballack committed a push that was so "blatant" that the ITV commentary team required five different replays to spot it.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Chelsea really did ***k up Portugal's chances."
Day 11: Wednesday 18 June
The Results
Russia 2 (Pavlyuchenko, Arshavin) Sweden 0
Greece 1 (Charisteas) Spain 2 (de la Red, Guiza)
The High Point
Russia's opening half-hour of truly breathtaking football which made the mouth water about a quarter-final clash with the Dutch. The full-backs overlapped, Andrei Ashavin lurked threateningly and Roman Pavlyuchenko swept home the opener. Thrilling stuff.
The Low Point
Once again, Zlatan Ibrahimovic promised much and failed to deliver. Among Sweden's veterans, he should have been the one buzzing with energy. It certainly looks like Martin O'Neill was right about him all along. Sweden looked like a Championship side trying to contain Arsenal.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Steve McClaren will be chuffed that the two teams who knocked out England are in the quarter-finals. All that time we thought we had an easy draw, it turns out it was the Group of Death."
Day Ten: Tuesday 17 June
The Results
France 0 Italy 2 (Pirlo, De Rossi)
Holland 2 (Huntelaar, Van Persie) Romania 0
The High Point
The actual event failed to live up to the hype, but for captivating tension, the evening couldn't be beaten.
The Low Point
The dismissal of Eric Abidal damaging, if not wrecking, France-Italy as a spectacle. The abysmal standard of refereeing in general. The injury to Ribery that robbed France of their most dangerous player. The gut feeling that, but for Raymond Domenech's incomprehensible sabotage, France would still have been contenders to win the tournament rather than resemble washed-up has-beens.
Abidal was a liability against the Romanians at left-back and his selection in the centre of the defence against the world champions was a disaster waiting to happen. It happened.
It has, so far, been a great tournament but Euro 2008 has already thrown its sub-standard hosts out of their own party and now loses one of its star attractions. A second will inevitably follow in less than a week when Spain tackle the Italians in their quarter-final. It's a concern.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Is Eric Abidal the new Jermaine Jenas?"
Day Ten: Monday 16 June
The Results
Austria 0 Germany 1 (Ballack)
Croatia 1 (Klasnic) Poland 0
The High Point
For his first season and a bit at Chelsea, Michael Ballack looked like a very expensive walking ego, but his form improved dramatically in the latter stages of last season. He was the architect of Germany's admittedly slightly laboured win that sealed their place in the quarter-finals, capping things off with an absolute screamer of a free-kick that would have beaten two goalkeepers. It was a bloody good job Ballack stepped up too after the profligacy of their strikers, something that will worry Joachim Low for the latter stages. Special mention too goes to the raw passion showed by Croatia in a meaningless game for them. Have you ever seen a team - a nation - so proud to win a game of football?
The Low Point
International tournaments are curious things. The best players in the world are often anonymous, while relative journeymen shine. Who remembers Hasan Sas from World Cup 2002? Mario Gomez is a case in point. While you can't place him anywhere near the world class bracket yet, he should have been coming into this tournament oozing confidence from every orifice after bagging 28 goals for Stuttgart last season. However, he has barely looked like a footballer, never mind an international class striker in Germany's three games, and his shambolic miss from four yards - and worse his failure to nod in the second chance - really put the tin hat on things. He'll be lucky to start against Portugal - expect Low to bring in Thomas Hitzlsperger and move Lukas Podolski up front for that one.
What To Say To Your Mates
"They may not have looked impressive so far, but you wouldn't put it past the Germans to pull one out of the bag against Portugal. Lump on son."
Day Nine: Sunday 15 June
The Results
Czech Republic 2 (Koller, Plasil) Turkey 3 (Kahveci 2, Turan)
Portugal 0 Switzerland 2 (Hakan Yakin 2)
The High Point
Turkey's utterly bonkers, utterly riveting 20-minute comeback from 2-0 down. But Petr Cech was complicit to the recovery, making a hash of a shot he should have turned around a post and then dropping a straightforward cross. The best keeper in the world? Not these days.
The Low Point
Not being able to watch the day's other match. Although, from what we heard, the Portuguese didn't bother to turn up.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Honestly, according to Townsend, the defender was literally up Koller's backside. Surely that's a sending-off offence?"
Day Eight: Saturday 14 June
The Results
Spain 2 (Torres, Villa) Sweden 1 (Ibrahimovic)
Greece 0 Russia 1 (Zyryanov)
The High Point
Sergei Semak's overhead assist gets a big thumb-up, but there's nothing better in football than a last-minute winner. Oh, apart from a goalkeeper coming up for a set piece. Or a dog on the pitch. Or when it snows and you can't see the ball. But none of that happened today, so moment of the day goes to David Villa, who had the bottle to win his side the match for the second game running. The Spaniard seems determined to be the player of the tournament, and good luck to him.
The Low Point
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's failure to re-emerge for the second half. The striker had been kept largely under wraps but, just as in Sweden's win over Greece, he'd popped up with the sort of vital goal that suggests this could be the tournament he finally delivers on the big international stage. In his absence, Sweden rarely troubled a Spain side that should have had the win wrapped up long before they did. Ibrahimovic's countrymen will be hoping he's back - and on form - on Wednesday night to fire them into the quarter finals.
What To Say To Your Mates
"I can get up for overhead kicks like that, but with my back the doctor's banned me from even thinking about it."
Day Seven: Friday 13 June
The Results
Italy 1 (Panucci) Romania 1 (Mutu)
France 1 (Henry) Holland 4 (Kuyt, Van Persie, Robben, Sneijder)
The High Point
Well, the whole day's football. But, if we have to be specific - what a difference missing half a season through injury makes...Arjen Robben came off the bench and was just electric. First a tantalising cross in exactly the right area for Holland's second goal and then the third from a seemingly-impossible angle. A brilliant substitution from Marco van Basten that proves they have the strength in depth to win the whole thing.
The Low Point
The refereeing. Lord knows how Makelele was still on the pitch after 90 minutes. He could have had two reds for two ridiculous challenges but instead somehow got away with just one yellow card. In the first game there was a wrongly-disallowed goal and then the dodgiest of penalties. No wonder Roberto Donadoni feels a tad hard done by...
What To Say To Your Mates
"With Holland now through, they'll probably rest a few against Romania. Don't be surprised to see both France and Italy going home with their tails between their legs."
Day Six: Thursday 12 June
The Results
Croatia 2 (Srna, Olic) Germany 1 (Podolski)
Austria 1 (Vastic) Poland 1 (Guerreiro)
The High Point
Unless you have a stone cold heart or you're French, it's difficult not to love Slaven Bilic. If his boundless enthusiasm and the fact that he clearly lives every second of every game weren't enough, Croatia's win over Germany proves that he's a genuinely excellent tactician. It was clear from their first game that Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic aren't the most dynamic pairing in the world, so instead of persevering with a pedestrian forward line, he brought in an extra midfielder. The result was the German midfield was overrun, and Bilic leapt around the dugout like a mad man. A loveable mad man though. A nod goes to Artur Boruc's keeping for Poland too, made all the more impressive by the clowns in front of him.
The Low Point
While Boruc was exemplary in the Polish goal, Austria's finishing was laughable. Three one-on-ones in the first half hour were spurned, and the striking 'prowess' of Roland Linz and Christoph Leitgeb give us some idea of why a group of Austrian supporters started a petition last year to remove their team from the tournament. They only remain in the competition thanks to a charitable penalty decision by the otherwise excellent Howard Webb.
What To Say To Your Mates
"If Germany stand any chance of winning the thing, they're going to have to do something about their lumbering, Lurch-like defence."
Day Five: Wednesday 11 June
The Results
Portugal 3 (Deco, Ronaldo, Quaresma) Czech Republic 1 (Libor Sionko)
Turkey 2 (Senturk, Turan) Switzerland 1 (Yakin)
The High Point
The build-up to Portugal's opening goal. If Ronaldo had managed to round off the move before Deco helped him out it would, surely, have proved to be the goal of the tournament. Ronaldo himself seems utterly intent on being the player of the tournament - although he did unselfishly provide Quaresma with an open goal. Ronaldo is set to be the star of the summer both on and off the pitch.
The Low Point
The first-half rain in Basel. On the one hand, it made what was likely to be a rather dull match thoroughly entertaining. On the other, a game of massive significance to two nations became something of a farce for 45 minutes. Still, it inspired a cracking second half.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Until it started raining, I thought I was going to watch The Apprentice instead as well. And have you heard about Scolari?"
Day Four: Tuesday 10 June
The Results
Spain 4 (Villa 3, Fabregas) Russia (Pavluchenko) 1
Greece 0 Sweden (Ibrahimovic, Hansson) 2
The High Point
Obviously David Villa's hat-trick was exceptional, but he would only have two to his name had it not been for a brilliant piece of midfield play. Rafael van der Vaart played a sublime pass to Ruud van Nistelrooy for Holland on Monday, but Andres Iniesta's perfectly weighted defence-splitter for Villa's second was just as good. Any Arsenal/Premier League fans who wonder why Iniesta is keeping Cesc Fabregas out of Luis Aragones' side should watch that pass on repeat. Special mention to the Spanish water-carrier Marcos Senna, who barely put a foot wrong and allowed Iniesta, Xavi and David Silva to do their thing in front of him. Also, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal was an absolute cracker.
The Low Point
A 30 second spell at the end of the first half of the Greece v Sweden game seemed to drag for an eternity when the holders' (still doesn't sound right, even four years on) backline carefully knocked the ball around their backline. That was dull anti-football, but what was almost worse was the seeming lack of urgency from the Swedes to actually get the thing back. While Greece are obviously not as gifted as the Spanish and must make do with what they have, who would you rather win the tournament? The pragmatic and negative Greeks, or the free-flowing and creative Spaniards?
What To Say To Your Mates
"People say that Zlatan is the most overrated player in the world, but it's moments of class like that one that make him worth having in your side."
Day Three: Monday 9 June
The Results
Romania 0 France 0
Holland 3 (Van Nistelrooy, Schneijder, Van Bronckhorst) Italy 0
The High Point
They said that this Dutch side doesn't play Total Football, but their second goal (from goal-line clearance at one end to goal at the other in 17 seconds) was the moment the tournament came to life. Wesley Sneijder's sumptuous volleyed finish was only the icing on a lovely big Dutch cake, with Gio van Bronckhorst the head chef and Dirk Kuyt his able, selfless assistant.
The Low Point
This little nugget originally said that Ruud van Nistelrooy's opening goal was way, way offside, but since then several smart-arses have pointed out otherwise. So the low point reverts back to that first game of the day, which was frankly rubbish.
What To Say To Your Mates
"The irony is of course that the Dutch have been suspicious of Marco Van Basten because of his supposedly defensive tactics and they go and score one of the best goals in recent international football. You might say it was Total Irony."
Day Two: Sunday 8 June
The Results
Austria 0 Croatia 1 (Modric pen)
Germany 2 (Podolski 2) Poland 0
The High Point
Plenty of good football, bad tackles and ugly haircuts proved that a game doesn't need a lot of goals to be really rather entertaining. That being the case, it's appropriate that the best bit of the match wasn't either of Lukas Podolski's finishes - though the second was a belter - but the build-up to the first. A deft touch from the outside of Mario Gomez's right boot, a perfectly-weighted and entirely unselfish pass from Miroslav Klose and a goal was fashioned that should give anyone standing between Germany and the trophy reason to think about trying to catch them offside.
The Low Point
If your team is stuck behind the likes of Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago in the world rankings, and you're up against a solid outfit like Croatia, you need every chance you can get to make a match of it. So it was a shame that, just four minutes in, Rene Aufhauser blundered clumsily into Ivica Olic with a challenge that belonged in a hungover Sunday League game. The co-hosts' chances of reaching the second round were seriously damaged in less time than it takes to make a decent cup of tea.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Modric showed he can handle the pressure with that penalty, but he faded badly afterwards. He's got a long way to go to justify that price tag."
Day One: Saturday 7 June
The Results
Switzerland 0 Czech Republic 1 (Sverkos)
Portugal 2 (Pepe, Raul Meireles) Turkey 0
The High Point
Pepe's goal, a deserved opener for Portugal, came after the Real Madrid centre back collected the ball just inside the opposition half. One feint and sidestep to the left saw him past a group of Turkish players. As another two converged on him, he slipped the ball to Nuno Gomes before continuing on to collect the one-touch return pass and slot it past the helpless goalkeeper.
The Low Point
Alexander Frei has played in two tournaments for Switzerland but, without a shadow of a doubt, this was the one the country's talismanic striker had been waiting for. Frei has struggled with injury, but had scored six goals in his last eight games for Borussia Dortmund to prove his fitness and lead his country out in front of 40,000 home fans. His tears as he limped out of the match and, almost certainly, the tournament were not the only ones shed in the stadium as that crowd applauded him off.
What To Say To Your Mates
"Portugal certainly looked dangerous - what's impressive is how well they play that system without a traditional targetman as the lone striker."