GERMANY and Portugal both completed their final warm-ups for Euro 2008 with victories, but it wasn`t all plain sailing.VETERAN striker Oliver Neuville and captain Michael Ballack saved Germany`s blushes with second-half strikes to seal a 2-1 win over Serbia.Chelsea midfielder Ballack unleashed a free-kick on 82 minutes to complete Germany`s come-back after Neuville had equalised after Serbian midfielder Bosko Jankovic had grabbed a first-half goal.
Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Neuville, 35, scored his first international goal for almost two years on 74 minutes to put Germany level as the hosts looked to be heading for defeat.
Although Serbia - who lost out to Portugal and Poland in Euro 2008 qualification - led the home side for 74 minutes, Germany largely dominated the game.
The hosts fell behind on 18 minutes when a superb pass from midfielder Sasa Ilic split the defence and centre-back Christoph Metzelder was sluggish to respond as midfielder Bosko Jankovic sprinted into the penalty area. The 24-year-old made no mistake and drilled his shot through the legs of Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to give his side the lead.
The hosts responded by laying siege to the Serbian goal with Ballack and striker Mario Gomez both going close.
Ballack headed straight at Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic on 38 minutes while earlier Gomez had scuffed his shot with the goal at his mercy as the German attack poured forward.
Hertha Berlin defender Arne Friedrich came on at the break for Bremen`s Per Mertesacker and striker Lukas Podolski took over from defender Philipp Lahm as Germany went all out for a goal.
But it was the Serbians who rattled the cross-bar with Lehmann beaten early in the second-half.
Germany finally got the break through they craved when Ballack slid a pass into defender Marcell Jansen on the edge of the Serb`s penalty area and he rocketed a cross in for Neuville to smash past Stojkovic on 74 minutes.
And Ballack rifled his free-kick through a Serbian wall of defenders to give Germany the perfect Euro 2008 send off.
Portugal warmed up for Euro 2008 with a 2-0 home win in Viseu over Georgia courtesy of first half goals from Joao Moutinho and Simao Sabrosa.
Moutinho broke the dedalock on 19 minutes and Simao settled matters with a penalty kick a minute before the break as the hosts swept aside their rivals with ease.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari felt able to ring the changes after the interval and did so - replacing ten players, including Manchester United`s Cristiano Ronaldo, who gave way to club colleague Nani.
Portugal, runners-up on home soil four years ago, will face co-hosts Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Turkey at Euro-2008.
In other results, Romania beat Montenegro 4-0, Hungary drew 1-1 with Croatia and Paraguay claimed a goalless draw with France.
Agence France-Presse
