Spain, Sweden Win Resoundingly in Euro Cup

INNSBRUCK, Austria — David Villa was a master of understatement after making the biggest statement of the European Championship on the field.

Villa scored three times yesterday in Spain's resounding 4-1 victory over Russia, a win that confirmed the Spaniards as a team to beat at the European Championship.

"Three goals, a hat trick with the national team — it's started well," Villa, who scored the tournament's first hat trick since Patrick Kluivert of the Netherlands in 2000, said. "We're off to a good start. But there are still two games to go."

If Spain plays anywhere near as efficiently in its next matches, it could go unchallenged in Group D.

After completing his hat trick in a steady rain, Villa saw teammate Cesc Fabregas also score. Russia's goal came from Roman Pavlyuchenko long after things were decided.

Fernando Torres fed the streaking Villa for a right-footed shot in the 20th minute. The striker slid Andres Iniesta's slick pass under goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev for his second in the 44th. Villa completed his memorable game after dribbling around Roman Shirokov in the 74th to shoot past Akinfeev with his right foot.

"When I think of Villa, it's a name that makes me think of scoring," coach Luis Aragones said. "The Spanish team has the luck of having players that can score. It could be Villa today or Torres tomorrow."

Torres had been replaced by the time Villa completed his big game, so Villa ran over to the bench to pay tribute to Torres,

"He had a very important game and he is a key player to us, so I wanted to dedicate that third one to him," Villa said.

Pavlyuchenko scored with a header in the 86th, and Fabregas got his goal in injury time in a Group D game.

Despite the slick field and poor conditions, the Spaniards looked superb with their footwork and passing. They threatened often in winning their seventh straight match, and are riding a 17-game unbeaten streak.

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SALZBURG, Austria — Greece needs answers very quickly to avoid a humbling early departure from the European Championship, a tournament it won four years ago.

Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic found his long-lost scoring touch and Greece fell victim to it, losing to Sweden 2-0 last night in the European Championship. Ibrahamovic had no international goals since October 2005 before connecting with a powerful right-footed shot in the 67th minute for his 19th goal for Sweden. Petter Hansson scored five minutes later off a scramble misplayed by the Greek defense.

"The Greeks didn't play with heart like they normally do, and the Swedes pushed us hard," Greece's German coach, Otto Rehhagel, said. "Some of my players were unable to play at the level I expected them to. ... They tried hard, but it wasn't enough."

Not even close.

Greece, an 80-1 shot when it won the tournament in Portugal four years ago, started with seven players from that winning squad. But it showed little offense and never really threatened once if fell behind.

The experienced Swedes, with seven starters older than 30, kept their poise and finally broke through after hearing whistles from the crowd of 30,000.

"The players did an excellent job," Sweden coach Lars Lagerback said. "I think we deserved to win 100%."

Set up by forward partner Henrik Larsson on a give-and-go, Ibrahimovic's shot eluded Greece goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, who threw himself to the right and got a finger on the ball before it sailed into his upper right corner of the goal.

"I saw the opening to the left and that's where I put it," Ibrahimovic said. "It was a fantastic feeling."

Central defender Hansson had a rebound of a shot from Fredrik Ljungberg deflect off his body and into the net while two Greece defenders and Nikopolidis desperately tried to clear the ball.

"It's quite simple what we have to do: Win the next two games. But if we play like we did today, that won't happen," Rehhagel said.