PARIS (AFP) - Four-goal Romania were the most impressive of a slew of Euro 2008 qualifiers Saturday as many of the top sides qualified for next month's finals went through their paces in warm-up games.
While 2000 champions France laboured to a goalless home draw with Paraguay the Romanians blasted four goals without reply against hapless Montenegro.
Both the French and Romania will meet up in the finals as they are in the Group of Death along with 1988 continental kings Holland and world champions Italy, a group where the least slip-up is likely to be punished with elimination.
The Italians did not fluff their lines in their 3-1 win on Friday over Belgium with Antonio Di Natale twice on target along with Mauro Camoranesi.
France, on the other hand, drew a blank in Toulouse as they failed to break down a tough Paraguayan side in a match which drew historic parallels with the 1998 World Cup.
On that occasion, it was Laurent Blanc who saved the day for Les Bleus with a late goal for the hosts in a second-round encounter which paved the way for ultimate glory, with the Italians dispatched along the way.
On Saturday nobody was willing or able to step into the goalscoring shoes of Blanc as Thierry Henry and Karim Benzema drew a blank.
"There were some good points and some less good points," said coach Raymond Domenech. "The important things is the squad players got some match minutes."
Yet France, who lost Patrick Vieira to a thigh injury beforehand - he will miss the start of the Euro - were far from impressive as they failed to breach the Paraguayan wall which was even more solid than the 1998 variant.
Domenech took off Franck Ribery at the break for another striker in Sidney Govou and also withdrew Henry to field newcomer Bafetimbi Gomis, two goals on his debut in midweek against Ecuador.
But all to no avail as Govou and Benzema could go no closer than shave the post.
In other games, highly-fancied Croatia, who knocked England out in the qualifiers, drew 1-1 in Hungary - who had come off a win over Euro 2004 champions Greece - after Niko Kovac put through his own goal on the stroke of half time, having scored the opener at the right end.
Germany meanwhile had to come from a goal down to win 2-1 at home to Serbia as Joachim Loew's men thanked goals in the final 16 minutes from veteran striker Oliver Neuville and captain Michael Ballack, on a late freekickafter Serbian midfielder Bosko Jankovic had drawn first blood before the interval.
Portugal scored a 2-0 home success over Georgia in Viseu courtesy of first half goals from Joao Moutinho and Simao Sabrosa, efforts which prompted coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to ring the changes after the interval as he replaced ten players, including Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who gave way to club colleague Nani.
Romanian coach Victor Piturca was a happy man after his side's four-goal showing but insisted he stll wanted to see an improvement before his men can feel they can get out of the toughest group with the French, Italians and the Dutch.
"There are a few days to go to the start of the Euro and there need to be a few improvements physically and psychologically. Our concentration, for example, was not at the level I would have hoped."
"And I was not happy with the defence in the first half. I hope we don't do that against the French as they will not let us off as did the Montenegrins when they had their chances."
But at least when it came to converting their own, Romania did not give Piturca anything like the headache which the misfiring French gave Domenech.
In the late match, Spain had a 2-1 victory over visitors Peru in Huelva.
Valencia striker David Villa found the net in the first half, Peru equalised after the break, and Villarreal defender Joan Capdevila added the winner in injury time.
