WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The 2012 European Championship kicked off Friday with co-host Poland playing Greece. Later Friday, the Czech Republic plays Russia.

Here’s a running account of developments. The times, which indicate when each update was filed, are Polish time, which is two hours ahead of GMT and 7 hours ahead of EDT.

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1830: Signs in the last few minutes that Greece are getting back into the game but Poland look dangerous and fast on the counter attack. Greece win a free kick just outside the right hand side of the penalty area. Sotiris Ninis, who was fouled, takes it and Poland clear.

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1826: Kostas Katsouranis tries his luck from 25 yards out for Greece, but his effort bounces tamely wide of Szczeny. The Polish fans are waving their red and white scarves in unison and chanting the name of their team. That goal has seen the atmosphere go up another gear. Poland are looking to get forward at every opprotunity.

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1819: Poland attack down the right once again and this time, they take full advantage of another opportunity. A cross from captain Blaszczykowski finds an unmarked Lewandowski, who dispatches his header with ease and sends the National Stadium into raptures. Minutes earlier Lewandowski was inches away from giving Poland the lead. A neat interchange of passing releases Lukasz Piszczek and his ball across the six yard box is millimetres away from the head of Lewandowski, with goalkeeper Chalkias stranded.

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1817: Poland 1 Greece 0. Robert Lewandowski scores the first goal of the tournament with a close range header.

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1807: Greece are looking to keep the ball and take the pace out of Poland’s early advances. When Poland win back possesion, Greece are quick to get at least eight men behind the ball. And it is not long until Chalkias is in action again, this time having to tip a shot from Rafal Murawski over the bar from 20 yards. The resulting corner is dealt with by Greece, but Poland have the upper hand in the opening minutes.

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1805: Lewandowski and Obraniak look to link up in Greece’s penalty area, but Lewandowski’s overhead flick falls to Kostas Chalkias in the Greek goal. AP reporter Derek Gatopoulos says the majority of Greek fans in Poland are from the immigrant community in Germany. It is Greece who get the game underway. The pitch looks in immaculate condition.

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1800: The Euros have started. Poland and Greece teams on the field on a hot, humid day in Warsaw.

Today’s match will be played at the newly built National Stadium. The first game there for Poland saw them draw 0-0 against Portugal.Stadium looks to be packed with red and white fans of Poland with a handful of Greeks.

Greece will look to Giorgios Samaras for goals today, as he will lead the line for them. They go into today’s match on the back of a 1-0 victory over Armenia, where Samaras missed a penalty.Defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos scored for the 2004 champion Greece, who later missed a second penalty through Kostas Katsouranis.

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1713: No surprises there from Polish manager Franciszek Smuda, as Robert Lewandowski leads the attack for the co-host. Ludovic Obraniak, who normally plays behind Lewandowski, is also one to look out for. He is a Ligue 1 winner with Lille, too.

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1709: GREECE: Chalkias, Torosidis, Papadopoulos, Papastathopoulos, Holebas, Maniatis, Katsouranis, Karagounis, Ninis, Gekas, Samaras

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1717: POLAND: Szczesny; Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch, Blaszczykowski, Polanski, Murawski, Rybus, Obraniak, Lewandowski.

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1649: France has revealed that midfielder Yann M’Vila is likely to miss their Group D opener against England.

Arsenal’s Wojiech Szczesny is expected to be named goalkeeper for Poland whilst home-fans will have their eyes on Robert Lewandowski, who played a vital role in helping his side Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga.

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