Poland v Greece – in pictures

So Euro 2012 is finally here, and the opening match is Poland v Greece at the National Stadium in Warsaw, which is filling up fast. Poland's only previous appearance in this tournament was in 2008 and it wasn't a very illustrious appearance – they were eliminated in the group stage after a solitary draw against co-hosts Austria Photograph: Radek Pietruszka/EPA

These fans can't wait for the opening ceremony to begin and the tournament to start Photograph: Bartlomiej Zborowski/EPA

However outside the ground there are dissenting voices, where members of Ukrainian women's rights group Femen are protesting against the tournament. Anna Gutsol, founder and spokeswoman for Femen has previously said 'Euro 2012 will promote sex tourism in Ukraine, and demean women here even more' Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images

Back inside the stadium Slavek and Slavko - the Euro 2012 mascots are on the field surrounded by young performers Photograph: Gero Breloer/AP

The stadium is definitely full now Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA

The crowd are treated to an opening ceremony featuring dancers Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

Greek players Sotiris Ninis (top) and Theofanis Gekas get the tournament under way Photograph: Radek Pietruszka/EPA

Polish midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski chases a loose ball as the home side look dangerous early on Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

The Greeks are paying particular attention to Poland danger man Robert Lewandowski ... Photograph: Alik Keplicz/AP

And for good reason as 17 minutes in he meets a teasing cross and nods the ball past the stranded Greek goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias and into the net. 1-0 to the co-hosts Photograph: Pascal Lauener/Reuters

Rafal Murawski slips as he tries to turn Sokratis Papastathopoulos and falls into the Greek player ... Photograph: Pascal Lauener/Reuters

The referee unbelievably deems the challenge worthy of a yellow card, which is Papastathopoulos' second of the game, which means an early bath for the Greek player Photograph: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

Poland continue to dominate the match - here Poland's Lukasz Piszczek tussles with Greece's Giorgos Samaras. Greece's boss Fernando Santos will need to do something at half-time as his team go in both a goal, and a man, down Photograph: Alex Grimm/Getty Images

... and Santos does. He sends on Dimitris Salpingidis for the second half and six minutes in he makes it 1-1. Greece attack down the right flank and the ball is sent into the mixer, Wojiech Szczesny charges off his line to the edge of the six-yard box, fails to get it and the ball is left sitting on the turf with nobody in close proximity, begging to be smashed into the back of the net. The substitute duly obliges Photograph: Pascal Lauener/Reuters

Blimey that is looking like an inspired substitution. Salpingidis gallops through unmarked and attempts to round Szczesny but is upended by a stray right leg. The ref points to the spot and pulls out a red card for Szczesny ... Photograph: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

Giorgos Karagounis steps up to take the penalty, but it's not a good one and Poland's substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton goes down to his left and parries the ball away with his first touch. It's still 1-1 Photograph: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

Salpingidis and Samaras can't believe it, what a chance for Greece to take the lead. Just three minutes later Salpingidis has his head in his hands again when he stabs the ball home from close-range but it's ruled out because of an off-side in the build up to the goal Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA

Both sides have chances to win it in the final ten minutes - Samaras shanks the ball high and wide, Lewandowski smashes the ball into the side netting - but the game finishes all square. It's been an entertaining game - two goals that were the direct result of goalkeeping errors; two sendings-off, one of which was unjust and a missed penalty ... what more could a discerning football fan ask for? Final score: Poland 1-1 Greece Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images