Euro 2016: Group Scores, Highlights and Twitter Reaction from Sunday Results

World Cup holders Germany made a winning start to the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament by beating Ukraine 2-0 on Sunday, a day when Croatia also beat Turkey and Poland made history by overcoming Northern Ireland.

Poland and Croatia both only needed a single goal to win their matches, although Luka Modric's stunning volleyed winner for the latter was worth the price of admission. Arkadiusz Milik netted for Poland later in the day before Shkodran Mustafi and substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger got Germany off the mark.

Germany's initial struggle to overcome a plucky Ukraine team in the first half helped produce perhaps the most entertaining match of the tournament so far. By seeing things out, the Germans moved ahead of Poland atop Group C, while Croatia are the early front-runners in Group D before Spain meet Czech Republic on Monday.

Here are the scores from the day's three matches: 

Group	Team	Score	Team
D	Turkey	0-1	Croatia
C	Poland	1-0	Northern Ireland
C	Germany	2-0	Ukraine

Here's what those scores mean for the group standings:

Position	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
1	Germany	1	1	0	0	2	3
2	Poland	1	1	0	0	1	3
3	Northern Ireland	1	0	0	1	-1	0
4	Ukraine	1	0	0	1	-2	0

Position	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
1	Croatia	1	1	0	0	1	3
2	Czech Republic	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Spain	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Turkey	1	0	0	1	-1	0

For the full group standings, visit the tournament's official site.

Recap

A fantastic free-kick from Toni Kroos created Germany's opener in the first half, when Mustafi met the beautifully flighted delivery. Sky Sports Football relayed an image of the defender's rock-solid header:

Kroos was at the heart of everything for a German side typically accomplished in possession, as impressive statistics from Squawka Football helped detail:

But Kroos wasn't the only German schemer treating the ball like a prized possession. Languid Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil also stood out, displaying some trademark efficiency, as BBC 5 live Sport showed:

Yet, for all Germany's dominance of possession, Ukraine might have been level by half-time after creating a number of excellent chances against a suspect defence. In fact, had it not been for some spectacular acrobatics from Jerome Boateng, Ukraine would have equalised before the break.

The tournament's official Twitter showed images of the Bayern Munich man's courageous contortion on the goal line:

With so much stylish passing and frantic goalmouth action, the game proved a true spectacle, with former Germany international Lothar Matthaus prompted to heap justified praise on the exciting proceedings:

The second half was a little more serene, with Germany establishing firmer control. They eventually added the clinching second when Schweinsteiger came off the bench to meet Ozil's delightful cross in stoppage time.

As BBC's Match of the Day noted, it's been some time since Schweinsteiger has found the net for his country:

Earlier, it took a second-half strike from Milik to condemn a resolute but unambitious Northern Ireland side to defeat and confirm Poland's first-ever win at this tournament, per WhoScored.com.

Milik, still just 22, also became Poland's youngest-ever goalscorer in this competition, according to UEFA Euro 2016 on Twitter.

His record-setting goal was well-taken, as this highlight relayed by FootballGIFs showed:

"

Goal: #pol 1-0 #nir, Milik: pic.twitter.com/RuAK8q25Xf

— FootballGIFs (@GIFsFootie) June 12, 2016"

Milik's lively performance was in stark contrast to the struggles of fellow striker Robert Lewandowski, Poland's talisman, who endured a dismal outing, according to WhoScored.com:

But while Milik proved decisive, the Ajax striker wasn't the Polish player who caught the eye. That distinction belonged to Bartosz Kapustka.

Goal.com summed up the 19-year-old KS Cracovia midfielder's positive impact (via writer and blogger Chris Wheatley):

Croatia also relied on an exceptional performance in midfield to get off to a winning start. Of course, the highlight was Modric's sweetly struck volley as the ball dropped out of the clouds following a melee from a corner.

It was a glorious strike defended by countryman and West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic during his appearance as an analyst for ITV Football:

Modric's imperious display set the tone for a day dominated by inspired central midfield performances, according to ESPN's Janusz Michallik:

It was an entertaining day in which the quality of the football stood out in all three matches. Germany already look ominous as a clear contender for the tournament, while Croatia cemented their dark-horse status.