Without pressure, the two teams that have earned the nod from the football world as South America's second best -- not in this tournament by any means though -- and the classiest of Europe, the 1978 World Cup finalists are expected to produce a high-standard game if not another classic after seeing off Serbia and Montenegro and Ivory Coast with ease.

France, drawn in what looked like one of the easiest groups, are also sweating like Italy although they have to beat a mere Togo to qualify after draws against Switzerland and South Korea. Surprisingly, the Swiss are now topping the group after their 2-0 win over Togo in the first game on Monday.

The Swiss seemed satisfied with Alexander Frei's first half strike -- the country's first World Cup goal in 12 years -- but a late goal by Tranquillo Barnetta gave them more relief. With a superior goal difference, Switzerland will make sure reaching the last 16 if they can hold last year's semifinalists South Korea to a draw in the last group encounter.

Group H came alive on Monday night with debutant Ukraine shrugging off their 4-0 loss to Spain with an identical scoreline against Saudi Arabia. After a pedestrian opening match, Andriy Shevchenko finally stamped his mark on the greatest show on earth by scoring and setting up a goal for Kalinichenko after Rusol and Rebrov caught goalkeeper Mabrouk Zaid napping in the first half.

Under Oleg Blokhin, one of the greatest wingers of the game and the first footballer from the Soviet Union to play professional football in Europe, Ukraine perhaps erased any chances of premature exit. And the rousing reception the fans gave Sheva -- the AC Milan striker and European Player of the Year -- in Hamburg after leading the side from front was spontaneous. All they need now to stay in the tournament is a draw against Tunisia.

Spain, however, qualified for the knockout stage and how wonderfully they turned on the style against Tunisia in Stuttgart. The 'chokers', as the Spanish are always called in world football, seemed to resurface when Tunisia took an early lead.

But a masterstroke from coach Luis Aragones changed the complexion of the game with Raul's equaliser and a brace from Fernando Torres in the last 20 minutes in a come-from-behind 3-1 victory.

At the start, Spain looked like Real Madrid of recent times, especially in the defence, and a clumsy mid-pitch challenge by Carles Puyol let Jaziri free. The Tunisian midfielder sprinted into the rival area, and with him four Spanish defenders who were clueless and saw Jaziri send a square pass to the path of Mnari who tapped in after his first-time shot was blocked by Iker Casillas, arguably the best shot-stopper in the world.

Spain enjoyed two-third of the ball possession but the Africans kept the lead as Torres and David Villa fired blank and Xabi Alonso's header was cleared off the line by Ayara. Aragones, one of the oldest coaches in the tournament, read the signs and put aside emotion to replace two-goal Villa -- hero of the Ukraine game -- and the ineffective Luis Garcia with experience of Raul and the 19-year-old genius Cesc Fabregas.

The two combined for the first goal as the matured Raul, Spain's top scorer, slotted home after 40-year-old goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel partially stopped Fabregas's low drive.

Goal No. 2 was simply marvellous. Fabregas sliced the defence with a through from their own half, intended for Torres who at midpitch. The Atletico Madrid blond raced 40 yards diagonally, took the ball away from the onrushing Boumnijel with a deft first touch of the left-foot and found the empty net with a kick of the right foot. Only the youth can do it. The 22-year-old, however, did not need similar pace to convert a penalty and become the top scorer of the tournament with three goals.

Aragones's side, who now have extended their unbeaten run to 23 games in two years, proved they are real contenders. The world now waits to see how far the class of 2006 advance this time to get rid of the 'perennial underachievers' tag.