GREECE TEAM PROFILE : The case for the defence

Defence proved the best means of attack for Greece as they reached the UEFA EURO 2004™ finals.

Vital wins
When they travelled to Saragossa depleted by injuries to face Spain last June they still seemingly faced a struggle to pip Ukraine to the play-offs having lost to both sides in their opening pair of qualifiers. But 90 minutes later they had a 1-0 win against a Spanish side that had beaten them so comfortably the previous September, and after victories by the same score against Ukraine and Armenia, Greece had pulled off a stunning comeback, having not conceded a competitive goal in close to a year.

Impressive achievement
That achievement was even more impressive considering the attacking resources of Spain and Ukraine, with Raúl González and Andriy Shevchenko among those blunted by the Greek defence. A strong team ethic and deep reserves of determination were the factors that helped them through to Portugal. Also vital was a tactical rethink by their German coach Otto Rehhagel, which has made predicting the Greek starting lineup a sport in itself.

Successful goalkeeper
Antonios Nikopolidis was the man in goal for those vital qualifiers, his UEFA Champions League experience for Panathinaikos FC coming in very useful. In front of him, Rehhagel began with a four-man defence in a 4-4-2 formation - Giourkas Seitaridis, Stylianos Venetidis, Niklos Dabizas and Traianos Dellas - but for the crucial visit to Spain a 5-4-1 sweeper system was deployed, able to convert to 3-4-3 in attacking situations.

Five-man option
In that formation, Dellas was the sweeper with Seitaridis and Venetidis or Panagiotis Fyssas alongside him in defence. Theodoros Zagorakis or Angelos Basinas usually give support to the defence from a holding position in a midfield which did a fine job in qualifying matches with their pressing game, notably squeezing a Spanish side that dominated possession and territory.

Wing role
Stylianos Giannakopoulos - scorer of a spectacular winner against Spain - plays on the right wing, able to convert to support the lone striker in the 4-5-1 lineup, with Vassilios Lakis on the left. Zisis Vryzas, usually a forward, took the wide role and scored the winner against Armenia.

Striking combinations
Up front, Themistoklis Nikolaidis and Angelos Charisteas began as the first-choice strike partnership in the 4-4-2 set-up, both chipping in with crucial goals during the campaign. Nikolaidis fell out of favour later, with Vryzas or Charisteas used as alternative lone strikers - the latter replacing the former at half-time against Ukraine and scoring a vital 86th-minute winner.

Tactical flexibility
However, within all those selections Rehhagel has expected his players to show flexibility both tactically and positionally, and their dedication to the cause was shown in defending their lead in Spain, and then edging ahead in the final four minutes later that week against Ukraine.

Disappointing record
For Greece the challenge now is to show that they are capable of producing their best form on the highest stage, having not yet won a game in major tournament finals. The country's teams previously qualified for the 1980 UEFA European Championship - where they drew with the eventual winners West Germany but lost their other two games - and the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they were defeated three times.

On the road
The record of Greek clubs in European football, unbeatable at home but vulnerable away, has been trumped to a certain extent by the national team this time around, notably in Spain. However, it is the ability to consistently produce their best form away from the comforts of Athens that will prove the major test of their mettle.

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