June 15, 2008

GREECE'S reign as European champions came to an end in Salzburg when Russia defeated them 1-0 in their Group D Euro 2008 match.

A goal by Konstantin Zyryanov in the 33rd minute was enough to see off the Greeks, a howler by one of their few world-class players, goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, contributing.

The result keeps alive Russian hopes of making the last eight, but they will have to beat Sweden on Thursday (EST) to progress.

Spain have qualified as group winners while the Greeks join an unenviable list of European champions to go out in the first round - Czechoslovakia in 1980, Denmark in 1996 and Germany in 2000.

Greece's veteran German coach, Otto Rehhagel, refused to be too downcast.

"I am not as disappointed as all that," the former Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich coach.

"Because I knew at what level we were and everything had to come together for us to beat the Russians. Our problem is that we score so few goals."

The Greeks had shown a marginally more adventurous approach than in their first match, and their Atletico Madrid full-back, Giourkas Seitaridis, got down the right flank in the 12th minute and put in a dangerous cross only for Russia goal'keeper Igor Akinfeev to gather safely.

The Russians bit back a minute later as the Greeks lost possession in midfield, and the ball reached striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, whose lob Nikopolidis tipped over the bar for a corner.

The Greeks failed to clear the resulting corner and Yuri Zhirkov rattled a vicious volley just wide of the goal.

Greece, though, had the clearest chance of the opening 20 minutes, as a free-kick was floated in and Euro 2004 hero Angelos Charisteas went up for the ball unmarked just two metres from the goal. But he unbelievably failed to make any contact and the ball bounced just wide of the goal off Igor Semshov's shoulder.

Russia deservedly took the lead in the 33rd minute as Nikopolidis astonishingly chased a lob which was drifting wide instead of allowing Ioannis Amanatidis to do the job of clearing the ball. A brilliant overhead kick by Sergei Semak set up Zyryanov to tap the ball home.

Russia were all over Greece, and the defending champions were further unsettled in the 40th minute when Rehhagel decided to replace Seitaridis with playmaker Georgios Karagounis, who had been surprisingly left out of the starting line-up.

Karagounis's first contribution, though, was to go into the referee's book in the 42nd minute for pulling back Semshov as he burst clear over the halfway line.

Charisteas's dreadful evening continued in the first minute of the second half as he got into a good position but lobbed his effort lamely into the goalkeeper's hands with just Akineev to beat.

Pavlyuchenko hardly looked like a man who was struggling to make the match with a groin problem as twice in the opening minutes of the second period he forced Nikopolidis into saves.
Pavlyuchenko produced a brilliant piece of skill in the 52nd minute as he nutmegged a Greek defender and advanced into the penalty area but his shot to the near post went wide.

Karagounis replied, at last forcing Akineev into making a save, though the shot was straight at the keeper. That effort seemed to give the Greeks a sense of much needed urgency, as captain Angelos Basinas was well placed outside the box but got under the ball and lofted it high over the bar.

Russia, though, kept creating chances but they failed to take them.

A delightful backheel by Pavlyuchenko inside the box set up Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, but he sent his shot wide of the far post. Bilyaletdinov nearly had another clear chance after the hour mark but Traianos Dellas put in a last-ditch tackle to send the ball for a corner.

But Russia only really went close to doubling their lead with 10 minutes to go, when Zhirkov floated a free-kick just wide of the post.