Adriatic rivals meet in Piraeus

Club duties will be put aside this week, as the international stage returns to the main spotlight. Some of that spotlight will be shared by the rekindling of an old rivalry in Piraeus, as Italy makes the trip across the Adriatic Sea to meet Greece just outside the Greek capital. Although the match is billed as an international friendly, the atmosphere at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium will be nothing short of an intense environment.

The main focus for both sides has been to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Italians, a regular in the quadrennial tournament, are looking to qualify for the world showpiece and defend their crown. Their pursuit to repeat as World Champions has been boosted by many returns. With Marcelo Lippi returning as manager of the ‘Azzurri’, many stars followed suit and returned to the squad. With an undefeated record after four matches, the Italians sit atop Group 8 with ten points.

The Greeks, meanwhile, have only qualified for the world’s most popular tournament on one occasion. After their finest hour in 2004, Greece was a shoe-in to make the final tournament in Germany. A string of poor results in the climax of their qualifying campaign saw Greece limited to watching the finals from their television sets. With past results put behind them, Greece has started brightly on its quest for South Africa. The only blunder came in a shock 2-1 loss at home to Switzerland; but the defeat to the Swiss was not enough to dethrone the Greeks from their spot atop the Group 2 standing.

Wednesday’s mouth-watering clash won’t have any effect on either qualifying campaign, but instead could determine which players will be part of each side’s respective roster for the upcoming qualifiers. With European qualifiers on pause until March, it seems both managers are comfortable to call upon irregulars to the squad. In Greece’s this couldn’t be any more obvious, as the German manager has called upon many youngsters to the ‘Galanoleuki’.

In recent matches the Greek National Team has seen the presence of many youthful stars, but their contributions have been limited to sitting on the sidelines. That could all change on Wednesday evening, as long line of injuries have somewhat forced Rehhagel’s hand into the fountain of youth.

Legionnaires are still present in abundance, but it is the new names that are causing all the rage. Regular stars of tomorrow, Sotiris Ninis and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, have been called as usual; however, Rehhagel has dug even further to give Ergotelis forward, Vassilis Koutsianikoulis, his first stint with the national team. The 20-year-old was relatively unknown to the Greek football scene until a two-goal performance in Athens against Panathinaikos gave him praises. Now the star known for his second half demolition of the ‘Tryfilli’ sets his sights on success with the national team.

Another uncapped player enters the national team fold, as Vassilis Pliatsikas hopes this international call-up will hold more success than the last. The AEK midfielder replaced Ioannis Amanatidis in the squad last month, but his role with the ‘Ethniki’ was firmly for injury purposes.

With so many new faces on the squad, many players have also been left out through various reasons. In attack, Amanatidis, Giorgos Samaras and Angelos Charisteas have been left off the list due to injuries. The Greek midfield looks to be unscathed, but Christos Patsatzoglou is doubtful for the match. In defense, more absentees plague the Piraeus encounter as defensive spearhead Sotirios Kyrgiakos joins Giourkas Seitaridis on the unavailable list.

Despite a relatively inexperienced side registered, Greece still poses a threat to World Champion Italy. The man between the posts is likely to be PAOK’s Kostas Chalkias, who will be interested to erase demons that plagued his visit to Karaiskaki on Sunday.

A youthful defensive line should be led by UEFA Champions League participant Traianos Dellas. The Anorthosis Famagusta center back has been instrumental in his club’s Champions League run to date, and will look to do the same against Italy. Partnering with the 32-year-old will be Avraam Papadopoulos, who replaces the injured Kyrgiakos. On the flanks duties are likely to be handed to Genoa’s Papastathopoulos, and Olympiacos’ Vasilis Torosidis.

Giorgos Karagounis will lead the spirited midfield, but should expect assistance from Kostas Katsouranis, and captain Angelos Basinas. With Patsatzoglou out due to injury, Ninis or his Panathinaikos teammate, Alexandros Tziolis, could make a presence in Greece’s lineup.

In attack the Greeks are likely to rely on Theofanis Gekas, who will likely team up with Dimitrios Salpigidis; while Nikos Liberopoulos could make a presence off the bench. Evangelos Mantzios, who returns to the Greece fold after a long absence, could also make an impact for the ‘Ethniki’. His form has been superb for Panathinaikos, leading their Champions League campaign with three goals - all against Werder Bremen.

The Italians face a similar scenario with their squad, but Lippi has picked his squad strategically to cover any gaps left by injuries. Italy’s squad faces more impactful absences than the Greeks, as the likes of sensational keeper Gianluigi Buffon and resurgent midfielder Alessandro Del Piero have been left home by the Italian manager. AC Milan’s Andrea Pirlo and Gianluca Zambrotta join the Juventus pair on the unavailable list.

Despite the long list of absentees, Lippi has a long list of capable players at his disposal. If there is one component of the Italian squad that is less experienced than the Greeks, it will be in goal where Siena’s Gianluca Curci is favoured to make the start ahead of Galatasaray’s Morgan De Sanctis.

In defense, the pinnacle of the national team, Fabio Cannavaro, is expected to anchor the back line alongside Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini. On the flanks, Fabio Grosso - famous for his penalty-kick winner in Germany two years ago-will occupy the left flank, while AC Milan’s Daniel Bonera does the same on the opposite flank.

Gennaro Gatusso will make sure there is a gritty presence to the Italian midfield, while his center-midfield counterpart is likely to be Roma’s Daniele De Rossi. The flanks will boast some fresh faces for the ‘Azzurri’, as Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo is likely to be the third midfielder for Lippi’s side. Off the bench, Mauro Camoranesi can give the Italians an extra boost - if need be against Greece. Likewise, Simone Perrotta will also be keen to apply his trade in the Greek capital.

In attack, a late injury to Fabio Quagliarella could skew Lippi’s scouting plans. The Udinese striker was rushed to an Athens hospital on Tuesday with a broken nose he suffered in training. Nonetheless, there are many capable talismans for the Italians. Luca Toni is the most reputable striker on the list, as the Bayern Munich striker looks to score his first goal with the national side. Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino could partner Toni in attack, as a move away from Milan has given the unfavoured striker - at least with AC Milan - an extra step to his stride. Giuseppe Rossi could act as the third striker, whilst Vicenzo Iaquinta and Simone Pepe are likely to be limited to the bench; the latter, however, could be used in one of Lippi’s many experiments.

Although the Italian attack boasts many superstars, the exclusion of Del Piero has left many scratching their head. After scoring a sweet brace at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid, the Juventus ‘Golden Boy’ has managed to turn back the clock with his club in both domestic competition and UEFA Champions League appearances. It is certain Del Piero will be bitter about missing out on the visit to Greece.

With so many capable players in both rosters, it is obvious both sides will be keen to dispose of their Adriatic rivals. A home crowd for the Greeks will surely help, especially considering the venue is the fortress-like Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium. The Italians, meanwhile, hold an edge in experience; and with their talented build-up to the squad, they are capable of grabbing a victory away to their neighbours to the east.

Greece (Otto Rehhagel):
Goalkeepers - Kostas Chalkias (PAOK), Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos).
Defenders - Traianos Dellas (Anorthosis Famagusta), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiacos), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiacos), Loukas Vyntra (Panathinaikos), Nikos Spyropoulos (Panathinaikos).
Midfielders - Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Kostas Katsouranis (Benfica), Angelos Basinas (AEK Athens), Vasilis Pliatsikas (AEK Athens), Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos).
Forwards - Vasilis Koutsianikoulis (Ergotelis), Evangelos Mantzios (Panathinaikos), Theofanis Gekas (Bayer Leverkusen), Nikos Liberopoulos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Dimitris Salpigidis (Panathinaikos).

Italy (Marcelo Lippi):
Goalkeepers - Gianluca Curci (Siena), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray).
Defenders - Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus).
Midfielders - Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D’Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma).
Forwards - Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich).

Koutsianikoulis Makes Greece Squad

In cooperation with Goal.com:

Ergotelis midfielder Vasilios Koutsianikoulis is the surprise inclusion in Otto Rehhagel’s 20-man Greece squad to face Italy on Tuesday.

The friendly will be played at the Giorgios Karaiskakis Stadium, where in-form Panathinaikos striker Vangelis Mantzios might make an appearance against the reigning world champions after also being called up to the German’s squad.

However, the inclusion of Koutsianikoulis and his potential international debut will undoubtedly be the pre-match focus of fans and pundits alike.

The 20 year-old has barely established himself as a starter with his club Ergotelis, with home he stole headlines as he inspired his side to a stunning 3-2 win away at Panathinaikos last month, scoring two-goals and providing an assist at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium.

Panathinaikos’ teen prodigy Sotiris Ninis has also earned a place in the squad, as has AEK’s Vassilios Pliatsikas.

Greece squad: Konstantinos Chalkias (PAOK), Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos), Traianos Dellas (Anorthosis Famagusta), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Kostas Katsouranis (Benfica), Theofanis Gekas (Bayer Leverkusen), Nikos Lyberopoulos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Vangelis Mantzios (Panathinaikos), Loukas Vyntra (Panathinaikos), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), Nikos Spyropoulos (Panathinaikos), Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos), Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiakos), Angelos Basinas (AEK Athens), Giorgios Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Dimitris Salpiggidis (Panathinaikos), Vasilios Koutsianikoulis (Ergotelis FC), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Vasilis Pliatsikas (AEK Athens)

Papadopoulos signs on at Lecce

Former Panathinaikos striker, Dimitrios Papadopoulos, is the newest member of Serie A side US Lecce. After month-long rumors linking the Greek striker with a move to Olympiacos and AEK, it was announced on Wednesday that Papadopoulos had signed with the Italian club.

Papadopoulos was once a regular in the Panathinaikos roster, but the recent managerial takeovers in recent years saw Papadopoulos’ playing time slowly diminish. His status with the club was made official in the early weeks of October, as Panathinaikos and the 27-year-old parted ways.

A domestic transfer was expected for the EURO 2004 winner, with Olympiacos being front runners to secure Papadopoulos’ service in the winter transfer window. A twist in the plot came early, as Lecce’s announcement on Wednesday came a bit unexpected for fans for Greek soccer.

Despite the shock in the move, Papadopoulos’ transfer to the Italian minnows seems to be the perfect move for both parties; Papadopoulos looks to revive his career with a boost in playing time, while Lecce seeks improvement on their twelfth place ranking in the Serie A.

After eleven matches this season, Lecce has just two wins and sit only five points above the drop zone. A main reason for Lecce’s poor form thus far, has been the inability to score goals. With Papadopoulos’ main strength coming in front of opposing goals, the Kazakh-born Greek will surely boost Lecce’s offensive output.

A successful stint with Lecce, could see the former Greece-international return to his role as a member of the Greek National Team. The wait to see Papadopoulos in a Lecce uniform will be a hefty one, as Papadopoulos won’t be allowed to suit up in the colours of the ‘Gaillorossi’ until January.

Greece slips to 18th in World Rankings

FIFA released its annual FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings on Wednesday, and to no surprise the Greek National Team slipped one spot to fall to eighteenth place in the monthly rankings. After beating Moldova 3-0 at home, Greece was unable to reproduce that same performance four days later against Switzerland. Losing to the Swiss 2-1, Greece’s perfect start to the World Cup Qualifiers was ended miserably.

As for the rest of the World Rankings, Spain continues to hold down top spot but is closely followed by the side they defeated at EURO 2008: Germany. Italy and Netherlands continue to lead South American giants Brazil and Argentina; while Croatia drifts a few points behind. Russia and the Czech Republic continue to hold down their spots in the top ten; however, England returns to the top ten for the first time since June but their presence is plagued by a tie with rivals Portugal.

As for the members in Greece’s qualifying group, Israel continues to lead the Greeks with their fifteen placed rankings. Meanwhile, Switzerland is now ranked twenty-seventh after rising eighteen spots. Latvia slipped one place to sixty fifth, and Moldova slipped eleven spots to seventy-sixth. Luxembourg still has the lowest ranking the group, as the side that enjoyed September success over the Swiss is now ranked one hundred and twenty-seventh.

With Greece’s Qualifying campaign on pause until March, Otto Rehhagel’s men have their sights on a friendly encounter in Athens next Wednesday. World Champions Italy makes its way across the Adriatic Sea, as two of the Mediterranean’s most cultured nations are scheduled to meet in the Greek Capital.

FIFA Rankings - Top 20:
1. Spain 1657
2. Germany 1413
3. Italy 1356
4. Netherlands 1306
5. Brazil 1286
6. Argentina 1181
7. Croatia 1158
8. Russia 1079
9. Czech Republic 1062
10. Portugal 1058
10. England 1058
12. France 1035
13. Turkey 1032
14. Cameroon 1013
15. Israel 1004
16. Bulgaria 951
17. Paraguay 934
18. Greece 907
19. Romania 892
20. Ukraine 883

Amanatidis faces long layoff

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ioannis Amanatidis could be out of action until February after an operation on his knee revealed cartilage damage.

The Greece international, who regularly captains the Bundesliga club, has only made five appearances for his club this term. He was expected to be the spearhead in a one-two punch with fellow patriot Nikos Liberopoulos who transferred to the Commerz-Bank Arena from Greek giants AEK Athens. However, the expected dynamic partnership never managed to impose itself on the German Bundesliga, as Amanatidis fell victim to injury early in the season.

As for the fate of the German side, their position in the league standings holds high correlation with the absence of its captain. Frankfurt currently sits in twelfth position, only four points above the drop zone.

Switzerland purges Greek perfection

Greece’s perfect opening to the World Cup Qualifiers came to an end on Wednesday, as Greece fell 2-1 to Switzerland at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. After earning three wins from three in their previous outings, Greece had planned to continue their winning ways; however, Ottmar Hizfeld’s men restored hopes of World Cup Qualifcation, and erased the embarrassment from the loss against Luxembourg with a surprise win away to the EURO 2004 winners.

Even though recent form favoured the Greeks, the match was always billed to be a tight encounter. The Greeks looked clinical in their demolition of Moldova on the weekend, while the Swiss were on the road to redemption with a 2-1 over Latvia. The Georgios Karaiskakis, a fortress for its tenants – Olympiacos and the Greek National Team – was the venue and ideally the Greeks were expected to emerge victors. Surprisingly, it was the Swiss who challenged the Greeks as Otto Rehhagel’s side struggled to cope with the pressure enforced by the visitors.

If the struggle to fight of the Swiss wasn’t a proper indication of Greek troubles, the injury of Sotirios Kyrgiakos just ahead of the half hour mark certainly was. The AEK captain was not able to continue any longer, and he was duly replaced by his domestic rival Christos Patsatzoglou.

Both sides seemed destined to end the opening frame scoreless, but a defensive error by Avraam Papadopoulos cost the Greeks a goal ahead of the halftime whistle. Lazio’s Valon Behrami was brought down by the Olympiacos center back, and the play resulted in a penalty for Switzerland. Veteran striker Alexander Frei made no mistake as he slotted the ball passed a fooled Kostas Chalkias to give the Swiss a 1-0 lead.

The second half began with a shuffling of the Greek line-up, as Theofanis Gekas made way for fellow German Bundesliga striker Nikos Liberopoulos . With Greece desperate to equalize, the game began to open up – allowing several odd-man rushes. Greece had their fair share of rushes, but poor communication compounded further Greek misery. Halftime substitute Liberopoulos picked up Greece’s best opportunity, but the man reputable for his clutch scoring wasn’t able to beat keeper Diego Benaglio.

It was another introduction, however, that sparked life into the Greeks and their supporting crowd. Georgios Samaras was yanked for Georgios Karagounis in an attempt to steal a point from the sold Swiss. The introduction of Karagounis paid dividends shortly after, as the Panathinaikos midfielder found legendary scorer Angelos Charisteas unmarked in the box. After controlling the rightward cross, Charisteas fired to level Greece back on level terms.

Sadly all progress was lost less than ten minutes later. The Swiss counterattacked yet again, and Blaise Nkufo rounded a lost Chalkias to restore the Swiss advantage. Nkufo’s strike marked the last entry on the score sheet, as Switzerland triumphed in Piraeus.

For Greece the loss serves as a wakeup call – similar to recent losses in qualification stages. After wining with ease against lower opposition, the loss tightens forced Greece into a tricky task.

Switzerland has been rejuvenated as they edge closer to the summit of Group 2. Still trailing the likes of Greece and Israel, the Swiss still have work to do if they are to overcome their superiors; however, the win against Greece acts as a confident boost ahead of the remaining fixtures.

The other Group 2 results saw Latvia hold Israel 1-1 with a late strike from Vladimirs Kolesnicenko cancelling out Yossi Benayoun’s earlier tally. Group 2 minnows Moldova and Luxembourg ended scoreless at the Josy-Barthel Stadium.

Despite the loss, Greece still holds onto first place with nine points; but their grip is limited to just one point with Israel posed to overtake the Greeks in March. Switzerland sits one further point back, after improving their record to 2-1-1. Despite holding the Israelis, Latvia slips one spot to fourth; while the likes of Luxembourg and Moldova rounding out the Group 2 standings.

When play resumes in March, Greece will travel to Ramat Gan to visit Israel. Switzerland will encounter Moldova, while Luxembourg welcomes Latvia.

Greece 1-2 Switzerland
Charisteas 68’ – Frei 41’, Nkufo 77’

Yellow Cards:
Greece – Papadopoulos 43’, Katsouranis 80’
Switzerland – Fernandes 82’, Lichsteiner 84’

Greece (Otto Rehhagel): Chalkias, Seitaridis, Dellas, Papadopoulos, Kyrgiakos (28’ Patsatzoglou), Torosidis, Basinas, Samaras (63’ Karagounis), Katsouranis, Charisteas, Gekas (46’ Liberopoulos).

Switzerland (Ottmar Hitzfeld): Benaglio, Lichsteiner,Grichting, Eggimann, Spycher, Huggel, Barnetta (34’ Fernandes), Inler, Behrami, Nkufo (88’ Derdiyok), Frei (76’ Yakin).

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)

Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Athens, Greece

Greece, Denmark schedule February friendly

The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) confirmed yesterday that they had reached an agreement with their Danish equals over a friendly date. The two federations have agreed to play a friendly on February 11th, 2009. Athens, Greece is the agreed host city with the venue yet to be determined.

Greece also has an approaching friendly against Italy next month. The Greeks and Italians are scheduled to meet on November 19th, 2008 at the OAKA Spyro Louis Stadium in Athens. The friendly against World Champions Italy is Greece last match of the 2008 calendar, as play will resume for the EURO 2004 winners in February with their friendly against Denmark.

Greece awaits Swiss test

Greece was victorious on Saturday to continue its perfect start to World Cup Qualification, but the undefeated Greeks will look to extend that feat even further on Wednesday when they entertain Switzerland at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. Labelled as a wounded tiger by Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, Switzerland will demonstrate just how ‘wounded’ they are when they challenge
Greece’s perfect record.

Wins against Luxembourg, Latvia, and Moldova have allowed Greece to establish a rare record among European sides, as the Greeks join England, Spain, and the Netherlands as the only undefeated sides in Europe. The field is reduced even further when considering Greece’s goals against record, as three clean sheets sees Greece join Spain as the only teams yet to concede. On the offensive front the Greeks have not been as ineffective as their opponents, as the Greeks have scored eight times thus far – second only to England and Germany who have scored eleven.

Although Greece has enjoyed a consistent opening to their qualifying campaign, but the same can’t be said for Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Switzerland. After finishing level with Israel in Ramat Gan, the Swiss suffered a shock defeat against traditional minnows Luxembourg four days later. A month off from the embarrassment suffered against lowly-Luxembourg, this past Saturday finally saw the Swiss achieve their first victory in their quest to reach the World Cup Finals in South Africa.

While one battle will be played out on the field, another will take place on the sidelines. Both managers have proven their worth with successful records in the German Bundesliga; however, Rehhagel has plied his trade in the international game for much longer than Ottmar Hitzfeld. After taking over the Greek reigns in 2001, Rehhagel has transformed Greece from underdogs to competitors in a short period of time. For Hitzfeld, the start to achieve something similar to what his co-patriot has done with his Wednesday opponents has been shaky and nowhere near expectations. Fresh off a triumphant term with Bayern Munich, Hitzfeld was not able to steer Switzerland around the introductory obstacles.

Injury concerns could affect the starting the line-ups of both teams, as influential players face absences. For Greece, Georgios Karagounis faces another match on the sidelines as he continues to battle an injury he picked up last month.

Tranquilo Barnetta, meanwhile, is expected to be absent for Switzerland as the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder struggles to overcome a thigh muscle injury. Other absentees include center back duo Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou, after the latter joined the on-loan Milan defender on the sidelines with a head injury.

The match’s result won’t be known until the final whistle, but if Greece does continue its perfect streak Switzerland’s chances of World Cup Qualification could be dented pre-maturely.

Perfection In Piraeus

From Goal.com

Greece maintained their perfect start to World Cup Qualification with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Moldova at the Giorgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Saturday evening.

A sharp double by Angelos Charisteas and a superb long-range Konstantinos Katsouranis strike allowed Greece to ease comfortably to their third win in as many matches, after securing two victories away against Luxembourg and Latvia in September.

Moldova, who were unlucky to emerge out of the same month without a point to show for their efforts after narrow losses to Latvia and Israel, offered little resistance to Otto Rehhagel’s men in Piraeus.

First-Half

The Greeks laboured through the opening part of the match, stroking the ball around fairly comfortably but without posing a threat to Nicolai Calancea’s goal.

Theofanis Gekas had a decent chance to open the scoring after 19’ minutes of play however, when Celtic striker Giorgios Samaras swung a low cross into the area from the left. Calancea only pushed the ball to Gekas, whose initial attempt was blocked by Epureanu before the Bayer Leverkusen striker blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Angelos Basinas – who captained the side after having started on the bench against Latvia in September – then saw his low strike from outside the area comfortably saved by the ‘keeper, after Samaras had laid the ball off to the AEK Athens midfielder.

It took just over half-an-hour for Greece to open the scoring, after Angelos Charisteas won a free-kick for his side just outside the Moldova penalty area.

The FC Nuremberg striker – who etched himself into Greek football folk-lore with his winning goal in the final of Euro 2004 – had scored in Greece’s Matchday 1 victory over Luxembourg with a penalty and this time finished a clever but simple set-piece move.

Instead of electing to shoot, Katsouranis played a simple pass to his unmarked team-mate on the edge of the wall, from where he slid the ball under Calancea to give the former European champions a 1-0 lead on 31’ minutes.

The Benfica midfielder then turned finisher of a neat passing move nine minutes later, after having the ball laid off to him by Gekas.

The former AEK man produced a stunning first-time shot from long-range that squeezed into the top left-hand corner of the goal, with Calancea helpless.

Second-Half

The Greeks extended their lead only six minutes into the second-half, when Charisteas grabbed his second goal of the evening after capitalizing on a mistake by Rebeja. The striker entered the penalty area before opening his body and sliding the ball neatly past the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net.

In what was an otherwise sedate second forty-five minutes, the former Ajax player missed the chance to secure a hat-trick on 62’ minutes, when he slid the ball past the same post when played through on goal by the industrious Katsouranis, as Greece held on to record an unspectacular but professional victory.

The Greeks remain first in Group 2 and will now prepare to host Switzerland on Wednesday. Moldova, meanwhile, are last, without a point to their name and will have travel to Luxembourg.

Greece 3 (Charisteas 31’, 51’, Katsouranis 40’)
Moldova 0

Line-ups:

Greece: Chalkias, Dellas, Papadopoulos, Kyrgiakos, Katsouranis (72’ Patsatzoglou), Basinas, Torosidis, Seitaridis, Gekas (46’ Salpiggidis), Charisteas, Samaras (71’ Amanatidis)

Moldova: Calancea, Armas, Epureanu, Rebeja, Corneencov (79’ Andronic), Cebotaru, Bordian, Alexeev (46’ Picusciac), Bugaiov (67’ Suvorov), Savinov, Tigirlas