Fetfatzidis fits into Greece family vibe

Greece teenager Ioannis Fetfatzidis believes Israel will prove "more difficult" opponents than Lavia last Friday, as Fernando Santos's team prepare for a second successive home game in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F.

The 19-year-old Olympiacos FC playmaker made his Greece debut in the 1-0 win over Latvia on 8 October, featuring as a late substitute at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium where he plays his club football. However, the exciting midfielder expects Israel to be a tougher nut to crack when they visit Piraeus on Tuesday.

"We need our supporters right behind us," said Fetfatzidis. "Israel are a more difficult team to play against. Our fans must try to fill the ground for this match and we have to work on our finishing if we are going to get the result we need."

Fetfatzidis, who has made only seven Super League appearances for Olympiacos, already feels welcome in the national team, explaining: "We are like one big happy family. It's a special feeling to play for the senior side, especially when I think back to when we won EURO 2004 and I celebrated on the balcony of my apartment like the rest of the country."

The victory over Latvia, secured by Vassilios Torossidis's second-half goal, lifted Santos's men onto five points from three outings. The match-winner, however, will be suspended against Israel after collecting his second booking of the campaign. Even worse, defensive midfielder Alexandros Tziolis faces four months on the sidelines after fracturing a shin bone late in Friday's game. Those absences have prompted Santos to add Panionios GSS right-back Ioannis Maniatis and AEK Athens FC midfielder Grigoris Makos to his squad.

Santos admits his team should have beaten Latvia more emphatically, yet is firm in his belief that another three points should follow against Israel. "We were a bit slack in the first half and allowed the Latvians to believe they could get something from the game," he said. "We created lots of early chances and should have won by a bigger margin. We've got a few days to put some things right before we face Israel. It's a game we will be looking to win."