Greece maintain striking form

Greece 1-0 Switzerland

Swiss injury woe
Greece went into the game missing influential FC Internazionale midfield player Giorgios Karagounis, who was ruled out with an ankle injury. However, that was nothing compared to the woes of Switzerland coach Jakob Kuhn, who had to do without six players, as he gave a first start in two years to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard midfield player Johann Lonfat.

Strong start
The Greeks dominated the early exchanges and twice went close when Demis Nikolaidis looped a header just wide and ten minutes later when Angelos Charisteas sent a curling shot from the edge of the box straight into the grateful arms of Switzerland goalkeeper Jörg Stiel.

Key moment
The pivotal moment of the first period came on 27 minutes. Picking the ball up just inside his own half, Nikolaidis turned and ran at the Swiss defence before being brought down by Stéphane Henchoz. The referee had no option but to point to the spot but Tsiartas, the best player on the pitch at that point, failed to convert, his weakly struck kick saved well by Stiel as he dived to his right.

Greek pressure
Not downhearted, Greece continued to pile forward and it needed a wonderfully timed tackle from Patrick Müller to deny Stylianos Giannakopoulos as he burst into the box. But after weathering the storm, the Swiss finished the half with their best spell of possession, although their only chance was a Raphaël Wicky deflected shot which was easily saved.

Tsiasrtas avenges miss
After a spate of substitutions at half-time the Greeks began a disjointed second period determined to make up for the missed opportunities of the first. And one of those substitutes, Zisis Vryzas, was immediately involved. He first screwed a shot just wide and was then instrumental in the opening goal, laying the ball back for Tsiartas to hammer into the net from just inside the box on 56 minutes.

Swiss warning
With 20 minutes to go, the Swiss sent out a warning. Alexander Frei took a ball down on his knee just inside the penalty area and fizzed a blistering volley just over the bar with Antonios Nikopolidis looking flat-footed in the Greek goal.

Lakis denied
The result should have been put beyond doubt minutes later however when first, Nikolaos Dabizas headed wide when unmarked, and then Vassilios Lakis found himself one-on-one with Swiss substitute keeper Pascal Zuberbühler after a slide-rule pass from Nikolaidis. The FC Basel 1893 stopper won the duel, brilliantly turning away Lakis's effort for a corner.

Swiss end well
With that chance missed, it was Switzerland who ended the match the stronger. Wicky hit a low shot which was palmed around the post by Nikopolidis, and with four minutes left Bernt Haas met a Daniel Gygax right-wing cross but could only turn it into the side-netting.

Wicky blunder
However, the Swiss squandered their best chance of an equaliser in the dying seconds. Three minutes into added time Fabio Celestini mis-hit a shot into the path of Wicky and the Hamburger SV midfield player somehow contrived to miss when just five metres out.