Baby of class gets top marks for Greece

Statistics show that Greece's Kyriakos Papadopoulos has been without peer at this UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The Olympiacos CFP player has caught the eye at the heart of a defence breached only once in two games – and that a last-minute penalty against Italy. But what makes Papadopoulos's contribution so impressive is the fact he is an interloper in a tournament showcasing the best of Europe's 1989/90 vintage. Born in February 1992, he is the championship's youngest player, fully 13 months the junior of the other baby of the class, Italy's Michelangelo Albertazzi.

Immovable object
Papadopoulos's presence belies his youth, however. He was the rock on which Italian attacks foundered during the second half of Greece's opening Group B game, drawn 1-1. The concession of a 90th-minute penalty in that match hardly blotted an otherwise immaculate copybook. Then, with his team reduced to ten men by Sotiris Ninis's dismissal, Papadopoulos led the Greek resistance in Thursday's stalemate with the Czech Republic – playing alongside Olympiacos team-mate Vassilis Lampropoulos for the first time in a competitive fixture.

Lion hearts
That Alexis Alexiou's side held out against the hosts for half an hour was no surprise to the 16-year-old. "We showed great togetherness, but we already knew what a strong team we have and how good our work ethic is," Papadopoulos told uefa.com. "In fact, we have the heart of a lion." The former GAS Svoronos Katerini player, who was promoted from Olympiacos's youth team last summer, is rather less effusive about his own impact at these finals. "I am not the person to say whether or not I've been playing well here," he said. "All the team put a lot into the Czech game and now we'll turn our attention to the next match and will see how that goes."

'Great experience'
The talented tyro will need all the experience of his six senior domestic appearances for Olympiacos – three league and three cup – against England in Liberec on Sunday. It is a game both teams need to win as a tight Group B reaches a climax with all four sides still in contention. Papadopoulos is desperate for his first international tournament to continue. "It is great to be playing here," he said. "The competition is tough but everything is well-organised and it is a good championship. Everyone is getting on well and we're a happy group of players."