© EuroFootball.com
Greece realized how close they are to their first European Championship quarterfinal, and they are determined to secure their place in the knockout stages, senior national team coach Otto Rehhagel said on Tuesday.
After the unexpected victory against Portugal 2:1, the Greeks, with three points, are currently leading Group A alongside Spain. Both leaders will face each other on Wednesday in Porto.
"We will be the underdogs in the match against the Spaniards, but we want to take advantage of this opportunity that this status gives us," the German coaching the Greeks said before the team's final training session.
"The guys understand the opportunity they have, they are professionals and very disciplined," he said. "They know that in the match against Spain, we have to reduce our mistakes to a minimum."
Greece defeated Spain in Zaragoza last year and earned the right to participate in the championship, while the Spaniards had to play two playoff matches against Norway.
"We played well in those matches, and success smiled on us a little bit," Rehhagel said.
He also added that the celebration of the unexpected victory against the tournament hosts lasted only a few hours, and the next day the team returned to work.
After weeks of preparation, plagued by constant player injuries, Rehhagel seems to have all 23 players in good form again.
"Dellas had some problems, but I hope he will be ready for the match," he said.
On June 20, Greece will also meet the Russian national team.
