© EuroFootball.com
The tournament of the strongest 16 teams will start with a match between the host Portugal and the Greek national teams. The match, which will take place at the Estadio do Dragao stadium, will be officiated by Pierluigi Collina.
The last time these two teams clashed was on November 11, 2003. The match ended in a 1-1 draw: the Greeks scored first, although they were playing with 10 men.
The responsibility for scoring goals has been placed on Pauleta by coach Luis Felipe Scolari - the team will start the match with a lone striker. Although during training Nuno Gomes tried to play alongside Pauleta, most likely the match will start with him on the bench, next to Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. The only question troubling the coach is who to choose for the defensive midfield. The coach can choose between Petit and Maniche. Petit is more defensive, while the Champions League winner Maniche likes to attack. This European Championship will likely be the last chance for the "golden generation" of Portuguese footballers - Figo, Rui Costa, and Fernando Couto, so it is predicted that the team can go far.
Although the Greek national team is considered an outsider in this tournament, anyone who has seen their game would agree that the Greeks are capable of beating any European team. A great example is the qualifying matches - Greece finished first in their group ahead of European giants like Spain. The players demonstrate excellent form and have not lost in 15 consecutive matches. It is already clear that defender Nikos Dabizas will not be able to help Greece in these matches, and it is also uncertain if the main striker Demis Nikolaidis will play.
Predicted lineups: Portugal (4-5-1): Ricardo, Paulo Ferreira, Rui Jorge, Fernando Couto, Jorge Andrade; Maniche, Costinha, Figo, Simao Sabrosa, Rui Costa; Pauleta. Greece (4-5-1): Nikopolidis; Seitaridis, Dellas, Kapsis, Fyssas; Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Giannakopoulos, Karagounis, Lakis; Vryzas.
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