Greece vs Sweden
in Salzburg.
Tuesday, 10th June at 20.45
The last two teams to play in Euro 2008 include the
current European Champions, Greece.
With an Austrian refereeing the earlier match today - and not
producing a single yellow card - it's now the turn of the Swiss referee.
Massimo Busacca went for his book in the 1st minute; showing the
yellow card to Angelos Charisteas of Greece, for a two-footed challenge.
Then in the 7th minute, Angelos Charisteas used both feet to run
through the Swedish defence - but scuffed the shot once he worked his way in to the
penalty area.
Although both teams are known to like soaking up the pressure, then
relying on counter-attacks and set-pieces, there was plenty of end-to-end action in the
first twenty five minutes.
Sweden started to up the pressure around the half-hour mark; Zlatan
Ibrahimovic spinning a header just over the bar.
In the next Greek attack, Olof Mellberg showed great presence to head
over his own bar. Then Greece attempted to put the brakes on the game, just before
half-time.
Half-time: 0:0
Giorgos Samaras was introduced at the start of the second-half but the
Greek players didn't seem in much of a hurry to get up and support him.
Finally, after more than two and a half years of waiting, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic scored for Sweden; a dipping drive that Nikopolidis couldn't even get close
to.
From a superlative strike to a goalmouth fumble, Petter Hansson
bundled the ball over the line to double Sweden's lead five minutes later.
Greece couldn't find a reply, so the current champions start their
Euro defence without a point.
Final Score:
Greece 0 - Sweden 2
Goalscorers:
0:1 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (67)
0:2 - Petter Hansson (72)
Teams
Greece:
1 Antonis Nikopolidis; 2 Giourkas Seitaridis, 16 Sotirios Kyrgiakos, 5 Traianos Dellas, 19
Paraskevas Antzas; 10 Giorgos Karagounis, 6 Angelos Basinas, 21 Kostas Katsouranis, 15
Vassilis Torosidis; 9 Angelos Charisteas, 17 Theofanis Gekas.
Sweden:
1 Andreas Isaksson; 4 Petter Hansson, 3 Olof Mellberg, 2 Mikael Nilsson; 7 Niclas
Alexandersson, 8 Anders Svensson, 9 Fredrik Ljungberg, 21 Christian Wilhelmsson, 19 Daniel
Andersson; 17 Henrik Larsson, 10 Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Referee:
Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
Substitutions:
46 Mins - 7 Giorgos Samaras on for 17 Theofanis Gekas
71 Mins - 20 Giannis Amanatidis on for 5 Traianos Dellas
72 Mins - 11 Johan Elmander on for 10 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
74 Mins - 5 Fredrik Stoor on for 7 Niclas Alexandersson
78 Mins - 22 Markus Rosenberg on for 21 Christian Wilhelmsson
 3 Yellow Cards:
1 Min - Angelos Charisteas (Greece)
52 Mins - Giourkas Seitaridis (Greece)
62 - Vassilis Torosidis (Greece)
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