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Desperate Greece set for exit

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Greece take on an impressive Russian side in their final group game at Euro 2012 knowing nothing other than a win will do as they bid to progress. But can they upset the odds and do it in Warsaw?

The 2004 European champions kicked off the tournament with a battling 1-1 draw against co-hosts Poland but were then beaten 2-1 by the Czech Republic and are really up against it to qualify for the last eight.

Fernando Santos’ side (4/1- Match Prices) paid for two poor first-half performances in those games and they cannot afford a repeat when they take on Russia (8/11) on Saturday.

They were expected to be a side difficult to break down in the tournament and therefore hard to beat, as in 2004, but they conceded within the first 20 minutes against Poland before going two down to the Czechs inside the first six minutes.

They did improve in both games, with a spirited second-half display against Poland when down to 10 men the highlight, but Santos’ ageing side look too short of quality to hurt Russia. They rely too much on playmaker Giorgos Karagounis but when he gets over-run in midfield there is little to fall back on.

Losing first-choice central defenders Avraam Papadopoulos and Sokratis Papastathopoulos for the Czech Republic game clearly did not help their cause at the back and, while the latter returns from suspension on Saturday, Russia still have too much firepower for them.

Dick Advocaat’s men tore the Czechs apart in their first game, winning 4-1, and have a potential player of the tournament in Alan Dzagoev. His three goals so far leaves him joint top of the goalscoring chart in the competition and he will fancy his chances of more against the leaky Greece rearguard. Back him at 2/1 to score anytime.

Elsewhere, Andrey Arshavin has looked much more like the player Arsene Wenger paid all that money for a couple of years ago, providing the inspiration and ingenuity from just behind the forwards to unlock defences, while Alexander Kerzhakhov is also an all-round threat.

They are solid at the back with Sergei Ignashevich and Yuri Zhirkov excelling so another convincing victory is likely in this one.

Russia HT/FT at 8/5 looks a good bet too, while 3-0 in the correct score market appeals at 12/1 as Advocaat’s men power on to send Greece packing.

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Home advantage to see Poles through

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Group A has possibly been the most exciting pool at Euro 2012 and Saturday is likely to see yet more twists and turns as the Czech Republic take on the inspired co-hosts Poland (Czech Republic 12/5, draw 12/5, Poland 6/5).

With Russia facing Greece in the other game, both teams go into the match in Wroclaw knowing a victory will see them through to the quarter-finals and keep alive their dreams of European Championship glory.

After a disappointing start to the tournament, the Czechs (4/5 to qualify) now appear to have found their form and produced a superb first half of free-flowing football as they defeated Greece in their second game of the tournament.

However, there were certainly times when they looked shaky, most notably at the back where Michal Bilek has been forced to rearrange his rearguard due to both injuries and poor form.

The unfamiliarity will surely mean that Chelsea shot-stopper Petr Cech will be regularly called upon on Saturday and he’ll be desperate to make amends, after his mix-up with Tomas Sivok allowed the Greeks back into the game on Tuesday.

The Poles (6/4 to qualify) came into the competition as the lowest-ranked side but have punched above their weight and now stand on the brink of qualifying for their first ever European Championship quarter-final.

Franciszek Smuda’s men disappointingly drew their opening game against Greece, despite getting off to the perfect start by taking the lead early on, but they showed their resilience on Tuesday, coming back from a goal behind to seal a famous draw against Russia to set up the showdown with the Czechs.

The hero that night was undoubtedly captain Jakub Blaszczykowski (9/2 to score at anytime) whose wonderful equaliser in Warsaw gave his side renewed hope after all looked lost.

The captain is one third of a trio of Borussia Dortmund players, alongside Robert Lewandowski and Lukas Piszczek, who have continued their Bundesliga form into the tournament and carried their country towards the knockout stages.

Their performances will be vital to any chance the Poles have of succeeding and look for Blaszczykowski to try and drag his side over the line.

This looks almost too tight to call and will certainly be a cagey affair. With the game being played less than an hour from the Czech border, it’s also going to be a vibrant atmosphere and both teams will certainly not be able to complain about a lack of support from their fans.

However, home advantage often counts for so much at these tournaments and the inspired Poles may just sneak through to the quarter-finals, but only by a single goal (Poland 13/2 to win 1-0).

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Sweden to tough it out

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England round off the second round of group matches on Friday when they take on Group D rivals Sweden in Kiev, kick off at 745pm, hoping to build on their opening point from the 1-1 draw with France.

Roy Hodgson’s side made a positive start to the tournament and could have been two up when Joleon Lescott headed home Steven Gerrard’s free kick but France hit back through Samir Nasri to earn a share of the spoils.

The Three Lions will certainly be happy with that, as the captain alluded to before the game, while France were a little disparaging of the tactics employed – although as has been demonstrated this season, it was tactics that could win silverware.

Once England had scored there was a tendency to drop men behind the ball and, although Les Bleus equalised in the first half, the pattern continued in the second period with Laurent Blanc’s men bossing proceedings but lacking the penetration.

It was certainly a performance that proved effective if the aim was to frustrate France, but England didn’t enjoy many shots at goal – one on target tells its own story – and they won few friends, amongst the neutrals that is.

Hodgson though is not in the business of making friends and will hope that his players can build on a solid performance against the group favourites when they take on Sweden, who are desperately in need of a good result following their opening loss.

England have been installed as the 11/10 favourites in the match betting to get their first win of Euro 2012, while the draw is priced at 23/10 and Sweden are on offer at 11/4 to cause a surprise.

Expectations ahead of the tournament were particularly low amongst England supporters and whether the opening performance will have changed them is open to question, but the Blagult will not go into the match without hope.

Hodgson’s players will know that Sweden carry less individual threat than the French but will be well-drilled and in Zlatan Ibrahimovic (7/1 First Goalscorer), they have a striker who is at the top of his game and capable of derailing the England bandwagon.

The AC Milan striker finished as the top scorer in Serie A last season with 28 goals and has already opened his Euro 2012 account against Ukraine.

All things good for Sweden in that nervy first game went through the 30-year-old, who still divides opinion on the terraces, and he is certainly the one to watch out for.

The problem for coach Erik Hamren is that he is arguably the only one to watch out for and if the strong England defence can shackle the enigmatic playmaker then that is almost the job done.

England though have their own issues and although Hodgson has only been in charge for three matches, a pattern has already emerged.

Defence is not the best form of attack and England have been doing plenty of that – defending, while struggling to look penetrative.

Against France that could be forgiven, but in two friendlies against Norway and Belgium, the Three Lions looked distinctly ordinary and those two countries were not good enough to qualify for this tournament.

Gerrard and Scott Parker are both expected to feature despite concerns over their fitness but it is the forward options that are the worry for Hodgson as he tries to find the combination to lead England to victory.

History is not on his side though as Sweden have not lost a competitive game against England in seven previous meetings, while their 1-0 defeat, courtesy of a Daniel Majstorovic own goal, in a friendly at Wembley in November was their first against the Three Lions since 1968 and ended a 12-match unbeaten streak.

Given the performances, Sweden look decent value to take the points but these games are always tight and the stronger defence will see England at least remain unbeaten in a low-scoring encounter, with 1-1 on offer at 11/2.

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Redknapp the latest big shock

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Spurs are on the lookout for a new boss and Holland have been poor at Euro 2012 – although these are just two of a number of recent shocks in the sporting world (Holland 33/1 – Euro 2012 Outright).

REDKNAPP AXED

Harry Redknapp can probably cancel that scouting mission to the European Championships after he was sacked by Tottenham after four years in charge.

It was not the end expected by many fans as the former West Ham and Portsmouth chief was widely tipped to be in Poland and Ukraine right now – but in charge of England rather than Roy Hodgson.

Redknapp claims he would have been axed even if Spurs had returned to the Champions League next season – Didier Drogba’s penalty against Bayern Munich ensured they didn’t – while he also says Spurs were not too far off winning the Premier League.

However, odds of 25/1 to win the title next term would appear to suggest otherwise.

DUTCH NIGHTMARE

If Redknapp is looking for a start in international management then he might do well to keep an eye on Bert van Marwijk’s situation as Holland manager.

The Dutch have managed just one goal in two games at Euro 2012 so far – both defeats – to leave the 2010 World Cup finalists on the brink of an early exit.

Holland were tipped to go all the way in Poland and Ukraine but the 1988 European champions might not even make the knockout stage.

The Dutch are 5/1 to get themselves out of the mire and make the quarter-finals this summer.

MURRAY MINCED

Andy Murray was not expected to do much at the French Open and he did not disappoint by crashing out in the quarter-finals to David Ferrer.

Clay is not his surface but grass is which makes his second-round exit at the Aegon Championships – having received a first-round bye- a real shock despite recent injury problems.

Nicolas Mahut was too strong for the Scot on Wednesday and now the British number one is scrambling around to arrange matches in order to hone his skills for Wimbledon as a Grand Slam breakthrough remains as elusive as ever.

Murray is 13/2 to go all the way at SW19 later in the summer.

WALLABIES NOT SHARPE

Wales may well have got off to a losing start against Australia in Brisbane at the weekend, but Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe expects a backlash.

Having gone down to Scotland in a penalty-fest in Newcastle on June 5, Robbie Deans’ men bounced back to beat the reigning Six Nations champions.

But that was only the Red Dragons’ second game together in months while the Australians have been in camp far longer yet were still less than 10 points better off.

Attention now moves to the second of three Tests in Melbourne and Sharpe claims Wales will match the Aussies in raising the level of intensity.

The real shock, of course, is finding an Australian who is not 100 per cent convinced his side is the best!

Wales are 7/4 favourites to retain their Six Nations crown in 2013.

PAC PROBE

After four shocks, one which is less so is the announcement the WBO is looking into Timothy Bradley’s controversial win over Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last weekend.

In a statement on the WBO’s website, Valcarcel said: “The WBO, through its Championships Committee, will evaluate the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, which ended in a controversial result.

“The Championships Committee will meet soon and examine the video of the fight with five renowned international judges, and according to what is found, it will make its recommendation in accordance with the rules.”

Meanwhile, Amir Khan v Danny Garcia in July is among the upcoming fights currently featured by totesport.com.

Khan himself is no stranger to being involved in controversy following Lamont Peterson’s positive test for synthetic testosterone.

The Bolton fighter is a 2/9 chance to bounce back by beating Garcia in Las Vegas.

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Ukraine looking to continue dream

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Ukraine take on France in their second Group D game on Friday looking for the win that will guarantee them a place in the last eight of Euro 2012. They stunned the Swedes in their opener so can the co-host do it again in Donetsk? (Ukraine 3/1, France 21/20, draw 23/10 Match Prices).

Group D always looked like it would be a tight affair and, true to form, England kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against France. Of the four teams, Ukraine seemed the weakest on paper but it is the east Europeans who hold all the aces going into the second round of matches.

Coach Oleg Blokhin had all but written off his side’s chances before a ball had even been kicked as he felt they had problems in defence and even more up front, but veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko rolled back the years to net a brace and give them a real chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals (Ukraine 8/13 To Qualify).

The 35-year-old former AC Milan hit-man was injured in the build-up to the tournament and it was thought that he might miss out, but the manager’s decision to hand him a starting berth paid dividends with two well-taken headers. He will lead the line again on Friday against Les Bleus and the whole nation will look to him to provide the goals that could prove crucial.

Despite the euphoria of the victory over Sweden, Blokhin has urged his men to keep their feet on the ground and make sure that Monday’s result does not go to waste. Neither Ukraine nor Sweden look like tournament winners but just getting out of the group will be considered a success for the hosts, who are in a transition phase and should be a force to be reckoned with at the next World Cup.

Andriy Voronin looks set to keep his place alongside Shevchenko and highly-rated youngster Andriy Yarmolenko, who provided the cross for the first goal, will need to find a way past the French to feed the front two. Ukraine will find the France side a tougher proposition that the Swedes, especially after Les Bleus’ opening draw with England.

Roy Hodgson’s men sat back and absorbed the French pressure and had the defensive skills to get away with it. It is open to debate whether Ukraine could last out using the same tactics and this should be a more open game with plenty of chnaces.

England managed to keep Real Madrid’s superb striker Karim Benzema in check for most of the match and it was down to a man who does not score too many goals, Samir Nasri, to gain his side a point. But Benzema is surely too good not to score at some stage of the tournament and the French fans will be hoping it is on Friday.

France played well at times against England but, in truth, it was a dull game with both sides lacking imagination in the searing heat. Therefore it is difficult to read too much into the French display as they were tipped by many to go far in this summer’s showpiece event.

Going forward, Laurent Blanc’s men will always be dangerous with players of the calibre of Frank Ribery, Yohan Cabaye and Nasri. But there are question marks over their defence and the Ukraine coaches will urge the midfield to try and get at the opposition early and force them into mistakes.

Defeat for France would not see them eliminated from the competition but would make it extremely difficult for them to qualify and, on paper, they should be strong enough to win this one. They are now unbeaten in 22 matches but it is three points and not just one they crave from the second group encounter.

Blanc and his men were criticised in their home press for not beating England but the coach has hit back at the critics and said that it was the England tactics that thwarted their attacking ambition. He was clearly not happy with the negativity surrounding their display and will want his charges to prove a point or two next time out.

Ukraine have already pulled off one shock and, with the whole nation behind them, they will be eyeing another three points on Friday but it may be that the Sweden victory was their ‘final’ and this may be a reality check for Blokhin and the home fans.

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Irish to run out of luck

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Having suffered a thrashing in their opening game against Croatia, things do not get any easier for the Republic of Ireland as they get set to take on European champions Spain on Thursday (Spain 1/4, draw 9/2, Republic of Ireland 14/1 – Match Betting).

The Republic of Ireland, who admittedly have nothing to lose at the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, had a rude awakening when they went down 4-1 in the opening Group C game against their Croats.

It was not a happy return to the competition which the Irish supporters had waited 24 years to feature in since their last outing at the Euros.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni’s men were well below their dogged best and the ability to keep teams at bay, which had seen them go 14 games without defeat, simply was not there in their opener on Sunday.

LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane (9/1 – First Goalscorer) has come in for plenty of criticism for his performance against Croatia, as so much responsibility rests on his shoulders and he failed to deliver last weekend.

However, the 31-year-old forward still has that ability to pop up with a big goal and the Spanish defence should not take the former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur striker lightly at the PGE Arena in Gdansk.

As for the defending world and European champions, they failed to get off to the perfect start in their encounter with Italy (11/1 – Euro 2012 Outright) but by no means was it a disaster for Vicente del Bosque and his men.

Spain were a goal behind against the Azzurri and showed good character to come back into the game thanks to a strike from Barcelona playmaker Cesc Fabregas (6/1 – First Goalscorer).

The title holders look like they are missing the goals of David Villa, who was ruled out of the tournament through injury, and someone will need to step forward and take on that responsibility to bag the goals throughout the competition if they are to be the first team to win three consecutive major tournaments.

Having got through that tricky clash with Italy, Spain (3/1 – Euro 2012 Outright) will now feel confident of getting a result against both the Irish and Croatia in their remaining Group C games.

Like most games the battle in Gdansk will be won and lost in midfield and the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and David Silva are set to overwhelm any Irish effort.

An early exit for the Republic certainly looks to be on the cards and with the quality and the relentless passing play the Spanish bring the table, Trapattoni and his men could well be on the wrong end of another heavy defeat on Thursday night.

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Croatia a big test for must-win Italy

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With Spain expected to beat the Republic of Ireland in the late Group C game on Thursday, Italy know a win for them  in the 5pm kick-off against Croatia (Italy 5/4, Draw 11/5, Croatia 5/2 in the match betting) is crucial if they are to progress to the knock-out phase of Euro 2012.

Italy began the tournament well with an impressive 1-1 draw against Spain although, after taking the lead in that clash, they may now look back on Sunday as a great chance to have beaten the reigning European champions wasted.

But, all the same, they still head to Poznan in upbeat mood ahead of what will be another test of their credentials against Croatia. Substitute Antonio Di Natale’s strike in Gdansk set them on their way against La Roja and he is in contention to start for Cesare Prandelli’s side with question marks over whether Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will keep his place in the starting XI alongside Antonio Cassano.

Balotelli, backable at 5/2 to score anytime, dwelled on the ball when through on goal on Sunday to allow Spain defender Sergio Ramos to get back and make a last-ditch tackle and there have been calls in Italy for the coach to play Di Natale from the start after his impressive second-half appearance.

Other than that possible change, Prandelli intends to field largely the same side which did well against Spain although there is the possibility that the Azzurri may also go with a more defensive-minded left-back in Federico Balzaretti to counter the threat Croatia pose down the right with Darijo Srna and Ivan Rakitic.

If Italy can match their weekend performance, they have every right to believe a win is theirs for the taking on Thursday but there remains a fragility in the squad that Croatia can exploit.

Slaven Bilic’s men excelled against an admittedly limited Irish side in their opener, keeping the ball well and creating plenty of good chances. In fact, they should have won by more than the 3-1 scoreline and could be a real threat in the tournament if they build on that win and improve further.

Mario Mandzukic’s impressive brace has led to speculation that he could be on his way to the Premier League this summer where his strike partner, Nikica Jelavic, is already doing the business for Everton. Those two are a formidable partnership and the Italy defence will need to be on their toes to keep them quiet.

Luka Modric dictated the game from midfield against Ireland and Andrea Pirlo, who would like to do the same for Italy in this one, will have his work cut out just tracking the Spurs ace such was the ground he covered on Sunday.

Bilic is unlikely to make changes after praising the way his players performed against Ireland and expect them to again play an expansive, attacking game in Poznan.

These two sides look fairly well-matched, then, ahead of the Group C clash and a moment of brilliance from the likes of Modric or Balotelli may just decide it.

A draw at 11/5 is appealing but Croatia can edge it to virtually secure qualification and, at the same time, leave Italy staring at an early return home. Go for 2-1 in the correct score at 12/1.

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Dutch need instant response

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Holland take on Germany in the second round of Group B matches at Euro 2012 on Wednesday desperate for a positive result after their shock defeat to Denmark. The Germans know that victory could seal their passage into the last eight and it looks set to be a cracking encounter in Kharkiv (Holland 2/1, Germany 11/8, draw 12/5 Match Prices).

A solid start in the group stages of tournament football is always essential and the Dutch began in the worst possible way by spurning a host of chances to go down 1-0 to the Danes. The one positive for the Oranje is that they played well for most of the game and could have scored a bag full of goals if things had gone differently in front of goal.

But the result leaves them with the proverbial mountain to climb to qualify as they face their old enemy in a match that is sure to see plenty of drama and controversy (Holland 21/10 To Qualify). The rivalry between these two footballing nations makes the north London derby seem like a Sunday morning kick about and Wednesday’s affair has now taken on even more meaning after the first round of games in Group B.

The Dutch have a history of infighting among their squad at major tournaments and it has not taken long for unrest to rear its ugly head this time around. Rafael van der Vaart clearly felt he should have been playing from the start against Denmark and vented his spleen to journalists after Saturday’s reverse.

Coach Bert van Marwijk has come in for some criticism for selecting two defensive midfielders against, on paper, the weakest side in the group, and has hinted at changes against the Germans. Whether or not Van der Vaart gets the nod only time will tell but whoever takes the field will certainly have to be at the top of their game to get one over on one of the form teams at the tournament.

Robin van Persie missed several chances in the opener but will doubtless keep his place and it may just be case of getting one goal for the Arsenal man before the floodgates open. But he does not look the same player at international level as he does domestically and was criticised by some sections of the media for making a phone call on the pitch immediately after the final whistle last time out.

Has the uncertainty over his future at club level started playing on the 28-year-old’s mind?

All is not good in the Dutch camp and they will need to regroup and bounce back straight away otherwise it will be an early exit from Poland and Ukraine.

The Germans did what German sides do first up and bided their time before Mario Gomez netted the all-important goal late in the match to beat Portugal. It was no more than an efficient performance from Joachim Loew’s side and there is surely more to come from the European powerhouse as they possess all sorts of talent in their ranks.

Gomez is many people’s tip to top the scoring charts in the competition and he will be a constant threat to the Dutch in mid-week, while Lukas Podolski will have to make sure he has his shooting boots on this time (Gomez 5/1 Top Goalscorer). Bastian Schweinsteiger will look to dominate the middle of the park and his battles with Mark van Bommel and Wesley Sneijder will be key to the outcome.

The Portuguese did get at the German rearguard last Saturday and hit the woodwork twice and so the Dutch stars will be encouraged to go forward and try to get an early goal to see how the opposition respond.

The Netherlands should obviously have had a penalty against the Danes after a late handball by defender Lars Jacobsen and a draw in that match would have made things a touch easier. But they will be feeling the pressure against the three-time World Cup winners and there is no better side at putting the nail in the coffin that the ruthless Germans.

This will be a feisty affair with plenty of bookings and incidents and it would be no surprise to see honours even after 90 minutes.

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Do or die for Ron and co

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Portugal go into their second Euro 2012 Group B game against Denmark knowing it’s do-or-die time if they wish to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Paulo Bento’s Portugal side, led on the pitch by Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (20/1 Euro 2012Top Goalscorer), lost out 1-0 to Germany in the opening match on Saturday, while the Danes’ shock win against one of the pre-tournament favourites, Holland, has only served to heap more pressure on them ahead of the 5pm kick-off in Lviv.

The Portuguese have fallen out of form at just the wrong time as they are yet to taste victory in 2012 with no wins in four matches, while they have only scored once in that time.

Bento will hope striker Hugo Almeida recovers from a bout of ‘flu in time to possibly replace Helder Postiga in attack following his lacklustre display against the Germans.

Winger Ricardo Quaresma has been passed fit after overcoming a leg muscle strain so the Portuguese should have more options available to them for the match.

Euro 92 winners Denmark, who were the least-fancied to progress from Group B, know another win (3/1) will see them virtually book their place in the last eight (10/11 To Qualify).

Morten Olsen’s side were harshly disregarded as the whipping boys of the group going into the tournament when you consider that they finished as group winners when up against Portugal in both Euro 2012 and 2010 World Cup qualifying.

The Danes have also won seven of their last nine games, including a 2-1 qualifying win against the Portuguese last October, so the 1-0 win against the Dutch on Saturday finally made many sit up and take notice of them.

Olsen is boosted by the ability to name an unchanged side from that game against Holland and he will be hopeful that they can secure the win required to make it two wins from two games.

Denmark also have an Indian sign over the Portuguese as they have won three of their previous five meetings in as many years, while midfielder Michael Krohn-Dehli (9/1 First or Last Goalscorer) is the man to watch as the team have won all five internationals he has scored in.

Despite Ronaldo (5/4 Anytime Goalscorer) being Portugal’s talisman, it is Manchester United’s Nani who could hold the key as he has scored three times in four outings against the Danes.

It is certain to be a close game, but with Portugal seemingly up against it going into the showdown, we feel they will finally show why the likes of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger tipped them to be the tournament’s dark horses.

Prediction: Portugal To Win 90 Minutes @ Evens
Value Bet: Nani to Score 1st Portugal To Win 2-1 Scorecast @ 40/1

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Depleted Greeks in Czech challenge

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greece smallGreece managed to battle their way back from a goal and a man down to secure a draw with Poland in their opening Euro 2012 fixture but, ahead of their second game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday, the valuable point came at a cost.

Defender Avraam Papadopoulos suffered a knee injury and will now miss the rest of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, while his partner in the first-choice centre-half pairing for Greece, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, was awarded a controversial red card and will miss out against the Czech Republic.

Greece coach Fernando Santos, of course, has other options at centre-half but with only PAOK’s Stelios Malezas and Kyriakos Papadopoulos, of Schalke, to call upon, he will be desperate for the pair to come through the match against the Czechs unscathed ahead of a potentially-decisive final group game with Russia.

Santos’ selection problems are not only confined to defence, however, with midfielder Giorgos Fotakis also doubtful due to a thigh problem.

In contrast, the Czech Republic have no significant injury worries but, after a demoralising 4-1 loss at the hands of Russia in their opening fixture, they almost certainly need to win on Tuesday if they’re to avoid an early exit at Euro 2012.

If the Czech Republic are to reach the latter stages of the competition they will need big performances from the likes of Vaclav Pilar, who scored their only goal against Russia and managed to impress despite the defeat, Jaroslav Plasil and Premier League pair Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky.

Indeed, Chelsea keeper Cech insists all is not lost and insists his side can still qualify from Group A.

“The first game sometimes shows what the group will be like but it’s not the key one,” noted the talented shot-stopper.

“The crucial game will be the second one (against Greece). If we fail in that one, our chances of advancing will be very thin.

“A 4-1 defeat doesn’t look the best but it’s basically the same as 1-0…you simply get no points.

“We lost a battle, not the war. The good thing is we still have 180 minutes to advance. We have to look ahead, that’s what matters now.”

Greece looked bereft of ideas in the opening 45 minutes against Poland but the extremely harsh dismissal of Papastathopoulos seemed to galvanise Santos’ side as they produced an assured second-half display. In fact, Greece could well have gone on to win the game had it not been for a fine penalty save by Polish substitute keeper Przemyslaw Tyton following Wojciech Szczesny’s second-half sending off.

The Czech Republic struggled with the pace and swift movement of the Russians and should get more time on the ball against Greece, who are well organised and rely perhaps a little too much on the ageing Giorgos Karagounis as their creative outlet.

With the stakes high for both sides this contest promises to be a close affair as both countries cannot afford to lose, especially the Czechs who could be all but eliminated should they lose and Poland win in the later kick off.

Greece are priced at 11/5 to seal the win and they’re certainly capable of taking all three points if they can replicate their second-half display against Poland for 90 minutes on Tuesday, as Poland are arguably a better side than the Czech Republic.  A win for the Czechs is 7/5, while the draw is priced at 11/5.

One market that does stand out is the half-time result and the 20/21 on offer for a draw at half-time seems a decent bet considering neither side can really afford to lose the game, with an emphasis on defence expected from both sides.

Czech winger Pilar looked lively in an otherwise uninspiring team performance against Russia and if the 23-year-old continues to impress at Euro 2012 he could secure a move to one of Europe’s big leagues after the tournament. Pilar is priced at 5/1 to score at anytime in the match, which is worth some consideration given his display against the Russians, or 10/1 to score first for the braver punter.

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