Co-hosts Poland will be aiming to get Euro 2012 off to a winning start when they face Group A rivals Greece in the tournament curtain-raiser in Warsaw’s impressive Stadion Narodowy on Friday evening.
Coach Franciszek Smuda’s side will carry the hopes of the nation on their shoulders and will no doubt feel an opening game against the Greeks, who stunned Europe to win Euro 2004, will be the perfect opportunity to get off to a flying start.
The Poles are in good form ahead of the match having won five and drawn one of their last six friendly matches – their last defeat was a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Italy in November 2011.
Smuda looks set to field Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks, while he faces a dilemma as to whether Lukasz Piszczek or Grzegorz Wojtkowiak will start in the back four for the match.
Poland have operated with a five-man midfield in the pre-tournament friendly matches and Smuda is likely to stick with that 4-5-1 formation, while Borussia Dortmund’s lethal striker Robert Lewandowski (7/4 – Anytime Goalscorer) will get the nod as a lone frontman.
Greece were the opening game opponents for Portugal in 2004 and they won that match 2-1 before going on to defeat the hosts 1-0 in the final so no doubt coach Fernando Santos will be hoping it is an omen for them in 2012.
The Greeks qualified impressively as they topped their respective group by remaining unbeaten in 10 matches with seven wins and three draws to their name.
However, things have gone off the boil in pre-tournament friendly encounters as they have secured just one victory from their five games played – a 1-0 win on neutral ground against Armenia.
Santos will call on the veteran duo of Giorgios Karagounis and Kostas Katsouranis – who were in the Euro 2004 winning team – to operate in midfield for the game, while Celtic’s Georgios Samaras (10/1 – First or Last Goalscorer) will be looking for a starting role in attack ahead of the likes of Dimitris Salpigidis or Theofanis Gekas depending on what formation the coach decides on.
Looking at the previous encounters and everything goes in Poland’s favour as they have won five of their seven meetings, including four on home soil, while Greece’s only win was in their own backyard back in 1987.
When pondering the outcome of this game the fact the Poles have home advantage, and the vast majority of a sell-out partisan crowd will be giving their players some vociferous support, should stand them in good stead.
Greece have struggled in Poland in the past and will no doubt look to put their strong defensive attributes – only five goals conceded in 10 qualifying matches – to the test (5/2 – To Keep A Clean Sheet) to try and quieten the natives for as long as possible before searching for an opening at the opposite end of the field.
However, as group openers are usually cagey affairs with neither side wanting to lose, expect Poland to nick a narrow, low-scoring narrow.
Prediction: Poland To Win – 90 Minutes @ evens
Value Bet: Lewandowski 1st goal and Poland To Win 1-0 Scorecast @ 16/1
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After a superb opening to the Champions League qualifying round last week, the competition carries on this week with four matches on Tuesday, as club’s look to take their final chance to seal a place in Europe’s most lucrative club competition.