Match Analysis: Euro 2012 - Greece 1-2 Czech Republic

The Czech Republic and Greece met this afternoon in a repeat of the Euro 2004 semi-final.

On this occasion the Czechs knew that a defeat would all but eliminate them from the competition, while a victory for the Greeks would see them have one foot in the quarter-finals.

At the conclusion of the 90 minutes, it appears that the Czechs' need for a victory was greater than the Greeks, who lost the encounter 2-1.

Here, Sports Mole has dissected the opening match of the second round of group fixtures.

Greece statistics:
Shots: 5
On target: 4
Possession: 48%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 15

Czech Republic statistics:
Shots: 9
On target: 4
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 22

Was the result fair?

To be honest, considering the way that Greece began the game, they got exactly what they deserved. A combination of poor defending and goalkeeping saw the Czechs race into a 2-0 lead. While Greece came back into the match in the second half, they didn't do enough to claim that they deserved a share of the spoils.

Greece's performance

As mentioned above Greece's defensive display left a lot to be desired. While they did pose more of a threat after the break, Petr Cech was not called into action too often.

Czech Republic's performance

The Czechs were faultless during the opening 45 minutes. In fact the only criticism is that they did not head into the break with a greater lead. However, their performance after the restart was slightly concerning, with a number of players looking tired.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Theodor Gebre Selassie: The full-back really put himself in the shop window with this performance. Having impressed during his side's opening match against Russia, the Slovan Liberec man put in an even better performance here. The 25-year-old pushed forward with great intent and even set up his side's second goal.

Referee performance

Wolfgang Stark is widely regarded as one Europe's finest referees and the German showed why here. The 42-year-old was barely noticeable, which is a good thing for a match official. He did provide one moment of comedy though when he took a tumble during the first half.

Biggest gaffe of the game

There are no prizes for guessing this one, it has to be Cech! The Chelsea and Czech Republic goalkeeper made a real hash of collecting a cross from Georgios Samaras. The ball fell to the feet of Fanis Gekas, who had the simplest of tasks to score.

What next?

Greece: To put it bluntly - the plane home! With one point from two games and the group's strongest team Russia to come, it doesn't look good for the Greeks. Only a win against the Russians will do.

Czech Republic: The Czechs have given themselves a real lifeline with this victory. A win against co-hosts Poland in their next outing will see them qualify. A point may also suffice.