Greece in confident mood

Greece midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos is confident his side will make the Euro 2004 quarter-finals – but does not believe host nation Portugal will join them.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a hugely-successful season with Premiership side Bolton last season and carried the form into the European Championships where Greece stand on the verge of making the last eight.

They followed up an opening day victory over Portugal with a dogged, committed draw that dented Spain’s quarter-final hopes.

Giannakopoulos predicts Greece and Spain will go through, dumping the Portuguese out of Euro 2004 on home soil.

Group A reaches its conclusion on Sunday when Greece face already-eliminated Russia in Faro, and Spain and Portugal clash in a titanic showdown in Lisbon.

Giannakopoulos said: “We played the way we did against Portugal, but I felt we were facing a much stronger team in Spain.

“It is obvious that Spain is a better team and they have much better quality throughout their team than Portugal, I feel that it will be Spain who will get through to the last eight. With us.”

“Holding Spain was the biggest proof that we could manage to show everybody that we are not here on vacation.

“We did not to discover that Portugal is a good country to relax in on your holidays. We didn’t come here to dream on the beach and swim in the sea. Although it is certainly very nice and warm here, a bit warmer than Bolton.”

Giannakopoulos picked up a calf injury against the Spanish but he expects to be fit to face the Russians.

“I have picked up a calf injury, I hope it is just cramp but it will be looked at in hospital so make sure,” he said.

“I do not believe it will stop me playing in the third game, I will be very jealous if it does.

“Now that Portugal have beaten Russia it means we are virtually in the quarter finals, then anything can happen. We have to lose to Russia and Portugal must beat Spain for us not to go through now.

“It is much better for us now to be playing a Russian side who have lost both their games and are out of the tournament. I would not want to be in the shoes of Portugal and Spain, knowing that one of them will go out when they play.”

One of the unluckiest players in the Greek squad is Leicester’s Nikos Dabizas, who has been struggling with a minor injury that has kept him on the bench so far.

But he too was delighted with Greece’s progress.

“We have wanted all along to show that we are not here just to make up the numbers,” he said.

“It was no coincidence that we achieved this result, after the victory over Portugal we have wanted to prove that it was not a fluke.

“Spain had us under a lot of pressure, they were on top of the game but physically the side was assured. When we were one down we had to be very careful, we needed to attack but we knew we could not give them any gaps to exploit.

“It was a very difficult thing to do against such good players, but we managed to find the right balance and grab that equaliser.

“It is not the same as how you play when you are leading or level, you know one mistake can give your opponents a two goal lead and that is so hard to come back from.”

Spain have the chance to dump Portugal out of the competition when the two sides meet in the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Sunday.

Real Madrid striker Raul, who admitted he was surprised to earn the man of the match award against Greece, paid tribute to the Greeks and then backed Spain to see off Portugal.

He said: “The result was a fair reflection of the game, Greece are a very physical side but they played well.

“But I believe that these two teams will be the ones that go into the quarter finals. It will be a complicated game when we play Portugal, but I believe we can get through.”