Greeks holding France at the break

France 0-0 Greece

Defending champions France were being held by surprise package Greece on Friday evening in a tense and sometimes dour Euro 2004 quarter-final at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

The goalless first half had little of the drama that had occurred nearby at the Estadio da Luz between England and Portugal 24 hours earlier.

However, France’s Fabien Barthez was the busier of the two goalkeepers and was forced into action on several occasions by a Greek side that was once more playing to the well-drilled plans of their German coach Otto Rehhagel.

The first incident of note saw Lilian Thuram float a long ball over the Greek defence towards Thierry Henry but goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis was alert to the danger and beat the Arsenal forward to the ball.

Then the Greeks worked the ball to left-back Panagiotis Fyssas whose dangerous cross just brushed the head of centre forward Angelos Charisteas with the goal beckoning.

But it took Georgios Karagounis only five minutes to be cautioned by Swedish referee Anders Frisk for a crude challenge on Zinedine Zidane.

The Greeks then got a free-kick when Dacourt fouled Nikolaidis but Angelis Basinas wasted a good position as his aimless kick was easily gathered by Fabien Barthez.

Next Charisteas set up a shooting chance for Nikolaidis who struck the ball cleanly from 20 yards but straight at Barthez.

A foul by Dacourt on Nikolaidis gave the Greeks another free-kick but Konstantinos Katsouranis’ delivery this time fell to Nikolaidis whose shot was almost fumbled on the goalline by Barthez who grabbed it at the second attempt.

Bixente Lizarazu immediately launched a French counter-attack but the Greece defence scrambled the ball away.

A sweet and prolonged passing movement from the Greeks then had the French at sixes and sevens but Fyssas overhit a cross with Charisteas in a dangerous position in the middle.

Thuram had to be alert to dispossess Charisteas in another promising Greek raid but then the French put together their best move yet when Zidane fed the overlapping Lizarazu and the 34-year-old full-back’s cross found the head of Henry, who just failed to direct the ball on target with it drifting wide of Nikopolidis’ left-hand post.

Fyssas broke several minutes of boredom with a well-struck dipping left-footed shot from distance that Barthez tipped over for a corner.

Henry’s solo run and shot after 42 minutes ended with a deflection and the ball looped safely into the hands of Nikopolidis but then Zidane was cautioned for a foul on Karagounis.