France's Dacourt pressures Karagounis. (Getty Images)
France 0 Greece 1
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France suffered another disastrous exit from a major competition at the hands
of unfancied opponents as Greece achieved a sensational victory in Lisbon's Jose
Alvalade stadium.
Jacques Santini's France may have gone one better than the last World Cup and
made it through the group stage but this still represented a humiliation. Few
would have given Greece, very much the minnows in the four quarter-finals, any
chance.
But German coach Otto Rehhagel has quietly put together a classy-looking side
and they fully-deserved their victory, secured by Angelos Charisteas' bullet
header.
France, looking completely out of sorts and with Patrick Vieira's
injury-enforced absence leaving a chasm in the reigning champions' midfield,
never came to terms with the Greeks' pressing tactics and hard-running.
Greece had the quality up front too, where Rehhagel chose a 4-2-3-1 formation
that the French struggled to combat. Atletico Madrid's Themistoklis Nikolaidis
tucked in superbly just behind Charisteas, while the midfield and defence denied
France and especially Zinedine Zidane space.
It was the Greeks who nearly drew first blood. Charisteas leapt above Mikael
Silvestre after Panagiotis Fyssas' good work down the left but was unable to
direct his header on goal.
Charisteas was then involved again, heading back for Nikolaidis to test Fabien
Barthez with a rising effort from just outside the box.
France breathed another sharp sign of relief when Nikolaidis latched onto a
free-kick and shot from 10 yards, Barthez just managing to keep it out at the
second attempt.
Bixente Lizarazu attempted to spark the French into life with a raiding run
down the left but the Greece defence did well to block out his cut-back.
The Basque full-back was also the creative force when, overlapping Zidane, he
curled over a cross that Thierry Henry met with a good header but a yard wide.
The Greeks kept pressing, however, and Konstantinos Katsouranis' snap-shot
drew another good save from Barthez.
Overall the first half was a dreary, goalless affair - as dull as l'eau de
dish - so much so that choruses of "Port-u-gal" and "In-ger-land" rang out
loudly from the large contingent of neutrals sitting through such insipid fare
in contrast to the Thursday night's high drama in the nearby Estadio da Luz.
Fyssas fizzed in a dipping shot to enliven the Greeks, but Barthez tipped it
over, then Henry's solo run ended with his drive deflected and looping into the
hands of Antonios Nikopolidis.
Henry at least showed some appetite, unlike David Trezeguet, and the Arsenal
striker hit a bouncing ball on the turn that Nikopolidis was happy to see skid
past the post.
That upped the tempo and Lizarazu's fabulous run, including two nutmegs,
nearly paid dividends, then Henry floated a cross over the keeper towards
Trezeguet but Mihalis Kapsis made a fabulous clearance from under his crossbar.
Henry volleyed wide, then Nikopolidis clutched a low left-footer from the
Gunner, but then France were stunned as Greece took a shock lead with 25 minutes
left.
Theo Zagorakis, formerly of Leicester City, outwitted Lizarazu and struck a
cross from the byline. Charisteas it met with a full-blooded header and wham!
The net bulged, France were stunned and Greece were in the lead.
Louis Saha and Sylvain Wiltord came on for Trezeguet and Dacourt as France
coach Santini looked disaster in the face and Les Bleus immediately looked
brighter.
Saha tried his luck from 18 yards, but without conviction, then Henry rolled
another shot tamely to the keeper after twisting into space.
With four minutes left, Henry's header from William Gallas' deep ball whistled
inches wide and it looked all over.
Lizarazu then volleyed over from 12 yards, and it was.
Teams
France Barthez, Gallas, Thuram, Silvestre, Lizarazu, Zidane,
Makelele, Dacourt (Wiltord 72), Pires (Rothen 79), Henry,
Trezeguet (Saha 72).
Subs Not Used: Coupet, Landreau, Boumsong, Vieira, Desailly,
Pedretti, Sagnol, Marlet, Govou.
Booked: Zidane, Saha.
Greece Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fissas,
Zagorakis, Basinas (Tsiartas 85), Karagounis,
Nikolaidis (Lakis 61), Katsouranis, Charisteas.
Subs Not Used: Chalkias, Katergiannakis, Venetidis, Dabizas,
Giannakopoulos, Kafes, Georgiadis, Goumas, Papadopoulos.
Booked: Karagounis, Zagorakis.
Goals: Charisteas 65.
Att: 50,000
Ref: Anders Frisk (Sweden).
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