Euro 2008

Group D matches

Spain 2 - Greece 1

Spain: Reina; Arbeloa, Raúl Albiol, Juanito, Navarro; Xabi Alonso, De la Red; Sergio García, Cesc, Iniesta (Cazorla 58'); Güiza. 4-2-3-1.
Greece: Nikopolidis; Vyntra, Kyrgiakos (Antzias 62'), Dellas, Spiropoulos; Basinas, Karagounis (Tziolis 74'), Katsouranis; Salpingidis (Giannakopoulos 86'), Charisteas, Amanatidis. 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 42. Charisteas. Guided header down past Reina from Karagounis free kick.
1-1. 61. De la Red. Shot which keeper turned in off bar after Güiza headed back.
2-1. 88. Güiza. Lost marker to head Sergio García over keeper from close up.

Spain's reserve players beat defending champions Greece in their last group match to finish with three wins out of three. Already sure of first place in the group, and with their opponents out of the competition, Aragonés made ten changes to his side to rest his key players for their upcoming quarter final with Italy. Xabi Alonso almost caught out Nikopolidis with a shot from inside his own half which missed the target by inches, but with a couple of minutes to go to the break it was Greece who opened the scoring, Charisteas heading a wide Karagounis free kick past Reina.

With nothing to play for but the million Euro prize money, Aragonés stuck to his guns, only changing Iniesta for Cazorla on the hour mark. Spain continued to dominate though, Xabi Alonso firing an impressive long shot against the inside of the post before De la Red equalised, blasting the ball past Nikopolidis after Güiza headed back a long pass from Fábregas.

It was the Getafe midfielder's first goal for Spain, and Güiza himself was also looking to open his account for his country. Nerves got the better of him a couple of times, but with two minutes to go to the Mallorca striker got on the end of Sergio García's cross to head home the winner. Nineteen games now without defeat, but it will all be meaningless if they lose the next one against Italy on Sunday night. Could this be their year at last?