Greece are a more attacking side than under Otto Rehhagel and recently went 17 games unbeaten in a 4-3-3 formation
This article is part of the Guardian's Euro 2012 Experts' Network, a co-operation between 16 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Poland and Ukraine. guardian.co.uk is running previews from two countries each day in the runup to the tournament kicking off on 8 June.
Tactical analysis
Euro 2012 is Greece's fourth appearance at the championships but, more importantly, it is the country's third in a row. Our "Euro streak" started with the fantastic summer of 2004 when we won the title in Portugal. Four years later Greece made a mess of their appearance in Switzerland and Austria and there were a few neutrals who must have thought "at last they have got their comeuppance" because of our style of football (even though it had been OK during the qualifiers).
This year our optimism is back, having finished top and unbeaten in our qualifying group, with a fairly fluent 4-3-3 formation. Defence is still our cornerstone, as it would be after so many years of Otto Rehhagel. The current coach, Fernando Santos, likes it that way too.
There are a few options for goalkeepers. Michalis Sifakis, Alexander Tzorvas and the veteran Kostas Chalkias are all good choices for the coach. All of them, however, have been out of their first teams at some point this season, either because they have lost their place or because of injuries. Now for the defence. The duo of Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Avraam Papadopoulos (Werder Bremen and Olympiakos) do not only win the competition for longest surnames of any defensive partnership in the world (probably) but are both tall, athletic, intelligent and in good form. Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Vangelis Moras will act as back-ups.
The favourite for the left-back spot, José Holebas (also known as Iosif Cholevas), is an interesting character. Born to a Greek father and a Uruguayan mother in Germany, he has played for 1860 Munich in Germany and Olympiakos in Greece. The former forward/winger may not be a Philipp Lahm but he has been a superb addition to the Greek defence.
On the right side of defence there is Vasilis Torosidis, probably the most skilful player in the Greek team. He would surely be a bigger star if he was playing in midfield or attack.
The 32-year-old Kostas Katsouranis of Panathinaikos is still the midfield anchor. He is certain to be in the starting XI if fit. Then there is the mercurial Giorgos Karagounis, who is hoping to participate in his third straight European Championship. A clever player. Georgios Fotakis, who is a fine PAOK player, may also get a starting place, as could Giannis Maniatis, who used to play on the wing but was moved into a more central position by the Olympiakos coach Ernesto Valverde this season. It has proved to be a masterstroke.
The exciting Olympiakos winger Giannis Fetfatzidis has also been included in the squad.
Up front, Theofanis Gekas will carry a heavy burden on his shoulders. Dimitris Salpigidis is first choice on the right-hand side but the obliging player will play wherever the coach asks him to. On the left there is only one man: the one and only Georgios Samaras.
There are also those who will be hoping to break into the starting XI in time for the opening game. The playmaker Sotiris Ninis played a major role in the qualifiers but was out between September 2011 and March 2012 with an injury. Greece miss him when he is not playing, he is the "brain" of the team. Ninis is joining Parma after the Euros.
Atromitos's Kostas Mitroglou is arguably the best attacking player Greece have to offer and he has scored more than 15 goals this year. He has played at the top level of the Champions League. He has almost everything. He is strong. He is fast. He is skilful. There is only one thing missing: discipline. He is an individualist and does not always do the right thing for his coach or team-mates. And his ill-discipline may cost him a place in the team.
Who is the player who is going to surprise everyone at the Euros?
That's Sotiris Ninis. He has had a five-month absence because of an injury but he has bounced back with some impressive performances during the Greek play-offs and a fantastic finish against Atromitos. He is leaving Panathinaikos for Parma this summer and now is the time for him to replace Katsouranis and Karagkounis and become the natural leader of the Greek national team.
Who is the player who is going to disappoint the most?
If his below-par performance in 2012 is anything to go by then it has got to be Kostas Katsouranis. He is one of the best defensive midfielders Greece have had to offer over the past eight years but recently he has had way too many ups and downs on the pitch. Katsouranis is also quite vocal (to put it mildly) with his team-mates off the pitch and that has caused its fair number of problems at Panathinaikos and with the national team. Now, if only we could get him to start scoring more …
What is the realistic aim for your team at the Euros and why?
Granted, flair and skills do not count as the main characteristics of Greek footballers. But, following closely in the footsteps of Rehhagel, Fernando Santos has built a defensive line quite the opposite of the Greek economy: agile, young and with a strong export ratio. Based on that, I'd say that qualification for the quarter-finals is within our reach. And then anything can happen. After all, you can huff and puff about the quality of football but you should never underestimate a team that has faith in its defensive abilities (Chelsea v Barcelona and Bayern Munich, anyone?).
Stavros Drakoularakos and Elias Eftaxias work for sport24.gr
Click here to read the profile of Theofanis Gekas
And click here to read the secrets behind the Greece players Read More
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