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EURO 2008: Norway - Greece


dark_horse

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Amanatidis ready for Norway trip

Monday 3 September 2007

by Vassiliki Papantonopoulou

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ioannis Amanatidis has been recalled to the Greece squad to face Norway in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying Group C on 12 September after recovering from injury.

Papadopoulos omission

Amanatidis's gain is Dimitrios Papadopoulos's loss, however, as the Eintracht forward who played in the 3-2 friendly defeat at home to Spain ten days ago has been left out of the 20-man squad. Coach Otto Rehhagel's has also overlooked Angelos Charisteas as the striker is struggling with a thigh injury, while, after picking up an injury while playing for APOEL FC in a pre-season friendly against Doxa Katokopia FC, centre-back Mihalis Kapsis is another injured absentee.

Giannakopoulos missing

Stylianos Giannakopoulos is also out after having been sidelined ever since undergoing groin surgery in late July. After seven matches Greece lead their group with 18 points, having suffered just one defeat, while Bosnia, Norway and Turkey trail on 13 points, though the latter have a game in hand.

Greece squad

Goalkeepers: Antonios Nikopolidis (Olympiacos CFP), Konstantinos Chalkias (Aris Thessaloniki FC).

Defenders: Giourkas Seitaridis (Club Atletico de Madrid), Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Traianos Dellas (AEK Athens FC), Nikolaos Spyropoulos (Panionios GS), Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos FC), Ioannis Goumas (Panathinaikos FC), Vassilios Torosidis (Olympiacos CFP), Paraskevas Antzas (Olympiacos CFP), Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos CFP).

Midfielders: Angelos Basinas (RCD Mallorca), Georgios Karagounis (Panathinaikos FC), Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos FC), Konstantinos Katsouranis (SL Benfica).

Forwards: Dimitrios Salpingidis (Panathinaikos FC), Nikolaos Lyberopoulos (AEK Athens FC), Theofanis Gekas (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Georgios Samaras (Manchester City FC), Ioannis Amanatidis (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Source.

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Amanatidis is a good player; I hope next week he finally gets that first goal he's been longing for.

I'm not worried about Norway, they have a poor defense, and we have been building a really dangerous offense lately. I'm predicting a victory, with Amanatidis and Gekas each scoring on our side, and Carew for Norway.

In any event, even though a 5-3-2 probably makes sense, I expect the following 4-3-3:

-------------------------Nikopolidis-----------------------

Seitaridis--------Dellas-----Kyrgiakos-----Patzatzoglou (Torosidis sub)

-------Basinas-----Katsouranis---Karagounis---------

Samaras----------------Gekas-----------------Amanatidis

(Salpingidis sub)

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I would be in content to think Otto would be using a 4-5-1 or his usual 4-3-3. He will be aware of Norway's dangerous attacking formation, Greece's main target to get more action in midfield, have a little more ball possession if they can without losing it on silly turnovers.

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Having a look at the squad I can make the following comments:

We have very few middlefield players. Perhaps Patsa and Toro can also play in the middlefield but still 5-6 available players there, where we should have the most power because of the particular opponent that we face in 8 days, is

a(nother) mistake by Otto. He just needs more middlefield players, it is that simple. I leave it to you guys to make recommendation, not that it will make any difference to Otto, who appears not to follow this forum...

About the starting team:

Nikopolidis must be the reserve goalkeeper from now on. End of the story there. Especially because in this game we need a tall goalie to intercept the crosses for the tall Norwegians.

With Spyropoulos and Kapsis injured, but the inclusion of Antzas, with the form he displayed a couple of days ago, is a boost. Given that Dellas is extremely slow player, I would have liked to see Kyriakos and Antzas in the centre of defense, but I am almost sure to see Kyriakos Dellas playing. Perhaps this time this is not so bad because Dellas can intercept some headers in this particular game.

In the sides we are surely going to see Seitaridis and Torosidis; I don't think anyone could have any doubts on that.

In the middlefield, our usual players: Basinas, Karagounis, Katsouranis, at least.

Upfront: I see Gekas for sure, and Salpi as the duo was extremely good versus Spain, but if Otto decides to play with just 2 players upfront, he may pick Gekas and Samaras.

So the players that we all think are going to play, are:

Chalkias

Seitaridis Kyriakos Dellas Torosidis

Basinas Katsouranis Karagounis ?

Gekas ?

Some of you said that we need power in the middlefield. In that case, I would also like to see Patsa/Tziolis there, but who plays should be determined by our opponents too. We need to play in a EURO 2004 style in this game, with a solid defense and destructive in the counter attack. With this in mind, if our formation is 4-4-2, we should see:

Chalkias

Seitaridis Kyriakos Dellas Torosidis

Basinas Katsouranis Karagounis Patsatzoglou/Tziolis

Gekas Salpi/Amanatidis

(from the 2 choices, pick your favourite)

But I now think that Otto has established a more attacking formation, such as 4-3-3, in which case we can expect:

Chalkias

Seitaridis, Kyriakos, Dellas, Torosidis

Basinas Katsouranis Karagounis

Salpi Gekas Samaras/Amanatidis

I would go for a 4-4-2 formation for this particular game because of the nature of this game (the fact that Norway needs a victory). With that in mind, we could make the Norwegian's night even more difficult with a 5-3-2 formation! :

Chalkias

Seitaridis Kyriakos Dellas Torosidis

Katsouranis

Basinas Karagounis Patsatzoglou/Tziolis

Salpi/Amanatidis Gekas

I would like to see the 4-4-2 system with Salpi and Tziolis in. It is going to be a very interesting game with Norway needing 3 points, in which case we need to defend, but also counter attack, hence the 4-4-2. Good luck to us!

And some comments about Papadopoulos being left out: Papadopoulos has done almost nothing since his 2004 league; he has not actually being playing for some years now. I hope that this correct decision by Otto will make Papadoupoulos try a bit moreto get a deserved place there. Correct decision by Otto with a direct message to Papadopoulos.

There is a final say that if works it would be fantastic, but there are some risks associated with it...:

Chalkias

Seitaridis Kyriakos Dellas ! Vyntra !

Katsouranis

Basinas Karagounis Torosidis

Salpi/Amanatidis Gekas

If that work it would be fantastic because we can easily defend and attack very well with this system, but it all depends on Vyntra.......your comments are sought here.......

:gr:

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I don't see the similarities between this team and the one that lost vs the Danes - this team will have only 6 of the same starter - that team was older and doomed - this team will win I'm calling it 0-2 with Amantidis netting his first two for the ethniki

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I don't see the similarities between this team and the one that lost vs the Danes - this team will have only 6 of the same starter - that team was older and doomed - this team will win I'm calling it 0-2 with Amantidis netting his first two for the ethniki

I don't think Aek66 meant that this team is similar but rather that the anti-climatic performance will be similar to the one in Denmark. I have to say that with Otto's tactics this is something I also fear.

Having said that, in the home game against Norway the stadium was practically empty & the weather was perfect for them and we were the much better side, particularly in the first half when Giannakopoulo & Seitaridi completely owned Pederson & Riise! Seitaridi in particular had the game of his life! They just couldn't contain him, so he obviously has the beating of Pedersen & Riise if he is brave enough to get forward. So considering that Torosidi is always brave enough to get forward, and that our priority is to avoid defeat I would like to see a 5-3-2.

-------------------------------------------Chalkias-------------------------------------------

---------------------------Goumas-------Kyriakos--------Antzas---------------------------

Seitaridis---------------------------------------------------------------------------Torosidis

----------------------------------Patsa-------------Katsouranis----------------------------

-----------------------------------------Karagounis------------------------------------------

--------------------------------Salpingidi-----------Gekas----------------------------------

I'd also play a high defensive line because they lack pace up front, their primary danger is ariel. So Kyriako on Carew and a high line could do the trick. I'll also add that Amanatidi could always replace Salpi and move to the left where the team could revert to a 4-5-1, but that's only if we're having probs on the wings. Or, move Salpi to the right and Patsa to the left. If we are desperate for a goal, I'd throw on Samara instead of Lybe who was awful against Sevilla & isn't mentally prepared. Of course that's something that only an insider like Otto can detemine.

Norway aren't that good and if we're at our best we should get a result, however, following the Turkey game I just don't have confidence in the side tbh. So I'm predicting a 2-0 Norway win.

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After today's loss by Bosnia in Hungary, Greece can have one foot in Euro 2008 with a win in Norway. A tie would be good as well as Norway have a tougher schedule than than Greece

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