Spain 1 - Greece 1

Spain: Casillas; Puyol, Marchena, Iván Helguera, Raúl Bravo; Albelda, Baraja; Etxeberría (Joaquín 46'), Raúl (Fernando Torres 80'), Vicente; Morientes (Valerón 65'). 4-2-3-1.
Greece: Nikopolidis; Seitardis, Dellas, Kapsis, Fyssas (Venetidis 86'); Giannakopoulos (Nikolaidis 49'), Zagorakis, Karagounis (Tsartas 53'), Katsouranis; Charisteas, Vryzas. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 28. Morientes. Collected back-heel pass from Raúl and ran on to score.
1-1. 66. Charisteas. Pulled down long Tsartas pass and struck shot under Casillas.

A disappointing draw with Greece in their second group game left Spain with work to do if they are to qualify for the quarter finals. After much speculation, Iñaki Sáez finally decided to put out the same line up as he did for the match with Russia, with no place for Xabi Alonso or Fernando Torres, who were expected by the local press to start, nor for Valerón or Joaquín, who many fans wanted to see in the side. Rehhagel only made one alteration to the line up which had produced a shock victory over hosts Portugal in their opening game, Katsouranis coming in for Basinas.

Spain were looking for revenge after Greece pipped them for first place in their qualifying group, and they came out strongly from the start. Iván Helguera should have done better when alone in front of goal following Vicente's free kick, but a few minutes later his side took the lead, Raúl winning the ball off a slow Kapsis and setting up his ex team mate Morientes with a clever back-heel, the Monaco striker rounding Katsouranis before curling a shot wide of Nikopolidis.

Greece's only reply in the first half was a wayward volley by Vryzas, and Raúl could have increased the lead a couple of times after the break, in particular heading a cross from half time substitute Joaquín over the bar. Twenty minutes in to the second time Sáez predictably decided to make a change, bringing on Valerón who had made the difference in the first match against Russia. This time though the move back-fired, and only a minute later Charisteas picked up a long pass from Tsartas to fire the equaliser past Casillas, who managed to get a foot to the ball but not solidly enough to stop it entering the net.

It was a bitter blow, but although he didn't have an out and out striker on the field, Sáez decided to stick with what he had until ten minutes from the end, when he replaced Raúl with Fernando Torres. It was too little too late, and although Joaquín went close with a long shot, a draw was always going to be the result. Spain had at least got a draw, which means that a point against Portugal next Sunday will see them through, and they can even afford to lose if Russia beat Greece by a bigger margin in the other group game. But with a partisan crowd against them it won't be easy, and the only fans who were celebrating at the end of this match were wearing blue and white scarves.