Greeks target two wins

By Dimitra Pappa & Pavle Gognidze

Greece are on the brink of the UEFA EURO 2004™ finals with just two wins needed against lowly rivals to secure a place in Portugal next summer.

Narrow victories
Such an achievement is made all the more remarkable by the fact that Greece are in Group 6, which also features Spain and Ukraine. However, the table-topping Greeks beat both nations 1-0 in their last two qualifiers to put themselves firmly in the driving seat as they travel to Armenia on Saturday before finishing at home against Northern Ireland on 11 October.

Early defeats
Greece actually lost their first two qualifiers. They were defeated 2-0 at home by Spain before succumbing to the same scoreline against Ukraine, but they have since gone unbeaten in ten matches, including friendlies. The legacy of these defeats still lingers as Otto Rehhagel's men cannot afford to finish level with either nation because they would lose out each time on the head-to-head comparison used to separate sides on equal points.

Good times
Greek football is certainly on the up, with three teams in the UEFA Champions League for the first time and a host of players at top clubs in Europe. For example, this summer, Demis Nikolaidis left AEK Athens FC for Club Atlético de Madrid while Giorgos Karagounis departed Panathinaikos FC for Internazionale FC

Confident coach
But it is the international team that is doing most to lift spirits and they will be determined to continue the run in Yerevan this Saturday. Rehhagel said: "This is a great opportunity for Greek football to qualify. We must take our chances and win in Armenia. It is imperative to be 100 per cent concentrated. It is natural for my players to be both excited and nervous, having come this far, but I rely on them to be calm."

Vital time
If victory is achieved, Greece can sit back next Wednesday and see how Spain, currently a point behind in the table, fare at home against Ukraine, who are three adrift of the leaders. First up for the Ukrainians is the visit of Northern Ireland to Donetsk on Saturday. With the Spanish showdown marking the end of their campaign, coach Leonid Buryak is well aware this could be the most important week of his career.

Sweet dreams
Buryak said: "Our team is in a very difficult situation. We need to win both remaining games, including the away fixture in Spain. I know the strength of Spain, but underrating the Irish should also be ruled out. We will play to win, our players are dreaming of travelling to Portugal next summer."

Shevchenko worry
He could well be without in-form AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko who picked up a minor knock in last week's Serie A opener against Ancona Calcio. There is even a concern that Shevchenko may not recover in time for the trip to Elche next week. Meanwhile, FC Dynamo Kyiv's Oleh Gusev and the FC Shakhtar Donetsk pair of Adrian Pukanych and Olexiy Hay have been promoted from the Under-21s.

Mini contest
While the top three battle it out, Northern Ireland and Armenia are left to try and avoid finishing last in the section. While neither will expect to get much from their respective outings this Saturday, they are gearing up to meet next Wednesday in Belfast in a match of far less significance than the day's other Group 6 contest.