Greece vs. Russia Euro 2012: Why the Russians Will Cruise to Victory

Group A is still wide open, as any team could go through and any team could be eliminated. This will be all the motivation Russia needs to secure three points and a first-place finish.

The Russians currently lead the group and have showed the potential to attack with flare.

The Greeks, despite having just one point, still control their own destiny. A win against Russia will put them through to the next round, so they will do everything in their power to get three points.

However, a Greek win could send Russia home, and the group leaders will be putting forth full effort. When these two teams are at their best, Greece stands no chance.

The Russian attack is far too good for the Greeks to contain. 21-year-old Alan Dzagoev is tied for the tournament lead with three goals, while Andrei Arshavin has returned to the form he showed during Euro 2008.

Arshavin has been spectacular. Few players are as strong on the ball as the Russian winger when he is playing well, and he has caused opposing defenses all sorts of problems. He is tied for the tournament lead with three assists.

The Greeks were hoping to repeat their performance from eight years ago, when their defense led them to a shocking title-winning run at Euro 2004.

But the team suffered a major blow when starting center back Avraam Papadopoulos injured his knee in the first match, causing him to miss the remainder of the tournament.

The team’s defense looked especially weak in its last match against the Czech Republic, when the other center half, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, was out because of a red card in the first game.

While Papastathopoulos is back, the defense is still not at full strength. A spectacular performance from the Greek back line is the only way the team would be able to earn three points.

It is highly doubtful that the lackluster Greek attack is capable of creating more than one goal, and it also seems unlikely that the team can shut out the Russians.

Russia will break through the Greek defense early, forcing Greece to open up the game and attempt to get the two goals they need to stay alive. 

Once that happens, the Russians will have even more space to attack, and they will earn an easy victory.