Czech Republic out to crack resolute Greece rearguard

The Czech Republic will attempt to do what they have been unable to in three previous meetings with Greece – breach their opponents' defence – as the teams lock horns in Wroclaw.

Head-to-head record
• The teams shared goalless friendlies in Ioannina on 17 April 2002 and in Prague on 18 August 2004, sandwiched in between their most significant meeting in the UEFA EURO 2004 semi-finals.

• The 90 minutes in Porto were again goalless but Traianos Dellas's header in added time at the end of the first period of extra time put Greece into the final.

• Czechoslovakia met Greece in Rome at the 1980 UEFA European Championship. Antonín Panenka (5), Ladislav Vízek (25) and Zdeněk Nehoda clinched a 3-1 win, Nikos Anastopoulos (13) on target for Greece.

• That was one of five wins Czechoslovakia recorded in as many meetings with Greece, who scored only two goals in those defeats while conceding 11.

Selected previous meetings
18 August 2004: Czech Republic 0-0 Greece – Stadion Evžena Rošického, Prague, friendly
Czech Republic: Čech, Grygera, Bolf, Rozehnal, Jankulovski (Mareš 52), Poborský (Sionko 43), Rosický, Galásek (Vachoušek 46), Týce (Hübschman 73), Koller (Lokvenc 46), Heinz (Baroš 46).
Greece: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Katsouranis, Kapsis (Dabizas 46), Fysas, Zagorakis (Iorgiadis 46), Basinas (Tsiartas 37), Karagounis (Kafes 46), Giannakopulos, Vryzas (Venetidis 78), Charisteas.

• The teams' most recent meeting was Greece's first as European champions, and came barely six weeks after they had got the better of the Czechs in Portugal.

1 July 2004: Greece 1-0 Czech Republic (Dellas 105+1) – Estádio do Dragão, Porto, UEFA EURO 2004 semi-finals
Greece: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Dellas, Kapsis, Fyssas, Zagorakis, Basinas (Giannakopoulos 72), Katsouranis, Vryzas (Tsiartas 91), Karagounis, Charisteas.
Czech Republic: Čech, Grygera, Ujfaluši, Bolf, Jankulovski, Galásek, Poborský, Rosický, Nedvěd (Šmicer 40), Baroš, Koller.

• The sides' only previous competitive meeting was decided by Traianos Dellas's first strike in 53 internationals, and the last silver goal ever scored.

Form guide
• UEFA EURO 2004 represented Greece's first appearance in a European finals tournament since 1980. They have not missed a EURO since.

• The Czech Republic have played at every EURO since splitting from Slovakia in 1993, reaching the final at EURO '96 and the semi-finals at UEFA EURO 2004.

Team ties
• Fanis Gekas played with Jaroslav Drobný at Hertha BSC Berlin from January to June 2010 and Michal Kadlec at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2008/09.

• Vassilis Torossidis and David Lafata were team-mates at Xanthi FC in 2005/06.

• Drobný was Panionios GSS goalkeeper from 2001 to 2005, playing alongside Grigoris Makos (2003-05) and Giannis Maniatis (2003-05).

• On 28 September 2011 Tomáš Rosický and Torossidis captained Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC respectively in the Gunners' 2-1 UEFA Champions League win in London.

• On 17 February 2011 Tomáš Necid scored past Kostas Chalkias to give PFC CSKA Moskva a 1-0 win at PAOK FC in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg. Dimitris Salpingidis also played for PAOK.

• On 28 July 2009 AC Sparta Praha beat Panathinaikos FC 3-1 in Prague in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first leg, Salpingidis scoring for the Greek side. Roman Hubník also featured for Sparta; the Panathinaikos team included Giorgos Karagounis and substitute Kostas Katsouranis.

• A week later Panathinaikos defeated Sparta 3-0 in Athens, Salpingidis and Katsouranis both on target. Karagounis captained Panathinaikos while Hubník started for Sparta.

• Karagounis scored Panathinaikos' opener in a 2-0 UEFA Champions League second group stage win at Sparta on 19 February 2002. Petr Čech was in goal for the home team, who had Tomáš Hübschman sent off in the 86th minute; Nikos Liberopoulos started for Panathinaikos for whom Leonidas Vokolos – now Greece's assistant coach – came on as a substitute.

• Tomáš Pekhart scored in each leg as the Czech Republic overcame Greece 5-0 on aggregate in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-offs. Kyriakos Papadopoulos started the first leg for Greece.