da dobrowin： Dick Advocaat is positive his Russia side will nail top spot in Group A and book their place in the Euro 2012 quarter finals against Greece on Saturday evening.
da jogodeouro： Four points from a possible six has put the Russians in pole position to qualify for the last eight and require a point in their final group fixture and head coach Advocaat insists his players are confident of progressing.
“Whenever you go and play a game, you have to win and you have to want to win.
“We are very confident in ourselves. I’m sure the Greece coach will say the same thing.”
Midfielder Alan Dzagoev, who has three goals in two games, declared that he and his teammates must maintain their concentration and be ruthless against the Greeks even though a defeat could still see them go through.
“I’m really sure that we will go through and we are very focused. We must go on the pitch and win the game.
“We don’t feel relaxed. We simply must win.”
Fernando Santos has urged his Greece squad to forget the defeat against Czech Republic on Tuesday and must win of they are to have any hope of making to the knock-out phase.
The head coach insists he retains 100% faith in his players to obtain the required result against Russia and put a smile back on the faces of supporters who’ve yet to celebrate a win at the finals this year.
“We must leave it all behind us,” he said. “We must take all our passion on to the pitch and I am sure we will make the Greek fans happy.
“My faith in my team is total. It’s the same faith I had back in the autumn after our (qualifying) draw in Latvia.
“Back then, it was tense and we needed a victory against Croatia to have any chance of qualifying.
“I believed in that team, I said so, and afterwards I was vindicated. I am saying the same now.”
Team News
Konstantin Zyryanov is a doubt after missing training through sickness but forward Aleksandr Kokorin will miss the rest of the tournament after Advocaat revealed he tore hamstring in training on Friday. Aleksandr Kerzhakov could be replaced by Roman Pavlyuchenko in attack after two scoreless games.
Michalis Sifakis will start in goal for Greece after Kostas Chalkias injured his hamstring against the Czechs whilst Avraam Papadopoulos is unlikely to play again this year.
Key Player
Alan Dzagoev
Another superb midfield display and another goal from Dzagoev has made him an early contender for player of the tournament. The 21-year-old has certainly been one of the stand out stars of Euro 2012 with his energy in the engine room and devastating bursts forward when Russia are on the attack.
Giorgos Samaras
Despite not scoring for Greece in the tournament the Celtic striker has ran his socks off on his own up front. With chances expected to be few and far between against Russia the onus will be on Samaras to convert whatever is put in front of him and fire his country into the last eight.
Prediction: 3-0