Greece are just a point away from qualifying for Euro 2012 after beating Group F rivals Croatia 2-0 at the Kariaskaki Stadium in Athens on Friday.
Second half goals from Giorgos Samaras and Fanis Gekas sent the Greeks to victory. Greece have overtaken Croatia at the top of the group with 21 points. The Croatians have 19, which means that Greece will qualify if they avoid defeat in their away game against Georgia on Tuesday.
Friday’s game got off to an explosive start as pay was stopped after just two minutes when Greek and Croatian fans started to throw flares and smokebombs at each other. The Croatia supporters also ripped up and threw several seats. English referee Howard Webb held up the game for five minutes so the trouble could die down.
The interruption seemed to affect both sides in what was a first half of few chances. The first shot of the game did not come until the 21st minute, when Croatia’s Niko Kranjcar shot tamely into the arms of Greek goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas. The visitors had another weak effort through Mario Mandzukic who 29th minute shot float over the bar.
Greece found it difficult to break down the Croatian defence and did not manage a shot until the 41st minute when captain Giorgos Karagounis fired over from long range just moments after picking up a yellow card.
The home side’s only fluent passage of play came in the 42nd minute when central defender Avraam Papadopoulos broke forward and connected with Dimitris Salpigidis’s cross but his header was saved easily by Stipe Pletikosa in the Croatia goal.
The home suffered a blow seconds later when right back Vassilis Torosidis had to limp off. He was replaced by Loukas Vyntra.
With seven minutes of injury time to play, Greece kept up the pressure and striker Fanis Gekas had his acrobatic volley blocked in the box.
Greece had a great chance to take the lead just two minutes into the second half when Yiannis Zaradoukas found Fanis Gekas unmarked in the box but the striker met the cross with a weak header straight at Pletikosa.
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic took off the ineffective Eduardo in the 52nd minute, replacing him with Ivan Perisic who immediately added some verve on the left wing.
Giorgos Samaras, who moved from the left wing to a more central role in the second half was shown a yellow card in the 65th minute following an aerial challenge with Corluka.
Samaras opened the score on 70 minutes, when the ball fell to him at the edge of the penalty box following a Karagounis corner. Unmarked, the Celtic striker struck a swerving volley past Pletikosa into the bottom corner.
Greece’s second also came from a corner. On 78 minutes, Fanis Gekas found some space in the box and planted Karagounis corner in the net.
Croatia were unable to respond in the remaining time and will now have to beat Latvia at home on Tuesday and hope that Greece slip up in Georgia
Game spoilt by trouble , stewards allowed 100 masked supporters in to the grond who threw flares and other objects at the Croatian supporters.
