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Joachim Low: Greece are not the Chelsea of the Mediterranean
Jun 21, 2012 9:01:00 PM
The German coach has moved to dismiss the notion that Hellas can cause an upset by replicating the Blues' Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich
| Bet: | Returns: | Ecuador £60.00 | Draw £43.00 | Germany £14.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Ecuador £55.00 | Draw £43.30 | Germany £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Ecuador £52.50 | Draw £40.00 | Germany £15.30 |
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The tag has been coined by the German media and is a result of perceived parallels between the Ethniki's style of play and that of Chelsea in this season's Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich.
But Low has dismissed such comparisons between Fernando Santos' men and the west London club, highlighting that the former's style of play is one which has long been engrained in their squad.
"I have heard a few times that they are the Chelsea of the Mediterranean, but it is not that way," Low told reporters.
"Greece play good combination football. Their defence is strong, they are strong in the tackle and defending and countering is in their blood.
"They have been playing that way for years. It was similar or practically the same in 2004 [when they became European champions in Portugal].
| Greek players come out fighting |
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"They get written off sometimes, but then they are always there. But anyway, Chelsea play a different [style of] football to what we saw in the final or semi-finals of the Champions League."
The two sides' progressions to the quarter-final stage have been markedly different. Die Mannschaft qualified from their group with maximum points, while the Greeks made it through with four points after a dramatic final group game victory over Russia.
Low knows that his side are expected advance to the semi-finals, and despite highlighting the dangers both their opponents and knock-out football pose to their hopes of winning the tournament, he remains confident his side will be victorious.
"Logically we are favourites, but we can deal with that.
"But remember knockout games have their own character so it won't be the case that the favourite automatically reaches the next round.
"We saw that in the group when Russia were the big favourites and we have all seen what happened.
"But if we show all of our inner strength and belief, then we are strong enough to beat the Greeks of course. I am convinced we will win."
The game in Gdansk kicks off at 20:45CET.
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Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
7:47 PM BST
I'm happy to report that not only is the Champions League final under way, Bastian Schweinsteiger is a part of it having shaken off that knock he received during the warm-up.
7:46 PM BST
We're just about ready to roll. I'll be keeping you up to date with all of the action right here, but if you want play-by-play commentary, check out our LIVE Match Centre here.
7:43 PM BST
Right, folks, the teams are in the tunnel and we're just about ready to go. This promises to be an absolute cracker, so fingers crossed it lives up to its billing. It's Borussia Dortmund versus Bayern Munich in the final of the 2013 Champions League and we're just three minutes away from kick-off!
7:40 PM BST
However, former Dortmund attacker Marcio Amoroso believes the fact that Bayern are being widely tipped to win counts for nothing tonight.
"Everyone says Bayern are the favourites, and I believe they are. But when it comes to the real thing, that doesn't exist. They'll be playing in neutral field, with split fans... When it comes to the fans, I think Borussia is much better served."
"Everyone says Bayern are the favourites, and I believe they are. But when it comes to the real thing, that doesn't exist. They'll be playing in neutral field, with split fans... When it comes to the fans, I think Borussia is much better served."
7:37 PM BST
Let's here from a couple of Brazilians with a keen interest in this game. First, former Bayern midfielder Ze Roberto, who has some interesting things to say on this all-German final.
"The German school has always been one of strength rather than technique. Today, they have found the perfect balance between the two things. That's why they've grown so much in the last few years. This final between two Germans shows the strength of the country's football.
"But the biggest difference between my Bayern and today's Bayern is that today the team is really forward-driven. It's a strong group, that plays together for a long time. They have a very experienced coach. And the players are all of international level. I see Bayern more prepared for the final.
"It will be a very good final, but I think Bayern has the advantage."
"The German school has always been one of strength rather than technique. Today, they have found the perfect balance between the two things. That's why they've grown so much in the last few years. This final between two Germans shows the strength of the country's football.
"But the biggest difference between my Bayern and today's Bayern is that today the team is really forward-driven. It's a strong group, that plays together for a long time. They have a very experienced coach. And the players are all of international level. I see Bayern more prepared for the final.
"It will be a very good final, but I think Bayern has the advantage."
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