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In the city of Salzburg that gave the world the great composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the football on show from Greece and Sweden in their opening Group D clash at Euro 2008 for the most part could hardly be described as cla sical. Considering the Spanish had set Group D alight just a couple of hours earlier with the flair and guile needed to be crowned champions of Europe (Greeces triumph from 4 years ago aside), this game never managed to live up to the hype that the Champions from the previous tournament can create. Everyone was interested to see if Greece could start their campaign with a bang, just as they had done in 2004 with an unexpected victory over the hosts Portugal. No such repeat was in store however as Greece were thoroughly outplayed by a Swedish team that created more opportunities and added more attacking impetus to an overall lacklustre and uneventful game.Prior to kick-off, the sea of yellow supporters behind the goal defended by Antonios Nikopolidis in the first half were in vociferous mood as were the Greek followers. The fans of both teams were perhaps surprised by selections by their two coaches. For Sweden there was no Lyon midfielder Kim Kallstrom who was relegated to the bench with a central midfield pairing of Anders Sven son and Daniel Ander son, complimented by Christian Wilhelm son and West Ham United attacking threat, Freddie Ljungberg on the wings. The fact that Tobias Linderoth was also not involved in central midfield could have suggested that Sweden were perhaps looking to be more offensive to combat the Greeks often unhurried style of play. The coach Lars Lagerback had also gone with experience at the back with 36 year-old Niclas Alexander son being preferred to Fredrik Stoor at right back. Up front there were no surprises with Swedens main man Zlatan Ibrahimovic being partnered by the returning Henrik Lar son. Sweden were therefore always going to be a threat aerially and technically for the sturdy Greek defence.Greece coach Otto Rehhagel had decided to also tinker with his team for the countrys opening group game, playing the three centre backs of Dellas, Kyrgiakos and Antzas, with width being provided by potentially attacking wing-backs, Giourkas Seitaridis, one of Greeces most exciting players from Euro 2004 and Va silis Torosidis. Greeces star man Giorgios Karagounis was made to play on the left of a 5 man midfield which was perhaps the downfall of the Greeks as his presence was sorely mi sed in central midfield. Feyenoord striker Angelos Charisteas was playing deeper but still able to support lone front man Fanis Gekas on occasion. This was likely to be a cagey game from the set-up of both teams.From the noise created by both sets of supporters during the national anthems, the neutral could have thought Steven Souza Jersey that the match would live up to the super-charged atmosphere before kick-off but sadly this never materialised despite an energetic first couple of minutes. The pace of the opening exchanges suggested that the game would be played at the same intensity being provided by both sets of supporters. Inside 60 seconds Charisteas had already picked up the first yellow card of the game with a hefty but mistimed challenge on Swedish Left-Back Peter Han son. Also an obvious ploy from the Swedish defence was to try and find Ibrahimovic as often as po sible with balls either into his feet or long balls for which he could hold up to allow the Swedish midfield to join in with attacks. The Greeks were well prepared for the threat of Ibrahimovic with Kyrgiakos tight to the Inter Milan forward from the outset. Similarly the Swedes were looking to neutralise the threat of Greeces playmaker and talisman Giorgios Karagounis and within the first 5 minutes there were three men around him whenever he tried to initiate an attack for the holders.The urgency of the two teams gradually subsided and they began to feel each other with measured attacks. Swedens best opportunity in the first fifteen minutes came from the left foot of Anders Sven son. An onrushing Sven son connecting with the ball 25 yards from goal, sending the ball whizzing past Nikopolidis near post. At the other end, Charisteas was working tirele sly for Greece trying to create space and time for which to spark meaningful attacks. His energetic run and shot was the only sign of life for Greece in a drab twenty minutes for the holders. Gekas was looking frustrated up top on his own with Karagounis powerle s to help with his involvement somewhat subdued caused by his appearance at left midfield. Rehhagel was going to have to rethink his formation if Greece were going to look like proper contenders for the tournament.As European champions, Greece were le s than impre sive. Their style of goading the Swedes into retrieving the ball when Dellas and the rest of the Greek defence were casually playing the ball around at the back showed a lack of purpose and ingenuity. The whistles from the Swedish supporters and perhaps some of their own fans suggested that this is not how the holders of the tournament should defend their title-with an aspect of time-wasting and arrogance. After the game the coach Otto Rehhagel blamed a lack of pa sion from his team and it was hard to argue. When Greece would eventually release the ball it would come to nothing but a ball too long for Gekas to chase. Again in the 26th minute Charisteas was trying to create his own fortune forcing the Swedish defence into a mistake but Isak son being alert to the danger.Sweden were much more adventurous with the wingers Wilhelm son and Ljungberg testing the Greek defence for pace. Wilhelm son almost created a moment of magic after 37 minutes with a innovative back-heel to Henrik Lar son on the corner of the Greece box. With Lar son in on goal he decides to try and find Ibrahimovic instead and the chance was gone. After scoring well over 200 goals for Celtic in a 8-year period Lar son did not show a sign of his predatory instincts that he has been so famed for over the years and chances went astray. However the linkup play between Ibrahimovic and Lar son was positive and deserved more in an uninspiring first half. Angelos Basinas shot on half time was a reminder for Sweden of what the Greeks can create but Isak son was equal to it.The second half sparked a change for Greece. The ineffective Gekas was replaced by the more powerful Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras. Charisteas was pushed further forward to provide support for Samaras and somehow break down the Swedish defence which had been solid for the entire game. However the best chances were still falling to the Swedes. With Nikopolidis stranded off his goal line after a mix-up with Torosidis, Wilhelm son found the ball at his feet with the goal at his mercy but his wayward lob only infuriated Ibrahimovic who was waiting for a cro s in the middle for which he could capitalise on.Karagounis was showing more purpose for Greece in the second half and twice almost pounced on a lapse in the Swedish defence, again being denied by Isak son. The nearest Greece came to a goal was from an unlikely source-a header from Swedish Left-back Peter Han son which just mi sed the far post with Isak son at full-stretch. Greece were looking more likely to score the opening goal. Then a moment of magic from Ibrahimovic as he surged from the right touchline with the ball, played it into the feet of Henrik Lar son who returned it in front of Ibrahimovic to strike it into the top corner leaving Nicopolidis with no chance. It was Ibrahimovics first goal since October 2005 and it was worth the wait for the Swedish supporters. Zlatan was finally fulfilling his potential on the big stage and giving Lagerback something to smile about after being unable to break down the Greek defence despite their best efforts.Rehhagels response was to send on a third striker Amanatidis to look for an equaliser which Greece barely deserved. They should have perhaps thought about keeping the defence tighter as in the 72nd minute after a mix-up in the Greek defence between Seitaridis and Kyrgiakos and a goal-line scramble Peter Han son touched the ball over the line to make the three points safe for Sweden and put them on the radar of many top teams. Ibrahimovic was unlikely to last the 90 minutes and was replaced by Elmander with a few minutes to go. The one sour note for Sweden was the tournament-ending injury to Christian Wilhelm son. Testing the pace of the Greek defence again, he pulled up suddenly on the touchline and will now mi s the rest of the tournament. Despite the injury to Wilhelm son the rest of the game was succe sfully negotiated and Sweden claimed a vital three points in the fight to reach the quarter finals behind Spain who will surely win the group on the display against the Ru sians although they have a tough game against Lagerbacks well-drilled Sweden team on Saturday. On this evidence Greece will not defend their crown for much longer Jarrod Dyson Jersey unle s they drastically improve and get Karagounis into the middle to support the front two but they will have a fight on especially as they have to play in-form Spain in the final game. Job done for Sweden and they now look forward to Torres and co. in Innsbruck on Saturday.