Therefore, the Greek coach is doing combination tactical work. His aim is to see his troops become more assertive in the rivals’ box and at the same time maintain their defensive cohesion. There is but one way to achieve that: correct transition and team work in defense and attack. He had his players train extensively on this, often holding play to give them instructions.

Stefanos Athanasiadis and Miguel Vítor participated normally in the tactical training game. For the first time since undergoing foot surgery, Dimitris Salpingidis followed part of training. Dimitris Papadopoulos participated in warm-up and ball drills, as part of his recovery program. Dimitris Konstantinidis went through a recovery session consisting of jogging, stretching and ball exercises, while Eyal Golasa remained in the gym for physiotherapy and stationary bicycle.