PREVIEW: Group A - Greece v Russia

 FOOTBALL - On Saturday, 16 June, Greece and Russia will meet in their Group A encounter at Warsaw’s National Stadium. It is the 18th match of Euro 2012 and we have assembled some key facts and figures on this match.

> Greece need a win to qualify for the quarterfinals. If Greece win, they will finish level with Russia and their superior head-to-head record will see them through. Should a three-way tie arise with Greece, Czech Republic and Russia all on four points, Greece will never have the worst head-to-head record of the three. To have any chance of finishing top of the group, Greece need to beat Russia by at least three goals.

> Russia are guaranteed to reach the quarterfinals with a win or a draw. A win will guarantee them to finish top of their group. A draw will see them finish top should Czech Republic not beat Poland or Poland beating the Czechs by an overwhelming margin. A defeat could also see Russia through, provided that the other match is drawn and the Russians do not lose by a margin of at least six.

> Russia are undefeated in their last eight meetings with Greece (four wins, four draws) since a 1-0 defeat against Greece in a November 1993 World Cup qualifier. It was the final match of that qualification cycle and both teams went to the 1994 World Cup.

> This is the first time in the history of the European Championship that the same two teams meet in group stages of three successive Euro tournaments.

> Greece campaigns at the Euros have included only two outcomes: an overall triumph or finishing bottom in the group.

> Aleksandr Anyukov and Igor Semshov can set a Russian record by appearing in their ninth European Championship match. They currently share the record of eight with Aleksey Mikhaylichenko.