Otto Rehhagel's side were criticised for their defensive style in Portugal as they strung a hat-trick of 1-0 successes together during the knockout stages to claim the country's first major trophy.

However, after a failed qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup the narrow back-to-back victories - away to Moldova and then at home to Norway - provided a welcome return to the winning mentality that marked their previous European adventure.

Indeed Greek followers could have been forgiven for feeling a warm affinity for the competition as Rehhagel's side displayed an attacking edge in their next match, thumping Bosnia 4-0 in Zenica.

It was the stuff title defences are made of as their net remained unbreached in three wins.

However, a reality check lurked in their next game against Turkey.

In retrospect the 4-1 defeat against their bitter rivals did not prove costly, but at the time the humiliation had threatened to unhinge the Greek campaign.

After taking a fifth-minute lead via a Sotirios Kyrgiakos snap-shot the game looked set to follow Rehhagel's well-worked 1-0 script.

Indeed, Greece had not seen their net breached in almost 10 hours of European competition, dating back to the 2-1 defeat against Russia at Euro 2004, however Tuncay Sanli's 27th-minute strike would open the floodgates on their defensive record.

Greece goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis was culpable on two occasions, failing to keep out Gokhan Unal's long-range strike to give the visitors the lead, before his blundering flap at Tumer Metin's speculative effort only served to add to the hosts' humiliation.

After the game Rehhagel was left to reflect on a match that had unravelled his team's gameplan and which had the potential to irretrievably damage their qualification campaign.

"We started well, went ahead but for some inexplicable reason pulled back and allowed our opponents to control the game and gain confidence," he said.

"We didn't keep them on the ropes like a boxer when we led 1-0."

Rehhagel responded to defeat against Turkey by making six changes to his starting XI to play Malta four days later, including Nikopolidis' demotion in favour of Konstantinos Chalkias.

However, they would earn scant relief from the baying media as captain Angelos Basinas' second-half penalty, after Maltese defender Roderick Briffa was sent off for a second caution, saved the team's blushes.

That week would, however, provide the nadir of a Greek campaign that would flourish under the canny leadership of Rehhagel who opted to employ a 4-3-3 formation for the remainder of the qualifiers.

It proved to be an inspired move as the team went on to win six of their remaining seven games to finish with 31 points, the most of any nation, and seven points clear of rivals Turkey in second place.

The only points dropped during that run were in a creditable 2-2 draw away to Norway, when they led twice through arguably their most consistent performer Kyrgiakos.

Rehhagel's tactical switch especially inspired Bayer Leverkusen striker Theofanis Gekas, who thrived in a playmaker's role alongside Euro 2004 hero Angelos Charisteas and Ioannis Amanatidis.

The 27-year-old forward would finish as his nation's top scorer with five goals.

Gekas notched his first of the campaign in a 2-0 home victory against Hungary to help ease the pain of the previous home defeat against Turkey as they moved ahead of their rivals at the top of Group C.

A nervy 2-1 win against Moldova followed, with Nikos Limberopoulos bundling home a winner in the third minute of stoppage time, however with Turkey suffering from a series of subdued performances Rehhagel's side had opened up a five-point lead at the top.

The away draw at Norway followed to maintain Greece's lead and a 3-2 win at home to 10-man Bosnia set up the opportunity to seal their place in Austria and Switzerland on their return trip to Turkey.

Rehhagel had been expected to revert to a more cautious approach for the match, especially in the light of the team's calamitous home tie earlier in the campaign.

However, the German coach kept his faith with his new three-man attack and was rewarded when Amanatidis scored his first goal of the campaign, and the only one of the game, 11 minutes from full-time to exact revenge on their foes and more importantly seal qualification.

With a place at Euro 2008 assured Greece returned a 5-0 result at home to Malta, with Gekas completing his first international hat-trick, before finishing their campaign with a 2-1 win away to Hungary.