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Germany coach Joachim Loew was rewarded for a risky selection policy as his side rode roughshod over Greece to complete a 4-2 win in their Euro 2012 quarter-final at a sodden Arena Gdansk in Poland.

Goals from Phillip Lahm (39), Sami Khedira (61), Miroslav Klose (68) and Marco Reus (74) were enough to complete an overwhelming win with Georgios Samaras scoring an unlikely equaliser for Greece early in the second period.

Dimitris Salpingidis netted a penalty for Greece on 89 minutes after Jerome Boateng was harshly penalised for a handball, but Germany were convincing winners on the night.

Loew caused some consternation before the match when he opted to bring in Andre Schuerrle, Reus and Klose for three of his more established players - certainly at these finals in Poland and Ukraine - of Lukas Podolski, Thomas Mueller and Mario Gomez, men who had helped them reached the last eight with wins over Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark in the group stages.

It mattered little as Germany camped out in the opposition half for large swathes of the match. They could and should have won by a greater margin on their way to a 15th straight win - a record for the German national side.

Germany will face England or Italy in the second semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday. They will be difficult to hold in this mood.

Watched by their country's chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany basked in 76 percent of possession and totted up 26 shots at goal compared to only ten from Greece.

Germany headed for half-time holding a one-goal lead when captain Philipp Lahm bounded beyond Sotiris Ninis to sink a volley beyond Greece goalkeeper Michail Sifakis from 20 yards out on 39 minutes.

Schuerrle had the ball in the net in four minutes, but the goal was disallowed for offside after Sifakis had spilled Khedira's shot. The chances came and went for Germany as Mesut Ozil, Reus, Khedira and Schuerrle all had opportunities to put the game beyond the besieged Greece side, whose policy of defend deep and counter attack was doomed to failure by the technique and ongoing energy levels of Germany.

It was difficult to believe a match could be more one-sided than Portugal's 1-0 win over Czech Republic on Thursday, but they certainly managed it as Greece seemed to be playing a nine-man back line at times.

Greece somehow drew level with their best move of the match and the tournament as Samaras forced the ball under Manuel Neuer from a lovely ball across goal by Salpingidis on 55 minutes. It was a only a brief reprieve as it became clear Greece lacked the quality to emulate their rise to the trophy at Euro 2004.

Indeed, Samaras's goal only seemed to further aggravate Germany who reclaimed the lead when Khedira thumped Jerome Boateng's cross into the net from 12 yards to establish a 2-1 lead before the creaking Sifakis missed the outstanding Ozil's free-kick as Klose rose above Kyriakos Papadopoulos to head his 64th goal in his 12oth appearance for his country.

He is only four goals adrift of Gerd Mueller's record of 68 for Germany in 62 matches for West Germany. Reus clubbed a volley into the vacant net with 16 minutes left after Sifakis had smothered a Klose effort with Ozil again leading Greece a merry dance in the middle of the park.

Greece scored their second of the night when Salpingidis sent the underworked Neuer the wrong way from the penalty spot after Boateng was deemed to have intentionally blocked Vasilis Torosidis's shot with his hand.

It enabled Greece to score a second goal on the night yet the scoreline flattered them.

Greece invoked the spirit of their Euro 2004 glory days as they reached the Euro 2012 last eight at the expense of Russia with a shock 1-0 win in Group A courtesy of a classic defensive performance in Warsaw.

Greece skipper Giorgos Karagounis scored the solitary goal of the game when he bounded into the Russian box a couple of minutes into time added on in the first half to drive the ball under goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev at the Polish capital's modernistic national stadium. It was an astonishingly sloppy piece of defending from a throw-in before the goal that ultimately cost the much-vaunted Russians their place at these finals.

Russia and Greece finished on four points behind Czech Republic, who topped the section on six points with their 1-0 win over eliminated co-hosts Poland, but it is Greece who progress on the head-to-head records between the two countries.

Greece unearthed a superb performance high on energy and organisation with the kind of defending that carried them to the Euro 2004 title under former coach Otto Rehhagel against all the odds in Portugal, but it would be wrong to label this a fortunate Hellenic success.

Greece were the more purposeful side in the second half and should have been awarded a penalty when Karagounis was somehow booked after appearing to be felled in the Russian area by Sergei Ignashevich around the hour-mark.

Karagounis was furious with the referee and will now miss a possible quarter-final against likely Group B winners Germany in Gdansk on Friday, but he had already contributed to the biggest upset of the tournament so far. He was replaced by Grigoris Makos on 67 minutes perhaps for his own good.

It could hardly detract from a special evening for Karagounis, who equalled Theodoros Zagorakis's national record for Greece in his 120th appearance. It is a pity that he will not be around for the quarter-finals having also missed the Euro 2004 final win over Portugal due to suspension.

Giorgios Tzavellas also whacked a free-kick off the bar from 25 yards out on 70 minutes as Greece attempted to put breathing space between themselves and the Russians, who looked dazed at full-time having gone into the match on the back of a 4-1 win over group winners Czech Republic and a 1-1 draw with Poland. The Czechs top Group A, but Greece celebrated like they had won the tournament at full-time.

Russia dominated large swathes of possession, but came up short on the night with their inability to penetrate Greece all too obvious.

The Greeks had lost both of their previous meetings with Russia in the European Championships - 1-2 in Euro 2004 and 0-1 in Euro 2008 - but this was as good a time as any to end that record.

Malafeev was forced to tip away a Kostas Katsouranis volley in the opening moments before Russia decided to display their superior technical skills on the ball without ever ramming home the territorial advantage four years after they had cut a dash to the last four of Euro 2008.

The under-worked Greece goalkeeper Michail Sifakis saved from Andrei Arshavin on nine minutes, but had little to do as Alexander Kerzhakov - who was replaced by the equally impotent Roman Pavlyuchenko at half-time - and Yuri Zhirkov illustrated Russian profligacy by walloping efforts wide.

With the roaming Georgios Samaras producing some admirable work to carry Greece forward on the counter attack from time to time, they could easily have added to their tally with Alexander Anyukov nudging the ball away from under his own bar after some decent work and cross by the lively Vasilis Torosidis on 58 minutes.

Russia huffed and puffed, but could not find a way through the Greece wall of bodies as it became obvious the men in the white shirts were not willing to be breached. An Alan Dzagoev header that dropped wide from Arshavin's cross on 83 minutes was the last time they would come close to lancing the Greece goal.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Russia coach Dick Advocaat, who departs the post to return to club football with PSV Eindhoven next month. It was difficult not to feel heartened by the scenes of joy emanating from the Greek fans.

With the well-publicised monetary problems in Greece all too apparent, this will be a real boost for a country addicted to the world game. They may be heading out of the Euro, but Greece are well and truly alive at the Euros.

The Czech Republic got their Euro 2012 campaign back on track with a 2-1 victory over Greece in Wroclaw.

Petr Jiracek and Vaclav Pilar scored their goals inside the opening six minutes as Michal Bilek's side bounced back from their 4-1 defeat to Russia in their opening game.

Surprise Euro 2004 winners Greece were handed a lifeline when Theofanis Gekas capitalised on a Petr Cech blunder eight minutes after the break but they were unable to force an equaliser and now face a struggle to reach the quarter-finals with one point from two games.

The Greeks were without two key defenders, Avraam Papadopoulos, out of the tournament with a knee injury, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who was suspended, and the Czechs raced into the fastest 2-0 lead in European Championship history.

Wolfsburg wideman Jiracek nipped in ahead of left-back Jose Holebas to slot home the fourth fastest goal in European Championship history after just 134 seconds following a slide rule pass from Tomas Hübschman.

Keeper Kostas Chalkias got a hand to the effort but couldn't keep it out and he was also culpable for the second as was floundering defender Holebas.

Czech right-back Theodor Gebre Selassie got to the by-line with ease and his cut back went under the hand of the one-time Portsmouth custodian and was smuggled into the back of the net by Pilar.

Viktoria Plzen youngster Pilar was almost on his knees as he got between Vassilis Torosidis and Kostas Katsouranis to bundle the ball home.

Chalkias then went off injured and his replacement Michail Sifakis pushed a Tomas Rosicky effort past the post with the Arsenal man plus dangerous wingers Pilar and Jiracek off-target with further first-half attempts.

It was scarcely believable that Greece had lost only once in 22 matches under coach Fernando Santos on their first-half showing but they could have pulled one back when Georgios Fotakis nodded home only for the offside flag to be raised by the narrowest of margins.

Greece clawed their way back against Poland for a 1-1 draw in the tournament opener after conceding an early goal and they were back in the game on 53 minutes thanks to a howler from Chelsea custodian Cech.

A harmless ball from Georgios Samaras into the area was fumbled by Cech, who raced off his line but then turned his head away as he feared a collision with Tomas Sivok, and Gekas passed the ball into the empty net.

The Czechs' attacking threat relented and Cech must have been fearing a repeat of Euro 2008 when his mistakes saw his country eliminated after a late capitulation against Turkey but they were rarely put under pressure by a team that netted just 14 times in 10 qualifying matches, the lowest tally among the finalists.

Sivok blocked Kyriakos Papadopoulos' shot and Giorgios Karagounis teed up Giannis Maniatis whose 30-yard strike was well wide.

But they failed to carve out a real chance in open play and did not look like getting behind the Czech full-backs as they relied on high balls from deep which were comfortably dealt with by Sivok.

The Czechs went to Cech at full-time as they recorded their first win and will now be hoping for a repeat of 1996 when they reached the final despite losing their opening match.

Co-hosts Poland and Greece fought out a 1-1 draw in a frantic Euro 2012 opener that saw both teams finish with 10 men at Warsaw's Stadion Narodowy.

Poland benefited from a bright opening to the Group A match before a crowd of 56,826 when Robert Lewandowski headed them into the lead on 17 minutes from a lovely Jakub Blaszczykowski cross as Greece goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias paid the price for coming from his goal but failing to collect the ball as it flew across his area.

Greece had managed to upset hosts Portugal in the opening match of the tournament on their way to winning Euro 2004, but their evening was rapidly turning into a nightmare when Sokratis Papastathopoulos was red carded three minutes before half-time for a second yellow card after he was deemed to have fouled Rafel Murawski midway inside his half.

He had been booked moments earlier for a supposedly late challenge on Lewandowski despite replays showing he had won the ball fairly and squarely in the air against the Borussia Dortmund striker.

It was a harsh decision by referee Carlos Velasco Carballo, but perhaps not a major surprise when one learned later that the Spanish official had produced 16 red cards in 19 La Liga matches last season.

Poland looked to be heading for a momentous first win at the European Championships, but were stunned on 51 minutes as Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny missed Vassilis Torosidis's cross ball enabling Greece substitute Dimitrios Salpingidis to stab the ball home from close range.

Szczesny's night went from bad to worse when he was red carded on 68 minutes after felling Salpingidis as he raced in on goal on 68 minutes.

Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis stepped up to take the penalty, but planted his penalty too close to substitute Polish goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton who dived to his left to make the stop and ensure his side a point from a match they might have won given their advantage at the break.

Whether it will prove to be good enough to help Poland reach the last eight of the tournament remains to be seen with Russia and Czech Republic their other opponents in what appears to be the weakest group at the finals.

It was all Poland in the first period with Chalkias forced to swipe an effort by Murawski over his bar on four minutes with Lewandowski just failing to connect with a Lukasz Piszcezk cross eight minutes later.

Damien Perquis smashed a shot wide when he should have hit the target eight minutes before half-time as Poland could and should have finished matters off ahead of the second half.

Greece looked a whole lot more sprightly as they re-emerged with their 10 men as Salpingidis - on for Sotiris Ninis at half-time - made a noticeable difference to their attacking instincts. It was hard to argue they were not worthy of the point.