Giorgos Karagounis kept his nerve from the penalty spot to send Greece to the top of Group F UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

Greece replaced Croatia at the top of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F after a hard-earned 2-1 victory against Israel in Athens.

Dimitris Salpingidis put Fernando Santos's team men ahead in the 22nd minute with a neat lofted finish but Israel levelled 14 minutes after half-time when Greek defender Nikos Spyropoulos turned Roberto Colautti's cross past his own goalkeeper, Michalis Sifakis. However, Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis slotted home from the penalty spot just after the hour mark to clinch three points for the hosts, who now lead Croatia by a single point at the section summit.

Greece were forced into a change after just 15 minutes due to an injury to Sotiris Ninis, with Olympiacos FC teenager Giannis Fetfatzidis coming on for his second international appearance. However, that did not affect the hosts' gameplan as PAOK FC striker Salpingidis broke the deadlock, outpacing the Israel defence to control Pantelis Kafes's threaded pass before lifting the ball over Dudu Aouate and into the net.

Karagounis then tested Aouate's reflexes with a stinging shot from distance as the hosts sought to turn the screw. Israel's best chance to level came five minutes before half-time, but Lior Refaelov blazed his free-kick over. Fetfatzidis proved a constant threat in the second half for Greece with his superb dribbling and direct running, but he could not prevent Israel drawing level when Spyropoulos accidentally turned in Colautti's low cross under pressure from Etey Shechter.

That prompted a near-immediate response from Greece, Salpingidis surging into the penalty area before being upended by Aouate in the 63rd minute. From the resulting spot kick, Karagounis stroked the ball into the bottom right corner to put the home side back in front, and they held on to their lead comfortably.

Malta and Latvia look to bounce back

Malta and Latvia both conceded three in opening Group F defeats and will look to get their respective campaigns on track in Ta' Qali in the two nations' first competitive meeting.UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F rivals Malta and Latvia will be facing off for the first time in a competitive encounter, having previously met three times in friendly outings.Having lost 3-1 to Israel – for whom Yossi Benayoun scored a hat-trick in their Group F opener in Tel Aviv, Malta and their coach John Buttigieg are nonetheless optimistic of gaining a result against Latvia. "We all knew that the Israel match would be very difficult," Buttigieg, who has replaced Paul Fenech with Ivan Woods, told UEFA.com Despite being under early pressure my team reacted well and even drew level with a goal from [Jamie] Pace. Again we conceded two goals which we could have avoided. From then on it was impossible to recover. Our immediate objective is now Latvia − another difficult match but not impossible."

Mladen Petrić, Ivica Olić and Darijo Srna were on target in a straightforward victory for Slaven Bilić's team in Riga.

Croatia kicked off UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F with a comfortable victory against Latvia in Riga.

Mladen Petrić set the visitors on their way two minutes before the break, a lead which was doubled in the early stages of the second half by the head of Ivica Olić. Captain Darijo Srna confirmed Latvia's first defeat in five competitive home games with a third late on.

Latvia coach Aleksandrs Starkovs surprised many inside the Skonto Stadions by leaving Vitālijs Astafjevs, Europe's most capped player, on the bench. The hosts could have done with his experience early on as Croatia quickly took the initiative, Niko Kranjčar and Josip Šimunić forcing Andris Vaņins into sharp saves.

Despite Latvia fashioning little aside from Aleksandrs Cauņa's effort on the quarter-hour mark, Starkov's team were defending capably and seemed set to end the half on level terms until Petrič struck from close range. Olič, having been denied by Vaņins before the opener, put the outcome beyond doubt six minutes after the restart with a perfectly-placed header.

Deflated, Latvia's response was limited to efforts from Maksims Rafaļskis and Māris Verpakovskis which failed to trouble goalkeeper Vedran Runje. Nikica Jelavić squandered a chance to increase the lead with just Vaņins to beat, leaving it to Srna to put the gloss on a comfortable night eight minutes from time

Israel without Schechter for Georgia trip

Georgia's first UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier on home soil will also be their first competitive fixture against Israel, who travel to Tbilisi without injured striker Etey Schechter.Georgia's first home fixture in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F will also be their first competitive encounter with Israel after four friendly matches between the sides.Georgia earned a 1-1 draw in Greece as Temuri Ketsbaia returned to the country where he spent some of his playing career. "The match was very tight but that's not a surprise for me," said the Georgia coach. "I knew Greek football well so it was easy to tell the players what to expect. Even though we led and only got a draw, I am happy to have this result as we now look forward to meeting Israel."

Croatia had to settle for a draw after the visitors' concerted rearguard action earned them a point in Zagreb.

Croatia were forced to settle for a goalless draw in Group F after a concerted rearguard action allowed Greece to escape Zagreb with a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying point.

Greece had come from behind to draw 1-1 with Georgia four days earlier after conceding inside three minutes, but Fernando Santos's team started as they meant to go on at the Stadion Maksimir. On a frustrating night, Slaven Bilić's men dominated possession but struggled to break down a well-drilled defensive wall, with second-half efforts from substitutes Nikica Jelavić and Eduardo the closest Croatia came to breaking through.

The home side had begun brightly, moving the ball swiftly through Niko Kranjčar and Luka Modrić, the latter back after a thigh injury forced him to miss Friday's 3-0 win in Latvia. With the wing-backs providing attacking width and the impressive Danijel Pranjić often involved, Croatia looked intent on getting an early opener. However, a deflected Kranjčar effort after eight minutes, pushed for a corner by goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis, was as close as they would come before half-time.

Greece contained, harried and after 18 minutes went close to an opener when Georgios Samaras pounced on Vedran Ćorluka's miscontrol and chipped just wide. The chance was a rarity, though the game sparked to life at the start of the second period when substitute Jelavić and Georgios Tzavelas had efforts ruled out for offside and a foul respectively. Another Croatia replacement, Ivan Rakitić, also went close with a long-range shot tipped behind for a corner from which Ćorluka headed just wide.

Back came Croatia, chipping away at Avraam Papadopoulos and Sokratis Papastathopoulos and, as tiredness set in, chinks appeared in Greece's back line in the closing stages. Jelavić, Kranjčar and Pranjić were all unable to capitalise, however, while substitute Eduardo could not get enough on Rakitić's late inswinging corner.