Germany, watched by Chancellor Angela Merkel, a hated figure in Greece who for many personifies the painful bail-out conditions imposed on the country, were easy winners in the end and will face England or Italy for a place in the final.
Greece, hoping for a repeat of their unlikely Euro 2004 triumph, produced some stout defending in the first half but were sent home by clinical German finishing to the delight of Merkel who leapt out of her seat to celebrate their goals.
"Of course, we desperately wanted to win, and it would have been amazing for people back in Greece," said 42-year-old Aliks Fotiou, a Greek who lives in Zurich and had flown to Poland with his sister and her two daughters.
"At least we got two goals and that gives us some compensation. We tried hard but Germany are just such a powerful team."
"Yes there was all this hype beforehand but I think all the fans from Greece and Germany and Poland helped make it a really warm, friendly occasion - a football festival," said Jorg Himmler, 47, who had travelled 20 hours by train from Heidelberg to reach Gdansk.
"Bye-bye Greeks, we can't rescue you today!" the top-selling Bild proclaimed on Friday's front page in the colours of the Greek flag.
"Bankrupt THEM," blared leading Greek paper Sport Day.
"Whoever thinks today's match is just a game is wrong," the paper wrote, vowing it was "politics [maybe even war] by other means".
On the field, though, Germany, who have never lost to Greece, dominated possession from the outset although they had to wait 39 minutes to break down a dogged Greek side when Philipp Lahm's swerving effort put them in front.
Sami Khedira's rasping volley and a header from Miroslav Klose, his 64th goal for his country, then eased Germany's nerves before Marco Reus added a fourth.
