Three Lions Roar in Athens: Greece 0:3 England

With nine squad withdrawals, England faced a tough test in Athens wrapping the match up with confidence.

November 14, 2024
11:53 pm

England bounced back in style, avenging their recent Wembley loss with a solid 3-0 win over an unbeaten Greece team at Athens’ Olympic Stadium. This victory puts them at the top of UEFA Nations League’s League B Group 2 with just one game left, putting them in a great spot for promotion while Greece scrambles for points in their final match.

Before the game, all the buzz was about England’s nine squad withdrawals, which even had captain Harry Kane feeling a bit down. But Kane’s replacement, Ollie Watkins, wasted no time making an impact. Just seven minutes in, Noni Madueke made a lightning-fast run down the right, setting up Watkins perfectly. The Aston Villa striker made it count, sliding the ball past Odysseas Vlachodimos for an early lead.

England controlled the first half, and while Greece didn’t threaten much, they did come close when Kostas Tsimikas fired a surprise shot that Jordan Pickford had to be sharp to stop. Jude Bellingham and Watkins both had some promising breaks, but the visitors went into halftime with just a slim lead.

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Lee Carsley made some smart changes for the second half, bringing in Lewis Hall to strengthen the midfield, which helped England keep up the pressure. Rico Lewis had a quick shot that forced a save from Vlachodimos, and soon after, Bellingham’s header hit the post, showing England meant business. But Greece wasn’t giving up easily, with Pickford making two big saves to deny Fotis Ioannidis and snuff out a dangerous set-piece.

As the match headed into the final quarter, Bellingham’s determination broke Greek hearts. In the 77th minute, he made a blazing run through the Greek defence, and his shot bounced off the post and into the net off the unfortunate Vlachodimos. England sealed their dominance just five minutes later when debutant Curtis Jones calmly slotted one home from a clever cutback by Morgan Gibbs-White, wrapping up a decisive 3-0 win.

Greece’s winless streak against England at home continues, along with their missed chance for a historic promotion to League A. Now, England is in the driver’s seat as they gear up to face the Republic of Ireland, while Greece heads to Finland, needing a win to keep their promotion dreams alive.