Perfect Greece beats Ireland too
Two second-half goals extended Greece’s perfect record after four games in the UEFA Nations League, for a 2-0 victory against Ireland on Sunday in front of a capacity and vocal crowd at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.
The result means Greece has mathematically sealed a top-two finish in the group, and it remains at the top three points ahead of England.
Greece may not have had the freshness of three days earlier, at its triumph in Wembley, but was still the better team that chased the goal for most of the match and deserved victory.
There were plenty of chances for the players of coach Ivan Jovanovic to open the score in the first half, with most shots hitting the Irish defensive wall.
However, barely three minutes into the second half Christos Tzolis played one-two with Tasos Bakasetas and the Greece captain unleashed a shot from outside the box that found the back of Ireland’s net.
From then on the Greeks tried to threaten again on the counter, while all players did their bit in defending as well.
Greek keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos played his part too, especially on the 69th when he acrobatically palmed to safety a header by substitute Jack Taylor, as the hosts pulled back to absorb the Irish pressure in the latter stages of the game.
In one of Greece’s counters, in the time added-on, substitute Petros Mantalos stole the ball and rounded the Irish keeper to score Greece’s second goal.
The most emotional moment came after the match, when the Greece players lifted late George Baldock’s Greece shirt in the air, with the fans giving it a standing ovation.
The Greeks remain at the top of their group with 12 points from four games, with England second on nine points.
Greece’s next game is at home against England on November 14, that may well decide which of the two will win the group.
