A stoppage-time goal from Vangelis Pavlidis earned Greece an unlikely win at Wembley – their first triumph over The Three Lions on a night in which a fitting tribute to George Baldock – the former Greek international who tragically passed away this week at the age of thirty-one.
Lee Carsley’s latest dress rehearsal for a possible permanent role as the England national team boss was quite entertaining from the start, with Bellingham giving the Greek goalkeeper a warning with a whipped shot inside the first three minutes.
Shortly after, England’s player of the year, Cole Palmer – who had his first competitive start for England – placed a powerful free-kick over the bar.
Subsequently, a litany of mistakes, which include Levi Colwill wonderfully clearing Tasos Bakasetas’ effort off the goal line after Jordan Pickford’s error, gifted the visitors with promising momentum.
At the other end, two golden chances that could have rewarded England’s efforts went begging before the break, but none was clinically placed in the back of the net.
The hosts were going to pay for their profligacy in front of goal, and they did early in the second period, when Dinos Koulierakis stormed forward, and Vangelis Pavlidis maneuvered a number of England’s napping defenders to put his effort behind a helpless Pickford.
The celebration of Greece’s first-ever goal at Wembley was met with emotions as Pavlidis and his teammates gathered to lift a ‘BALDOCK 2’ shirt to the heavens, ensuring the fullback, who was born in England, would not be forgotten.
Greece’s opener necessitated the invite of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Spurs’ Dominic Solanke from the bench, and shortly after, the latter pulled the ball to the edge of the area, leaving the on-rushing Jude Bellingham to unleash a powerful strike behind Vlachodimos.
The equalizer, however, didn’t last long as the hosts were swarmed by Greece’s attackers, and Pavlidis rifled in the winner to seal a memorable night for the Greek nation – a win that helped tighten their grip at the top of the UEFA Nations League Group B2.
