Nations League: Glory for Greece on an emotional night
England 1 - 2 Greece
England's interim manager, Lee Carsley, saw his attacking gamble backfire spectacularly as they suffered a shock defeat to Greece in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley.
Jude Bellingham appeared to have salvaged a point for England with an 87th-minute goal, following Vangelis Pavlidis' cool strike that had given Greece a well-earned lead just four minutes into the second half.
However, Greece responded swiftly and deservedly snatched victory as Pavlidis struck again deep into stoppage time, capping off a humbling night for both England and Carsley.
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A closer look at what happened
With captain Harry Kane sidelined through injury, Carsley opted not to field a recognised striker, deploying Bellingham in a false nine role while supporting him with Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer.
The outcome was a disjointed and lacklustre performance, as Carsley's perfect record since replacing Gareth Southgate came to an abrupt end against a disciplined Greek side. In fact, Greece found the back of the net five times, though three goals were ruled out for offside.
Throwback to England v Greece 2001
England were fortunate to hold out until four minutes into the second half, especially after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford found himself stranded outside his box early in the match, only for Levi Colwill to save the day with a brilliant goalline clearance from Tasos Bakasetas. But when Pavlidis scored the opener, it came as no surprise.
Realising his tactical approach wasn’t working, Carsley introduced strikers Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke—earning only his second cap seven years after his first—in an attempt to turn the tide.
Bellingham's powerful finish past Greek keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos briefly raised hopes of an unlikely win, but Greece remained a constant threat and delivered the final blow in a dramatic ending to the match, leaving Carsley and his team reeling.
Glory for Greece on an emotional night
When they scored the winner, the Greek players interrupted their celebrations to lift a shirt bearing the name of George Baldock, their former international colleague, who died on Wednesday aged 31.
