Changed England side impress against Greece

-

Greece 0 - 3 England

England are poised to return to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League with a win over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday, following an impressive victory against Greece in Athens.

Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football

Greece v England - View from the stands

Lee Carsley's team avenged their disappointing defeat to Greece at Wembley in October, making Thursday's triumph even sweeter for the interim manager, especially given the squad was hit hard by player withdrawals.

The emphatic result not only erased the memory of that 2-1 loss but also ensured England hold the upper hand in their head-to-head record with Greece, leaving the Three Lions in control of their own destiny.

Ollie Watkins justified his selection over captain Harry Kane by giving England an early lead after just seven minutes, turning in a superb cross from Noni Madueke, who had carved open the Greek defence with a brilliant run.

Jordan Pickford was pivotal when called upon, standing firm during rare moments of Greek pressure, and England sealed the victory in style late on.

The second goal carried a slice of luck as Jude Bellingham’s strike rebounded off the post and ricocheted in off Greek keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos in the 77th minute.

But there was no doubting the quality of the third goal. Curtis Jones, making his debut, produced a moment of magic six minutes later, finishing Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross with a stunning flick to cap off a memorable night for England.

Greece v England - View from the stands

Real Madrid star impresses

Jude Bellingham may not have hit his usual heights for club and country recently, but this performance was a timely reminder of why the 21-year-old is such a valuable asset for both Real Madrid and England.

From the very first minute, Bellingham's confidence and flair were on full display. He constantly found dangerous spaces, causing endless problems for Greece, who struggled to keep up with his intelligent movement.

It was Bellingham who released Noni Madueke for the run that set up Ollie Watkins' opener. Later, his powerful shot led to England’s second, rebounding off goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to halt Greece's growing momentum and quieten their raucous home crowd.

 A wonderful night for the Interim Manager

After experimenting with tactics in the reverse fixture at Wembley just last month, which went poorly, Lee Carsley opted to try something different again by not starting team captain Harry Kane. This proved to be a fantastic decision. 

The England team lwere great in possession, appeared confident out of possession, and controlled the majority of the game. They scored three wonderful goals, and every player who was called upon rose to the occasion.

Click here for more UEFA Nations League news and stories

Location: Athens, Greece

Popular posts from this blog

Win for United in Ruud's last match as Interim Manager

-
Image
Manchester United 3 - 0 Leicester City Bruno Fernandes celebrated his 250th appearance for Manchester United by delivering an impressive performance as Ruud van Nistelrooy concluded his time as interim manager with a 3-0 victory over Leicester in the Premier League. Author - Olivia T Fernandes opened the scoring and later netted a second goal that was officially credited as an own goal by Victor Kristiansen. He also assisted Alejandro Garnacho for a brilliant third goal, helping United secure their third win in four matches since the departure of Erik ten Hag as manager. The home fans serenaded Van Nistelrooy at the final whistle . The Dutchman can be pleased with the return of three wins and a draw from four games, even if United remain in the bottom half of the table. He now leaves Old Trafford after it has been confirmed that he won't form a part of the new manager's coaching staff.  Super Reds News Post Match Review: United 3 - 0 Leicester Fernandes shines for Ruud
Read more

PL News: Ten Hag sacked by Man United

-
Image
There has been a managerial change at Old Trafford. Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag due to the club's disappointing start to the season. Author - Olivia T Ten Hag's last match ended in a 2-1 defeat against West Ham , leaving the club in 14th place in the Premier League with only three wins from their first nine matches. The Red Devils are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League league stage, having drawn their three opening matches. Club sources from the club have reportedly suggested that this was a difficult decision but a unanimous one among all the key decision makers.  The club exercised a one-year extension in Ten Hag's contract after their FA Cup final win against Manchester City in May . However, just over three months later, he has been dismissed. United currently sit on 11 points after nine games, marking their second-lowest tally in the Premier League at this stage (only slightly better than the 10 points they had in the 2019-20 season)
Read more

EFL Cup: United progress after difficult few days

-
Image
Manchester United 5 - 2 Leicester City  Ruud van Nistelrooy began his tenure as Manchester United’s interim manager on a high, with his team cruising past Leicester to secure a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Author - Olivia T Just two days after stepping in following Erik ten Hag's dismissal , Van Nistelrooy’s call for an exciting performance was more than delivered by his players. Casemiro got the party started with a stunning long-range strike and went on to score again before half-time. After an initial header rattled off both posts, the Brazilian reacted quickly to slot the ball in from eight yards out. Alejandro Garnacho contributed his fifth goal of the season , and captain Bruno Fernandes had a bit of luck with his free-kick, which deflected off Leicester’s James Justin and into the net. Defensively, United weren’t flawless. Some familiar issues allowed Bilal El Khannouss and Conor Coady to pull goals back for Leicester before the break. Coady’s finish, a firs
Read more