Greece 0, England 3 (UEFA Nations League)
England took control of their UEFA Nations League Group with a rousing 3-0 win away to Greece in Lee Carsley’s penultimate game as manager.
Embed from Getty ImagesThey extended their unbeaten record away from home for an eighth game after goals by Ollie Watkins, and Curtis Jones either side of an own goal by Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos under pressure from Jude Bellingham as Lee Carsley’s men avenged their Wembley defeat with a comfortable win at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.
And victory meant that England top the group and any kind of win against Ireland on Sunday – at Wembley – will see them promoted back to League A.
The England squad had been bolstered by several U21 players after upwards of 10 players cried off with various injuries.
They got off to a great start Ollie Watkins, starting due to injury from captain Harry Kane – who had appeared to criticise players for crying off in the build-up to the game- finishing off a cutback by Noni Madueke from 6 yards out.
England were in total control for much of the game but they were indebted to Jordan Pickford for keeping their hosts out when their lead was a slender 1-0 – he saved well from Liverpool left back Kostas Tsimikas and Fotis Ioannidis amongst a host of other chances from the Greeks who showed why they were unbeaten in this campaign before tonight.
England only took control of the group with 13 minutes to go as Jude Bellingham, who had hit the post earlier and would have a key role in all the goals, rampaged into the Greek half before smacking the same post again with a fierce shot but Vlachodimos’ heel clipped the ball as it rebounded and deflected it back across his own line.
With the pressure released, England turned on the style with an attack down the right with Jarrod Bowen who laid off the ball to Morgan Gibbs-White whose cutback was back heeled past Vlachodimos by Curtis Jones 6 minutes later from close range.