Greece Stuns England with Historic Win at Wembley
Greece secured their first-ever victory over England, and they did it on the grounds of Wembley Stadium in the Nations League game.
Despite the ongoing discussions about the Nations League's importance, England fielded one of their strongest available squads, missing only a few key players due to injury, most notably their captain and all-time leading scorer, Harry Kane.
From the first whistle, England appeared determined to dominate. Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer—fresh off being named England's Player of the Year for 2024—came close to breaking the deadlock early, forcing Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into action. But Greece wasn’t content to simply defend - they took the fight to England, creating several chances of their own.
The breakthrough came shortly after the halftime break when Vangelis Pavlidis made his way through the English defense and shot the ball past Jordan Pickford. The Greek celebrations were emotional, marking their first goal at Wembley with a tribute to late George Baldock.
England thought they had snatched a point with Jude Bellingham's 87th-minute equaliser only for Pavlidis to win it in the 94th minute, sealing a historic 2-1 victory for Greece.This win not only marked Greece's first triumph over England but also solidified their perfect record at the top of Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League.
Next, Greece will host Ireland, while England looks to recover as they head to Finland in the upcoming round of matches.
Nations League 2024-2025
England - Greece 1:2 (0:0)
Goals: Pavlidis E., 49 (0:1); Bellingham, 88 (1:1); Pavlidis E., 90+4 (1:2)
England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold; Colwill; Lewis R.; Stones; Palmer Co.; Rice; Saka B. (Madueke, 52); Foden (Solanke, 72); Bellingham; Gordon A. (Watkins, 60)
Bench: Pope; Henderson D.; Guehi; Livramento; Walker; Gallagher C.; Gomes An.; Jones Cur.
Yellow Cards: Saka B. 45; Rice 53
Greece: Vlachodimos; Mavropanos; Rota; Giannoulis D.; Koulierakis; Kourbelis (Mantalos, 74); Masouras G. (Pelkas, 66); Pavlidis E.; Siopis (Zafeiris, 66); Bakasetas (Vagiannidis, 86); Tzolis (Konstantelias, 86)
Bench: Mandas; Tzolakis; Retsos; Chatzidiakos; Douvikas; Chatzigiovanis
Yellow Cards: Koulierakis 7; Kourbelis 71; Pavlidis E. 91; Pelkas 92
