Greece’s national team did what was necessary, securing a 2-0 victory against Finland at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium—their first-ever away win over Finland in history. With this result, Greece completed their obligations in Group 2 of League B in the Nations League, finishing with five wins from six matches.
Greece amassed 15 points, equal to England’s tally, but the “Three Lions” claimed first place due to a superior goal difference, having thrashed Ireland 5-0 at the same time.
England earned direct promotion to League A, but the target remains achievable for Greece who will fight for promotion in the playoffs in March 2025.
Moreover, beyond promotion, Greece could secure a second chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup qualification playoffs, with Ivan Jovanović’s team set to enter Pot 2 in the draw.
From a tactical standpoint, the national team controlled possession from the outset. This was achieved without much difficulty, as the hosts opted for a defensive setup, playing with three centre-backs and waiting for their opponent.
While Greece moved the ball well, they lacked the pace required for the match, showing a clear deficit in freshness and energy—undoubtedly influenced by Thursday’s defeat to England.
The Finns left little space, and the choices made by Jovanović’s players in the final third were not ideal, resulting in a lack of significant chances in front of Joronen’s goal.
There was also inefficiency in set pieces, with Greece executing several corners in the first 45 minutes. However, apart from two off-target headers by Mavropanos (8’, 15’) from Bakasetas’ deliveries, there was little to show for their efforts.
The best chance of the first half came in the 38th minute when Pavlidis entered the box and shot, with Hoskonen deflecting it onto Masouras, only for the ball to go wide.
The second half was a stark contrast, with Greece starting strongly and opening the scoring in the 52nd minute through a Bakasetas strike following a brilliant through ball by Koulierakis.
Before the hosts could regroup, they found themselves chasing a two-goal deficit. Four minutes later (56’), after a long ball from Mavropanos, Joronen cleared with a header, only for Tzolis to lob the ball into the net from distance, sealing the game at 2-0.
In the 90th minute, Ivan Jovanović substituted in Christos Mouzakitis, who became the youngest player in the history of the Greek national team to feature in an official match.
Source: real.gr
