Nations League, Finland – Greece 0-2: He broke tradition, he didn’t get… a gift from Ireland

In the best way, our national team completed its maiden appearance in a League B group, as it prevailed 2-0 in Helsinki, for the first time in an away match against Finland, it reached 15 points, with a tally of 5 wins and 1 loss , but remained in second place, level with England, thanks to the 5-0 victory of the “Three Lions’ over Ireland.

Thus, the Greek national team will have one more chance to claim promotion to League A, since on March 20 and 23, 2025, they will face a team that has finished 3rd in the first division, in the play off process.

The evolution of the fight

The first half in Helsinki started without much tension. From the beginning, our national team tried to impose its rhythm, had the initiative of the movements, but did not have the right options near the Finns’ area.

The first threats were for our representative “team”, initially in the 8th minute with Joli and then with Mavropanos, but in the first case the shot of the Greek midfielder of Bruges was countered and resulted in a corner and from Bakashetta’s execution, the header of the dynamic defender went out.

Something similar happened in the 15th minute with the West Ham stopper’s header missing the target, while in the 19th minute Joronen easily blocked Jolly’s shot. The “blue and white” continued to control the tempo and threatened again in the 27th minute with Bakaseta, but the shot he made was countered and ended up as a corner.

The best moment of the first part for our national team came in the 38th minute with the individual effort of Pavlidis, who… broke into the opponent’s area, passed whoever was close to him, but just before the shot, his control went away, he made the projection , but Hoskonen countered.

Turn up the… revs

The second half started with Finland looking to threaten, but Lund couldn’t get the shot off in the 46th minute with Koulierakis clearing for a corner, however, the rest belonged to the Greek national team.

Ivan Jovanovic’s “team” revved up and looked for the goal that would give them the lead, but in the 48th minute Joli’s header did not find the target, while in the 50th minute Masoura’s turn from inside the area did not find the right pace Pavlidis who didn’t have time to get in the path of the ball.

However, the supremacy of the “blue and white” brought…fruits two minutes later, when Koulierakis made an excellent cross to Bakaseta, he went to the “back” of the defense of the home team and opened the scoring with a strong shot.

The foundations of victory were laid in the 56th minute with a legendary goal from Joli. Mavropanos made the deep ball to Pavlidis, Joronen went away from his goal to chase, but the ball reached the Bruges midfielder, who with a high hanging shot, sent it into the net making it 2-0.

The national team tried to take advantage of the… momentum of the match and threatened again in the 61st minute with Bakaseta’s shot, but on this occasion Joronen was in the right position and blocked.

From that point on, the coaches of the two teams wanted to “freshen up” their teams, starting the changes, as a result of which the pace of the game dropped noticeably. The “blue and white” had the reins, Finland tried to become threatening in the 79th minute with Puki who ran into the counter, but Rota and Mavropanos caught him and that’s how the game ended.

Referee: Willy Delazo (France)

Yellows: Picarainen, Alho, Ivanov

Finland (Marku Canerva): Joronen, Alho (82′ Niskanen), Hoskonen, Ivanov, Pikarainen (67′ Olila), Hakans (75′ Puki), Lod, Kairinen, Kamara (75′ Nisila), Kalman, Pojanpalo (67′ Adman).

Greece (Ivan Jovanovic): Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Kourbelis (90′ Mouzakitis), Mandalos (88′ Retsos), Bakasetas (74′ Pelkas), Masouras (74′ Siopis), Pavlidis, Tzolis (88′ Giannoulis).

The highlights

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