Strong national team, cleaned Ireland and goes… airy to France!

He subdued her Irelanddid the 2×2 h National and goes to… France! Greece prevailed 2-1 in its first official match at the OPAP Arena and continued victoriously in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

THE Masouras in the 69th minute he broke the hard-nosed visitors with a nice spot kick after his hole-in-the-ball Bakaseta, who opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a penalty (after a handball from Baldock’s cross). Collins equalized in between (27′).

The 3rd matchday:

Greece-Ireland 2-1

(15′ pen. Bakasetas, 49′ Mazouras – 27′ Collins)

Gibraltar-France 0-3

(3′ Giroud, 45’+1′ pen. Mbappe, 78′ auto. Muelhi)

The next (4th) matchday (19/06):

Ireland-Gibraltar (21:45)

France-Greece (21:45)

The rating:

In the mind of the coaches

With 4-3-3 Gustavo Poget lined up the National Team. Vlachodemos was under the posts, Baldok, Mavropanos, Hatzidiakos and Tsimikas in defense. Kourbelis had the “broom” role in the center, while Mandalos and Bakasetas had a creative role. Pelkas and Masouras were in the “wings”, while Pavlidis was at the top.

With 3-5-2 Ireland. Bazunu was under the posts, Collins, Egan and Lenihan the trio in defence. Molumby and Cullen the two halves, Doherty and O’Dowda manned the two sides, with Smallbone in a play maker role behind Aida and Ferguson.

The match

In such cases a quick goal makes the situation simpler. The National Team looked for it and in general it achieved its goal. After the first five minutes managed to pressure the opponent and to close him in the area, with his own… recipe in some cases, since he played with high balls. The first good moment came in the 5th minute, with Mavropanos catching a shot and Bazounou sending it into his right window, while then the shots from Bakaseta (6′) and Masoura (9′) were off target.

In the 11th minute, the phase that changed the balance happened. Kourbelis fed Masoura, with Bazounou falling on top of him. The internationals complained of foul play and called for a penalty, which was eventually awarded via VAR for a handball from Baldock’s cross. Bakasetas took over the execution and with a strong blow sent the ball into the net at 15′.

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The National team did not invest in their lead and in the momentum he had, as he went straight back, he didn’t immediately look for a second goal and paid for it. He was threatened, however, in the first attack of the guests after the cross, with Kourbelis driving away at the last moment after Dauda’s turn. In the 26th minute, Doherty crossed dangerously and the infallible up to that point, Hatzidiakos, kicked quite clumsily into the corner.

The third was also… poisonous, as in the next phase it was 1-1, with Ferguson serving with a header-pass after a corner and Collins making a quick move without the ball to execute from close range in the 29th minute. Initially the goal did not count, but the error was corrected after using VAR.

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With it being 1-1, the National team started to gain meters on the field and almost quickly found the second goal, with Pelkas entering the area in the 33rd minute after a collaboration with Pavlidis, but the shot was very bad and did not find the target. In the next minute, Bakasetas shot with a right, but Bazunu was ready.

The good cooperation of Mandalou and Masoura in the 42′ could have brought something good, but Pelkas did not react immediately and his shot was not in the right timing, as a result he went away, while in the 43′ after Bakaseta’s fireball from about 30 meters the ball went out for a corner.

With the same philosophy that it had at the beginning of the first part, the National team entered the second and was lucky to score in its first phase. In the 49th minute, Bakasetas with a clever ball pierced the opposing defense, putting him in a shooting position Masoura who crossed with his left for 2-1 in the 49′.

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Again, however, Greece’s reaction after their goal was not good and almost in the first attack, Ireland missed a chance. Smallbone took the turn from the right and Doherty was in position to shoot, but his spot-kick was off target.

THE Gustavo Poget he looked for fresh legs for the blue and white team and in the 70th minute he replaced Foudas and Giakoumakis instead of Pelkas and Pavlidis. In the 72nd minute, Vlachodemos made an impressive save on Collins’ shot. In the 79th minute, the National Team had the opportunity to “lock” the victory, but they kicked it. Fountas carried the ball nicely from the left and “broke” for Giakoumakis who didn’t have a good first contact with the ball, then he feinted, but the shot he caught was off target.

In the 84th Giakoumakis he made an ambitious attempt trying to catch the opponent’s goalkeeper asleep with a long shot, but it didn’t find the target. The National team tried to protect its lead in the last minutes, retreated and the visitors found a great opportunity in the 90’+3′. After a stalemate, Doherty caught a drift shot, but Vlachodimos got down well and blocked. This was not the conclusion of the match, as he prevailed tension in the finale with Doherty facing red for a tackle on Zavella.

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The evolution of the match via sport-fm.gr

Greece (Gustavo Poget): Vlachodimos – Baldok, Mavropanos, Hatzidiakos, Tsimikas – Kourbelis, Mandalos (90′ l.tr. Siopis), Bakasetas (90’+4′ Tzavellas), – Pelkas (70′ Fountas), Masouras, Pavlidis (70′ Giakoumakis)

Left on the bench were: Paschalakis, Athanasiadis, Retsos, Papanikolaou, Rota, Hatzigiovanis, Limnios, Douvikas

Ireland (Stephen Kenny): Bazunu – Collins, Egan, Lenihan (89′ Parrott) – Doherty, Cullen, Molubi (81′ Obafemi), O’Dauda (53′ McLean) – Smallbone – Aida (46′ Johnston), Ferguson

They stayed on the bench Kelleher, Travers, O’Shea, Knight, Brown, Hedrick, McGrath, Sykes

Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria)