Greece National Team: Comeback win in Serbia and an ideal start to the Nations League
Greece beat Serbia 2-1 in Belgrade in the Nations League, completing a comeback with attacking football and key decisions from Ivan Jovanović.
The
Greece national team
made an ideal start to the Nations League
, defeating Serbia 2-1
in Belgrade and securing its first victory in League A. Ivan Jovanović’s
side fell behind very early, but did not abandon its attacking plan and completed the comeback through goals from Christos Tzolis and Tasos Douvikas.
The comeback in Belgrade
Serbia took the lead as early as the
4th minute
through Andrija Živković, capitalizing on a poor defensive reaction from Greece. The response was immediate, with Karetsas hitting the post and the Greek team quickly pushing the game toward the hosts’ penalty area.By the end of the first half, Greece had already registered
14 attempts
, without finding the goal. The pressure continued after the break, with Jovanović gradually strengthening the attack. In the 74th minute
, Pavlidis created the opportunity and Tzolis finished from a difficult angle to make it 1-1
.The national team was not satisfied with the equalizer. Although Serbia came close to a second goal late on, first hitting the post and then being denied by a superb save from Tzolakis, Greece had the final say. In the
95th minute
, Tsimikas found Douvikas with a cross and the striker headed home to make the final score 2-1
.
Jovanović’s choices showed the new direction
Jovanović set out a clear attacking approach from the start. He deployed Kourbelis and Zafeiris in central midfield, with Karetsas, Tzolis and Kostoulas behind and close to Pavlidis. In this way, he fielded several players with creative and finishing qualities in the same starting eleven, without sacrificing control of the ball.
In such an attacking setup, the presence of
Dimitris Kourbelis
was particularly important. The experienced midfielder produced a fantastic performance and took on much of the work that is not always reflected in the statistics, maintaining cohesion in the middle and covering spaces when the full-backs and attacking midfielders pushed forward.Most importantly, the head coach now has the ability to adjust the team’s attacking profile within the same match. As a result, through the changes he made in the second half, he enabled Greece to keep pushing for the comeback until the very end.
Attacking talent is now Greece’s biggest weapon
The greatest strength of this national team clearly lies from midfield forward.
Tzolis
has developed into a key reference point, while Karetsas
provides creativity and an unpredictable element.Up front,
Pavlidis
, Ioannidis
and Douvikas
are reliable solutions and offer different options depending on the needs of the match. Tetteh
, meanwhile, who was called upon to play as a left winger, immediately caused problems with his pace and strength.This depth also changes the expectations surrounding the national team itself. The objective is no longer simply to contain the opponent and wait for its moments, as Greece now has the ability to impose its own game and create chances through the quality it possesses. Belgrade showed that this transition has already begun.
The Nations League schedule raises the level of difficulty
The victory in Belgrade gave Greece
3 points
on the opening matchday of League A, in a group featuring Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia. Although Greece currently sits alone at the top, the upcoming matches will clearly provide a more demanding test of the team’s new playing direction.Next, against Germany and the Netherlands, Greece will be asked to maintain its attacking identity while showing greater balance and
without leaving the same spaces
. That is where it will become clear whether the attacking plan can work with the same effectiveness against opponents with greater quality in possession.At
Fonbet
, you will find markets for every Nations League match
at highly competitive odds, allowing you to follow the Greece national team’s campaign with even greater interest.
