Greece beat England for the first time as striker Vangelis Pavlidis earned the visitors a richly-deserved 2-1 victory to put them in control of Nations League Group B2 at Wembley on Thursday.
While Pavlidis’s winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time sparked wild celebrations among the Greek fans, England standin manager Lee Carsley got a sobering reality check.
Two victories since Gareth Southgate stood down had raised Carsley’s stock as a likely full-time option, but after a ragged defeat at the hands of Greece, his hopes may have dwindled.
Pavlidis had given his side the lead early in the second half with a clinical finish and Greece had three goals ruled out against an England side that started with an ultra-attacking line-up but misfired badly.
Jude Bellingham looked to have rescued his side when he lashed home an 87th-minute equaliser but there was another twist as the outstanding Pavlidis punished more woeful defending to shoot past Jordan Pickford from close range.
Greece top the table with a maximum nine points while England’s first defeat under Carsley left them second with six.
“On a personal note, absolutely gutted. To have a result like that with the armband for the first time,” John Stones, captain in place of injured Harry Kane, said.
“We prepared like we normally do and it didn’t come off. From the start they put us right under pressure. The onus is on us to deliver — and we didn’t.”
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It was a poignant evening for Greece with a minute’s silence held before kickoff for their former international George Baldock who died, aged 31, this week.
“It a very special day and match for us. Our thoughts are with George [Baldock]. But we are professionals and had to play the match,” Pavlidis said.
“We gave our soul for him tonight. Today is not a day to talk about football.”
After the often conservative nature of England’s football under Southgate there was a buzz of anticipation around Wembley as Carsley fielded a front five including Cole Palmer.
With Kane missing, Palmer, who scored England’s equaliser in the Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain as a substitute, started just behind Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
Bellingham stung Greek keeper Vlachodimos Odysseas’s fingers with a ferocious dipping drive and Palmer blazed wastefully over the crossbar when well-placed.
For all England’s attacking potential, however, it was Greece who had the better first-half opportunities.
Pavlidis curled one effort wide before home keeper Pickford almost gifted Greece the lead, losing the ball on the edge of his area and having his blushes spared by a brilliant goalline clearance by Levi Colwill.
Moments later Pickford flapped at a high ball and Konstantinos Mavropanos headed into the net but was offside.
England began the second half in lethargic fashion and Greece took the lead in the 49th minute as Pavlidis showed great footwork to dispatch a low shot past Pickford despite being surrounded by England defenders.
Giorgos Masouras and Pavlidis had goals ruled out and many England fans had headed for home by the time Bellingham’s shot beat Vlachodimos.
Greece would not be denied, though, and Pavlidis made sure they had the last laugh.