Sports Mole looks at how the players performed during Greece’s 2-1 win over England in the UEFA Nations League.
England fell to a 2-1 defeat to Greece in Thursday night’s UEFA Nations League contest, with Lee Carsley losing for the first time since taking charge of the Three Lions on an interim basis.
Jude Bellingham thought that he had secured a draw for England with a long-range strike in the 87th minute, but Vangelis Pavlidis‘ second of the match in the final moments secured a first-ever win for Greece over the Three Lions.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each player performed in the UEFA Nations League fixture, with Greece deserved winners in the English capital.
England player ratings vs. Greece: Colwill the pick for England but forwards struggle
© Imago
GOALKEEPER
Jordan Pickford– 5/10
Almost cost his side a goal when he lost the ball outside his own box in the first period, and he was shaky from a couple of set pieces. Has generally been impressive for England, but the Everton stopper struggled here.
DEFENCE
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10
Showed his range of passing in the first period, but he continued to get caught out defensively, and he was unable to influence the match from an attacking sense in the second 45 minutes.
John Stones – 6/10
Captained England on the night, but he was guilty of missing a couple of challenges and did not take control when Greece had possession in and around the home side’s penalty box.
Levi Colwill – 7/10
Produced a stunning goal-line clearance in the 10th minute to prevent Greece from taking the lead, and he was comfortably the pick of the players for the Three Lions on Thursday night.
Rico Lewis – 6/10
Started brilliantly, and it appeared that the Manchester City defender would have a lot of joy down the Greece right, but he faded at Wembley and was also caught out of position on a couple of occasions.
MIDFIELD
Declan Rice – 6/10
Struggled without a midfield partner, with Rice often left isolated in the middle of midfield. Picked up a booking in the second half and will certainly have a lot better nights for his national side.
Jude Bellingham – 6/10
Appeared to have secured a point for England in the latter stages with a powerful strike, but his overall performance was disappointing, with the Real Madrid man too often caught out in the final third.
Phil Foden – 6/10
Carsley did his best to give Foden room to operate against Greece, but the Manchester City attacker never really got into the match, and he was replaced by Dominic Solanke in the second period.
ATTACK
Bukayo Saka – 5/10
Struggled to make his mark in the opening 45 minutes of the contest, and the Arsenal forward was then replaced shortly after Greece had scored with an apparent knock.
Cole Palmer – 6/10
Missed a glorious chance to send England ahead after smart work from Bellingham and never really looked comfortable operating as the false nine for the Three Lions.
Anthony Gordon – 6/10
Should have scored with a header in the first half, but he placed his effort over the crossbar. Struggled to make his mark in the early stages of the second period, and it was not a surprise when he was substituted.
SUBSTITUTES
Noni Madueke – 6/10
Was introduced for Saka early in the second period, but the Chelsea attacker struggled to make his mark.
Ollie Watkins – 6/10
Would have been disappointed not to have been given the nod through the middle in the absence of Harry Kane, but he did not get much change out of the Greek defence upon entering the field.
Dominic Solanke – 6/10
Replaced Foden in the 72nd minute, with England looking for some late inspiration, but the Tottenham Hotspur attacker did not manage to turn the game in the home side’s favour.
Greece player ratings vs. England: Pavlidis stars while Mavropanos puts in solid defensive display
© Imago
GOALKEEPER
Odysseas Vlachodimos – 6/10
Will be slightly disappointed that he was unable to keep out Bellingham’s strike, but it was an otherwise steady performance from the goalkeeper, who had little to do over the course of the match.
DEFENCE
Lazaros Rota – 7/10
Was a part of a Greece defence that enjoyed a lot of success at Wembley, and the right-back can be delighted with his defensive performance against England’s talented forwards.
Dinos Mavropanos – 8/10
Had a goal disallowed in the first period, but he did not let the disappointment impact him, with the centre-back putting in an excellent performance for his side at Wembley.
Dinos Koulierakis – 7/10
Was just overshadowed by his centre-back partner in terms of overall performance, but Koulierakis also deserves huge credit for helping to keep England quiet for long stages of the match.
Dimitris Giannoulis – 7/10
Resisted the temptation to be pulled out of position in the early stages when England’s forwards were swapping roles, and he was a very reliable presence for the visitors at full-back.
MIDFIELD
Dimitris Kourbelis – 7/10
The pick of the Greek midfielders at Wembley. The number six got through a lot of work in the middle before being replaced in the 73rd minute of the contest, leaving the field to a standing ovation from the Greek fans.
Manolis Siopis – 6/10
Found it difficult to stem the flow of traffic in the first half, with England having joy in advanced areas, but he was a solid presence in the middle before being replaced in the second period.
Tasos Bakasetas – 7/10
Almost gave Greece the lead in the 10th minute after a mistake from Pickford, but his effort was cleared off the line by Colwill. Put in a real shift for the visitors before being replaced late on.
ATTACK
Giorgos Masouras – 7/10
Had a goal disallowed in the second period after smart work from Pavlidis, and he was a big threat to England with his pace and movement in the forward areas. Was replaced as part of a double change in the 66th minute.
Vangelis Pavlidis – 9/10
Comfortably the best player on the pitch at Wembley, scoring two brilliant goals in an excellent performance. England just could not deal with his movement, and he deserved to be on the winning side on Thursday night.
Christos Tzolis – 7/10
Almost had an assist late on, with Pavlidis turning his cross into the back of the net, but the offside flag was raised. Caused all sorts of problems in the final third of the field before being substituted in the 86th minute.
SUBSTITUTES
Dimitrios Pelkas – 6/10
Was the first Greece player off the bench in the 66th minute, and he effortlessly picked up the pace of the match.
Christos Zafeiris – 6/10
The 21-year-old was asked to bring some fresh legs and energy to the Greece midfield, with England pushing forward in search of a leveller, and he certainly played his role in the away success.
Petros Mantalos – 6/10
Mantalos was also brought in to freshen the midfield due to the amount of work that Greece had got through, and the 33-year-old was neat and tidy in possession of the ball.
Giannis Konstantelias – 6/10
Was introduced as part of a double change in the final five minutes of the contest, and he can be pleased with his overall contribution, showing some nice touches.
Georgios Vagiannidis – 6/10
Was a defensive option off the bench shortly before England levelled, but he stood tall in the latter stages when the Three Lions were pushing forward, with the defender also playing his role in the Greece win.
No Data Analysis info