After-match analysis: England lost 1-2 to Greece at home in the Nations League on Thursday night

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  • England under caretaker manager Lee Carsley suffered a shocking defeat at home to Greece 1-2.
  • Before the game, the whole stadium held a minute’s silence in memory of George Baldock, who died suddenly.
  • Greece lead the group with 9 points from 3 games, while England is second with 6 points.
listUEFA Nations League
Competition DayThursday 10 October 2024
stadiumWembley Stadium
Competition resultsEngland 1-2 Greece

England, led by caretaker manager Lee Carsley. Suffered a shock defeat at home to Greece 1-2 in the UEFA Nations League Group B Group 2 on Thursday night.

Before the game, the whole stadium held a minute’s silence to remember George Baldock, a Greek full-back who once played for England, who died suddenly.

Vangelis Pavlidis gave Greece the lead in the 49th minute. The ทางเข้า ufabet game looked to be a win for the visitors, but Jude Bellingham equalised for England in the 87th minute.

However, in the 90+4 minute injury time. Pavlidis scored the winning goal for Greece, who turned the tables and won 2-1 at home.

The result puts Greece at the top of the group with 9 points from 3 games. While England is in second place with 6 points.

Here are the key points we saw from the game at Wembley Stadium.

A forward without Harry Kane

Lee Carsley is not afraid to make a big decision with Harry Kane still out injured but. Despite Dominic Solanke and Ollie Watkins being options, Carsley opts for a no-strike formation.

Jude Bellingham has been deployed as a false nine. A position in which he excelled for Real Madrid last season.

However, the 21-year-old has been moved lower down this season to make way for Kylian Mbappe and is yet to score.

However, Carsley still trusts Bellingham to play in that role despite criticism.

Bellingham had chances early on. But his shot was outside the penalty area, not a typical striker’s position, and we didn’t see much threat from the front line throughout the game.

By the time Ollie Watkins came on, his first touch almost scored. Perhaps Carsley’s stubbornness in not using his natural target man was what cost England a point in this game.

Jordan Pickford’s unforgettable moments

Jordan Pickford has been a near-guaranteed England starter for the past six years and while Carsley is open to experimenting, the Everton keeper remains the number one.

However, after 10 minutes, Carsley had to hold his head after seeing Pickford come out to intercept the ball from outside the penalty area and stubbornly lose possession of the ball. But Levi Colwill’s quick run to intercept the ball on the line allowed Pickford to escape.

Pickford was soon relieved when he tried to intercept a high ball but missed, allowing Konstantinos Mavropanos to head it into the goal. Fortunately, the offside flag was raised, making it an offside incident.

The second half also had a mistake, because his poor pass to Cole Palmer was intercepted and the ball went in, but Pickford escaped again because it was offside again.

With a growing list of mistakes and the likes of Nick Pope. Dean Henderson and Aaron Ramsdale all dangling, Pickford’s number one option is likely to be shaken.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive weaknesses

Interestingly, this was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s third consecutive start for England. With the Liverpool forward seemingly set to cement his place at right-back for the Three Lions.

At 26, with Kyle Walker aging and Kieran Trippier retiring from international duty, Alexander-Arnold is virtually guaranteed first-choice at right-back.

However, Alexander-Arnold’s defense is still an unsolvable problem and in this match. Greece penetrated his side throughout the game.

Rico Lewis’s rise could put some pressure on Alexander-Arnold’s position. But he has yet to improve his defensive game in the next 1-2 years. It will be interesting to see whether Alexander-Arnold remains England’s first choice right-back.

Can Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham play together?

In the first half, the two teams were quite far apart, with Bellingham playing as a false nine and Foden playing as a more central midfielder.

Bellingham’s higher position gave him a chance to score before equalizing late on. But overall neither side impressed.

Things didn’t get any better with the substitution, with Ollie Watkins coming on as the centre-forward and Bellingham moving into midfield, while Foden moved out wide. However, the Manchester City star only lasted a little over 10 minutes before being substituted.

For Bellingham, despite his recent lack of a role with the national team. He has often scored important goals, unlike Foden, whose Premier League Player of the Year form has not been able to be shown since the Euros.