England interim manager Lee Carsley’s attacking gamble backfired as his side suffered a 2-1 shock defeat to Greece in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley on Thursday night.
Jude Bellingham’s 87th-minute goal seemed to have salvaged a poor England performance after Vangelis Pavlidis gave Greece a deserved lead early in the second half. However, Greece responded in stoppage time, with Pavlidis netting his second goal to secure a deserved victory and hand England a chastening defeat.
In the absence of captain Harry Kane, Carsley opted for an unconventional lineup, deploying Bellingham in a false nine role and fielding Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer in attack. The decision led to a disjointed and confused display, as England struggled to find rhythm.
Greece, well-organized throughout the match, had the ball in the net five times, though three were ruled out for offside. England were fortunate not to fall behind earlier, especially when goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was caught out of position, only to be rescued by Levi Colwill’s crucial goalline clearance from Tasos Bakasetas’ effort.
It was no surprise when Pavlidis opened the scoring with a composed finish four minutes into the second half. The Greek players celebrated by holding up a shirt in tribute to former international George Baldock, who passed away on Wednesday at age 31.
Desperate for a response, Carsley introduced strikers Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke in an attempt to salvage the game. Bellingham’s late strike offered hope, but Greece remained a constant threat and punished England once again in the dying moments, ending Carsley’s perfect record since taking over from Gareth Southgate.
The result leaves England with plenty to reflect on ahead of their next Nations League fixture.
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