ENGLAND have been STUNNED at Wembley after being beaten by a courageous Greece side for the first time in their entire history.
Pavlidis’ delightful double fired the visitors to an incredible win over the Three Lions.
Not even Jude Bellingham’s 20-yard strike could save Lee Carsley’s woeful side from such a humiliating defeat.
- RESULT: England 1-2 Greece
- TV channel: ITV 1
- Live stream: ITV X
- England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis; Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Foden, Palmer; Gordon
- Greece XI: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis; Koubelis, Siopis, Masouras, Bakasetas Tzolis; Pavlidis
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Will to win
Despite the bruising loss, Chelsea’s Levi Colwill came out of the game with plenty of plaudits after a stunning goal-line clearance.
With the game locked at 0-0, the 21-year-old somehow prevented a shot from Anastasios Bakasetas going into an empty net after a Jordan Pickford error.
Watch the incredible clearance here.
Remembering George
It was an emotional night at Wembley as fans and players came together to remember George Baldock.
The Greek international died earlier this week after being found to have drowned in his swimming pool at his home in Athens.
Following a minute’s silence before the game, Greek scorer Vangelis Pavlidis dedicated his brace to his teammate.
Pavlidis said: “It was a really special game for us. Because of George.
“We gave everything for him and his family. It is a great win but its a special night for him.
“He has been in our thoughts. He was part of the team and was a special guy.”
Credit: Getty SunSport’s ratings
England’s post-game ratings are in – and it’s not happy reading.
One player impressed at the back despite a horror show defensively, while it was another poor night for Phil Foden.
Click here to see SunSport’s full run-down from Wembley.
Credit: Getty
Carsley’s future
Lee Carsley remains the bookies’ overwhelming favourite to take over the Three Lions job full-time.
Asked about his future following the game, he said: “It doesn’t change [the situation].
“My remit is [take] the three camps, so it doesn’t change in that respect.”
System woes
Carsley has been challenged on the False 9 system he employed during tonight’s loss.
The interim boss opted for no striker in the starting XI, before bringing Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke off the bench.
Incredibly, he appeared to suggest the players had spent just “20 minutes” working on the system.
He told ITV: “With the quality that we’ve got, all the goals tonight were from mistakes. Even at 1-1, we were quite fortunate.
“[On the formation] it’s definitely an option. We tried something tonight and we’ve got to have that ability and courage to do that.”
Credit: Getty Carsley fronts up
England boss Lee Carsley has just spoken for the first time after tonight’s 2-1 loss.
“I think we were second best for a lot of tonight.
“It is disappointing. We need to respond well against Finland.
“We tried something different. We tried to overload the midfield, play a bit differently.
“I think it’s unrealistic to expect too much. It’s a case of just trying again.”
Angry Roy
Man Utd legend Roy Keane couldn’t believe what he was seeing as the Three Lions went behind at Wembley.
Four England defenders surrounded Pavlidis, but nobody could get a tackle in to prevent the shot.
Keane raged on ITV: “It’s an unbelievable goal to concede.
“If this happened in training, you’d stop the training and ask ‘Are you taking this seriously?’
“You have got to do the basics of football. Where was the urgency?”
Credit: AP Stones speaks
England’s stand-in captain John Stones is fronting up to the media first.
He told ITV: “It’s hard to put into words. We prepared how we usually do, it didn’t come off.
“We have to give credit to them. From the start they put us under pressure. They were very compact.
“Disappointing from us. A lot was riding on tonight for me personally. We’ve got to look back on this game and move forward.”
England 1-2 Greece
What a fantastic performance from the visitors.
They rode on a wave of emotion from the first whistle and had the ball in the England net FIVE times.
All this without their first-choice striker.
Credit: Reuters
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 1-2 GREECE
The Three Lions are beaten at Wembley. Players sink to their knees.
Not even Bellingham could rescue England this time.
England 1-2 Greece
90+7. We’re still playing at Wembley.
VAR did check that penalty, but nothing given. Pavlidis is down with a head injury.
Lee Carsley has a very different kind of headache. This has been a tough watch.
England 1-2 Greece
90+5. Desperate calls for a penalty as Solanke goes down in the box!
Nothing given….
England 1-2 Greece
90+4. A defensive horror show as England fail to clear their lines.
Pavlidis has been a thorn in their side all night.
And there he is, at the right place at the right time. He smashes it into the bottom corner past a stricken Pickford.
Carsley sinks to his knees on the touchline.
GOAL! Greece – Vangelis Pavlidis
Football, eh? And this is fully deserved.
England 1-1 Greece
90+2. Calls for a back pass as Koulierakis awkwardly plays it back to his keeper.
The ref having none of it.
England attempt to get things going again, but Greece slow it down with niggly fouls. Pelkas the latest in the book.
England 1-1 Greece
90. Neither team are finished here.
What a crazy last few minutes. Greece looked to have sealed a famous win, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.
Seconds later, Bellingham has leveled it up.
We will have 5 minutes of added time.
Credit: PA England 1-1 Greece
88. Who else?
Bellingham does it again with time running out.
A pull back is missed by everyone, falling to the Madrid man on the edge of the box.
He hammers it towards the far corner, beating Vlachodimos.
GOAL! England – Jude Bellingham
Have England just avoided their first competitive defeat at Wembley in four years?
England 0-1 Greece
85. So unlucky for Greece.
They exploited England’s weakness at the back again, breaking at pace after sloppy distribution from Pickford.
Pavlidis was there to turn it home, but he was just in front of Stones.
That’s four times Greece have had the ball in the England net tonight.
England 0-1 Greece
84. NO GOAL!
For a third time tonight, Greece have a goal ruled out.
Pavlidis just strayed off before tapping past Pickford.
GOAL! Greece – Vangelis Pavlidis
Game over?
England 0-1 Greece
80. A crazy goalline scramble, but Greece hold on.
No England player can get a good connection on the ball, with Watkins closest.
Still just one shot on target for the Three Lions. They’ve created very little in this second half.
England 0-1 Greece
78. England load players in the box.
Trent with the cross to the far post, but it floats harmlessly out for a goal kick.
Greece still a threat on the counter, but they’re getting deeper and deeper.
Credit: Reuters England 0-1 Greece
76. Great run from Madueke, but four Greek players manage to halt his progress into the box.
England camped in the Greece half and looking to force a leveller in the last 15.
England 0-1 Greece
73. Half a chance for Bellingham, but he picks the wrong option.
The Madrid man tries to lob the keeper, only to see his shot land miles wide. Watkins was free in the middle.
England rolling the dice again. Here comes Dominic Solanke – back for his first cap since November 2017. He replaces Phil Foden.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
