UEFA Nations League

NO permanent manager, no captain in the starting line-up and precious few senior players bothering to turn up.And yet it was no sweat for England to regain control of their Nations League group and gain revenge for last month’s Wembley embarrassment. Ollie Watkins got England off the markCredit: GettyOdysseas Vlachodimos scored an unfortunate own-goal off the back of his legCredit: GettyCurtis Jones marked his debut in style with a stunning goalCredit: GettyIt was a night when interim boss Lee Carsley placed his trust in several of his own Under-21 European champions – and gave Thomas Tuchel plenty of food for thought. Why Tuchel wasn’t in the dug-out heaven alone knows, and why he wasn’t in the Greek capital to watch is also a mystery. But while the German enjoys his sabbatical, Carsley enjoyed the best night of his brief reign – just when the cards all seemed stacked against him. He made a major call in starting skipper Harry Kane on the bench, then watched his replacement Ollie Watkins bag an early opener before an own goal from keeper Odysseas Valshodimos and a sweet strike from debutant Curtis Jones earned a convincing victory.   Read More on EnglandAnd all this after a dozen members of his squad were ruled out through injuries, genuine or otherwise. That third goal created by Morgan Gibbs-White and finished by Liverpool midfielder Jones had Carsley’s signature stamped all over it.And another member of Carsley’s triumphant Under-21s from last year – Noni Madueke – was the best player on the pitch, creating Watkins’s opener with pace and intelligence. A few weeks ago, we were wondering whether ‘Carsball’ was England’s answer. Now that it’s been discarded, we started wondering again. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe Three Lions bounced back from their disappointing Wembley defeatJones impressed on his England debutCredit: ReutersEngland need only to beat Ireland at Wembley on Sunday to win the group and secure promotion to the Nations League top tier.And Tuchel now has plenty of choices to make between Gareth Southgate’s old guard and Carsley’s young thrusters.England ratings vs Greece (1)Kane had netted 86 per cent of the goals scored by this entire England squad – 68 from a total of 79 – so it was certainly a bold call from Carsley to bench him.And this had looked like probably the weakest starting XI England had fielded for a competitive fixture in living memory. Facing Greece seems to bring out the unconventional in England’s interim manager.Carsley appeared to lose his Elgin marbles with the tactical brainstorm which led to last month’s embarrassing 2-1 home defeat against the same opposition. On that night, Kane was injured and Carsley played without an authentic centre-forward – here he simply preferred the pace of Watkins to the nous and class of Kane. England ratings vs Greece as Madueke and Jones steal the show after Kane benchedIT IS difficult to remember an England starting XI which, on paper at least, looked as totally underwhelming as this one.Yet manager-in-waiting Thomas Tuchel, presumably watching the game at his home in Bavaria, will have been hugely encouraged by this performance from what appeared to be a complete mish-mash of a team – and one which was awfully short of experience.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated England’s stars…Jordan Pickford – 8Back in after being dropped for Finland last month – and showed a good response. Great stop to deny Kostas Tsimikas at the near post and alive to danger throughout.Earned his first-ever booking in 72 England caps for time wasting in the first half.Kyle Walker – 7Captain in Harry Kane’s absence and passionately conveyed his side’s frustration to ref Daniel Siebert when Pickford was booked.Moved to centre-back after the break when Ezri Konsa went off.Marc Guehi – 7Another solid performance from the Crystal Palace man who you would think would be a first-choice starter for Thomas Tuchel when the German begins work.Ezri Konsa – 7One of several players targeted by a laser in the crowd, along with Pickford and Belligham.Limped off just before half-time and was replaced by Lewis Hall at the break.Rico Lewis – 7Filled in at left-back over newbie Hall, before moving to the right when the Newcastle man came on.Almost had his first England goal early in the second half but was denied by a fine stop from Hall’s club-mate Odysseas Vlachodimos.Curtis Jones – 9Sparkled on debut in the heart of midfield, not looking overawed in the slightest. Played deeper than he does for Liverpool, but in the same position where he shone for Lee Carsley in England’s triumphant Under-21 Euros last summer.Gorgeous backheel to cap his bow with the third goal.Conor Gallagher – 7Started brightly next to Jones, though gave the ball away a few times after the break. Booked for stopping a quick free-kick early on.Arrived just too late to poke in the rebound from Bellingham’s strike as it had already crossed the line for an own goal.Noni Madueke – 9A blistering first start from the Chelsea man who put real pressure on Bukayo Saka’s place with this performance.He took on his man at every opportunity, at pace, and had excellent end product too, setting up Watkins’ opener and a header for Bellingham which hit the post.Jude Bellingham – 8Some sublime touches and passes from the talisman, including a wonderful ball round the corner to release Madueke in the build-up to the opener.Seemed to thrive with pace all around him and killed off the game with his late strike which hit the post and bounced in off the keeper.Anthony Gordon – 7Provided a threat down the left with his pace and trickery, even if he was outshone by Madueke. A decent display but not one that demanded he start at left wing every game.Ollie Watkins – 7The surprise starter over Harry Kane. He took his early chance well, converting from the edge of the six-yard box.Could have had another when sent clean through but the ball got stuck under his feet.SubsLewis Hall (for Ezri Konsa half-time) – 7Came on at half-time for his debut and did not put a foot wrong.Harry Kane (for Ollie Watkins, 66) – 6Had a curling effort well stopped after exchanging passes with fellow sub Morgan Rogers.Morgan Rogers (for Anthony Gordon, 66) – 8Some exciting touches from the Villa debutant, including one to release Bellingham in the lead-up to the second goal.Jarrod Bowen (for Noni Madueke, 66) – 7Clever nutmeg to free Morgan Gibbs-White, who then teed up Jones.Morgan Gibbs-White (for Gallagher, 79) – 7Cutback for Jones was on the money.And within seven minutes, his boldness was rewarded with an excellent team goal. Madueke was the architect, first with a back-heel which took out left-back Kostas Tsimikas, then after he’d collected a return pass from Jude Bellingham, the Chelsea man reached the byline and cut back with his right foot for Watkins to slot home. Carsley had fielded a front three blessed with express pace and Anthony Gordon was also causing bother for the Greeks early on, cutting inside and having a powerful shot deflected wide for a corner.   German ref Daniel Siebert – a convicted match-fixer – got busy, booking Bellingham and Conor Gallagher in quick succession then handing Jordan Pickford the first yellow card of his England career for wasting an extraordinarily short amount of time at a goal-kick. Noni Madueke was also a star man for EnglandThis was the first sell-out for an international football match at the 70,000-capacity Olympic Stadium but a crowd which had started off in good voice was being lulled by the composed control exerted by this patchwork England side.  Finally, the Greeks began to threaten and, after a rapid break down the left, Tsimikas had a fierce shot beaten away by Pickford at his near post. There was plenty of neat midfield play from Bellingham and Gallagher but England were less of a menace as the first half progressed – although, in injury-time, Rico Lewis released Watkins, who lost his footing when he’d looked a good bet to score.  Ezri Konsa was limping heavily at the end of the half and was replaced at half-time by debutant Lewis Hall – Walker switching to central defence and Lewis moving to right-back. England were soon back on the front foot with Madueke full of devilment. The Chelsea winger toasted Tsimikas and cut back for Lewis to have a shot blocked by keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos. Then after the resulting corner, Madueke centred for Bellingham to head against the back stick.  Greece retained a threat, though, and when Gallagher lost possession, Fotos Ionnidis forced a decent save from Pickford. Carsley then withdrew his front three, introducing Kane, Jarrord Bowen and debutant Morgan Rogers. Madueke’s withdrawal was a strange decision, as he had shown little sign of easing up. Still, Kane soon had a long-ranger saved by Vlachodimos and then Rogers played a key role in England’s second goal. The Villa man played a cool pass on the turn to release Bellingham, who charged forward and pinged a shot against the inside of the post which cannoned in off the prone Greek keeper, crossing the line before Gallagher could claim a touch. READ MORE SUN STORIESThe third was a peach – a nutmeg pass from Bowen, a cut-back from Gibbs-White and a cute finish from Jones with a flick of his heel. Suddenly, it felt as if Carsball wasn’t too bad at all. More

ENGLAND fans were targeted with lasers during their clash with Greece.The Three Lions faced a hostile atmosphere in Athens as they looked to secure a win to keep alive their hopes of winning their Nations League group.Fans targeted England players with lasers in GreeceCredit: GettySeveral players were hit by a green lightFans did the same when Chelsea visited Athens last monthCredit: RexFew England players were sparedCredit: PALee Carlsey’s side got off to a quick start as Jude Bellingham linked with Noni Madueke who slid across for Ollie Watkins to score.But moments later Bellingham and the rest of his team-mates were targeted by lasers pointed from the stands.Bellingham and Pickford were hit in the face by the green lights, which plagued England throughout the first half.It comes after Chelsea players also had to combat lasers in a recent trip to Greek side Panathinaikos.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLChristopher Nkunku was blasted by the same green light as he stepped up to take a penalty in the Europa Conference League clash, which he scored.England fans slammed the behaviour of those inside the stadium and condemned the use of lasers.One fan said: “See laser pens are alive and well in Greece 🤦‍♂️”Another added: “Some t*** with a laser at the England game. I hope they stand on Lego.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSA third wrote: “It could blind someone.”And another commented: “Imagine being stupid enough to take a laser pen to a football match. They’ve had long enough now to find the person doing it.” ‘I don’t really like it’ – Harry Kane breaks silence after eight England players pull out of Nations League squadDespite Greek fans’ best efforts, England were able to keep their focus and earn an important win in Athens.An own goal from keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, followed by Curtis Jones’ stunning backheel flick, in the second half saw the Three Lions win 3-0.The result sees England take control of their Nations League group, meaning a win over Ireland on Sunday will see them promoted for Group A.England ratings vs Greece as Madueke and Jones steal the show after Kane benchedIT IS difficult to remember an England starting XI which, on paper at least, looked as totally underwhelming as this one.Yet manager-in-waiting Thomas Tuchel, presumably watching the game at his home in Bavaria, will have been hugely encouraged by this performance from what appeared to be a complete mish-mash of a team – and one which was awfully short of experience.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated England’s stars…Jordan Pickford – 8Back in after being dropped for Finland last month – and showed a good response. Great stop to deny Kostas Tsimikas at the near post and alive to danger throughout.Earned his first-ever booking in 72 England caps for time wasting in the first half.Kyle Walker – 7Captain in Harry Kane’s absence and passionately conveyed his side’s frustration to ref Daniel Siebert when Pickford was booked.Moved to centre-back after the break when Ezri Konsa went off.Marc Guehi – 7Another solid performance from the Crystal Palace man who you would think would be a first-choice starter for Thomas Tuchel when the German begins work.Ezri Konsa – 7One of several players targeted by a laser in the crowd, along with Pickford and Belligham.Limped off just before half-time and was replaced by Lewis Hall at the break.Rico Lewis – 7Filled in at left-back over newbie Hall, before moving to the right when the Newcastle man came on.Almost had his first England goal early in the second half but was denied by a fine stop from Hall’s club-mate Odysseas Vlachodimos.Curtis Jones – 9Sparkled on debut in the heart of midfield, not looking overawed in the slightest. Played deeper than he does for Liverpool, but in the same position where he shone for Lee Carsley in England’s triumphant Under-21 Euros last summer.Gorgeous backheel to cap his bow with the third goal.Conor Gallagher – 7Started brightly next to Jones, though gave the ball away a few times after the break. Booked for stopping a quick free-kick early on.Arrived just too late to poke in the rebound from Bellingham’s strike as it had already crossed the line for an own goal.Noni Madueke – 9A blistering first start from the Chelsea man who put real pressure on Bukayo Saka’s place with this performance.He took on his man at every opportunity, at pace, and had excellent end product too, setting up Watkins’ opener and a header for Bellingham which hit the post.Jude Bellingham – 8Some sublime touches and passes from the talisman, including a wonderful ball round the corner to release Madueke in the build-up to the opener.Seemed to thrive with pace all around him and killed off the game with his late strike which hit the post and bounced in off the keeper.Anthony Gordon – 7Provided a threat down the left with his pace and trickery, even if he was outshone by Madueke. A decent display but not one that demanded he start at left wing every game.Ollie Watkins – 7The surprise starter over Harry Kane. He took his early chance well, converting from the edge of the six-yard box.Could have had another when sent clean through but the ball got stuck under his feet.SubsLewis Hall (for Ezri Konsa half-time) – 7Came on at half-time for his debut and did not put a foot wrong.Harry Kane (for Ollie Watkins, 66) – 6Had a curling effort well stopped after exchanging passes with fellow sub Morgan Rogers.Morgan Rogers (for Anthony Gordon, 66) – 8Some exciting touches from the Villa debutant, including one to release Bellingham in the lead-up to the second goal.Jarrod Bowen (for Noni Madueke, 66) – 7Clever nutmeg to free Morgan Gibbs-White, who then teed up Jones.Morgan Gibbs-White (for Gallagher, 79) – 7Cutback for Jones was on the money. More

GREECE legend Giorgos Karagounis insists tonight’s clash is far more important for his country than it is for England.The Greeks haven’t been at a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where Euro 2004 winner Karagounis was pulling the strings in midfield.Euro 2004 winner Giorgios Karagounis believes Greece can do the double over EnglandCredit: GettyKaragounis inspired Greece to an historic triumph 20 years agoCredit: AFPGreece will host England at the Athens Olympic Stadium where there is sure to be a raucous atmosphereCredit: ReutersBut they would be thrown a lifeline in their bid to reach the 2026 showpiece if they top their Nations B group all while missing out on the top two berths in qualifying.Ex-Fulham star Karagounis told SunSport: “The game will be more important for Greece because topping the group would boost our chances for the World Cup.”Statistics tell us that it’s harder for Greece to qualify for a World Cup while England shouldn’t have too many difficulties getting there.”Beating England is always prestigious especially in front of your own public. Winning would also be massive in terms of confidence heading into the ‘real’ games, the World Cup qualifiers.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”Success in the Nations League is nice but after 12 years have to qualify again for a major tournament.”But now there’s more pressure on Greece after their great performance at Wembley. People’s expectations have risen and they now expect a similar result. The enthusiasm is back and there will be 70,000 fans in the stadium.”A draw will do but we have to try and win because settling for a stalemate is dangerous as it heightens the risk of losing.”You should always go into every game to win, never mind if you play a top team like England.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSMore of the same as in their shock 2-1 two fortnights ago and the Greece should be home and dry.Asked if Greece can do the double over England like his legendary crop gloriously did over hosts Portugal 20 years ago, Karagounis said: “Yes, why not? My prediction is a Greece win or a draw.Lee Carsley insists focus is on players available for England after eight drop-outs”But we need to have the same game plan as in England and show the same level of concentration, grinta and mentality. The players need to believe in themselves, show respect but not be scared.”It won’t be easy for Greece because maybe England underestimated us and won’t make the same mistake twice. But likewise it will be difficult for them to win in Greece, many of their players are missing…” The team is confident now and there are a couple of young players who have elevated the quality of the team. Winning at Wembley does a lot for the morale and confidence.”Yet times have changed. While Otto Rehhagel parked the bus before trying to nick one on the break or on set-pieces, now Greece go for the jugular.Ex-midfielder Karagounis said: “Greece are now playing really well and have a propensity for attacking football. They go for it, create goal chances and don’t just try to defend like in 2004.”Against England we scored five goals but only two counted.That proves that we didn’t just defend, it was a “super-attacking” display.”Karagounis banks on talisman Christos Tzolis and Pavlidis, who scored twice in the reverse fixture, to do the job again.He said: “Tzolis is one of a new wave of players who have given the squad that X-factor. He also has a good shot from distance and can replicate my goal against Portugal at Euro 2004. Bagasetas too has shown that he can score from outside the box.”Pavlidis has proven that he’s a great footballer and plays at Benfica. But we shouldn’t compare him to Charisteas. They are different players with different characteristics. Pavlidis is an orthodox centre-forward while Angelos played as a winger at times and also defended.”Karagounis’ life has never been the same since he netted the opening goal of Euro 2004.He said: “That goal changed my life as it came in the first game against Portugal at their home. Everybody was saying that it was impossible for us to win as they were packed with superstars and had the fans behind them.”The pressure was on Portugal because they were expected to beat Greece. My goal after seven minutes was a shot in the arm. There and then our dream started to gather pace.”Those three points were invaluable as they set us on our way to the quarterfinals where we knocked out France, the reigning European champions and team to beat at that time with players like Zidane and Henry.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Once we got over the France hurdle, we were confident that we could go all the way and win the trophy. At home and abroad I’ve never had to buy a drink again when I met Greeks.”We gave the whole country belief, showing that if you’re united you can win even if you’re not the best. Greece can now surely draw inspiration from us for.” More