A Hell-as night for England as they bear too many gifts to Greece in 2-1 loss at Wembley Stadium
By Paul Lagan at Wembley Stadium
England 1 v Greece 2
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Jude Bellingham thought he had spared England's blushes with a late, late equaliser but Greece, who, deserved all three points in the Nations League qualifier smashed home an even later winner to beat the Three Lions 2-1 on home soil and top League B Group 2.
This was a shocker of an England performance that started without a striker, ended up with two but whatever 11 players were on the pitch, they looked devoid of team play and a real sense of what they were doing.
Greece were strong on the break, solid at the back and determined not to allow England to dominate possession in midfield.
Bellingham forced a brilliant save from Odysseas Viachodimos after three minutes when his goal-bound edge of penalty area, right-footed curler was tipped away by the stopper.
Two minutes later and Vangelis Pavildis tried something similar but his shot was weaker and off target.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer was looking for a trademark free-kick success, and he wasn't too far away, on eight minutes, his left-footer inching just over the Greek crossbar.
Jordan Pickford almost made a case of English bearing gifts on 10 minutes when he tried a bit of slalom dribbling only to be dispossessed allowing Greece to loop the ball goal-bound.
Chelsea's Levi Colwill brilliantly got his keeper out of trouble by hooking the ball off the goal-line.
Greece than had the ball in the back of the net but Ntinos Mavropanos, who headed in after Pickford missed the ball, was adjudged, rightly to be offside.
England were torn apart on 20 minutes but Pickford sort of redeemed himself by kicking the ball from a Tasos Bakasetas drive.
Palmer should have opened the score a minute later, Bellingham set up the forward who contrived to hack the ball over the crossbar from close range.
Antony Gordon had a good chance on 30 minutes when he latched on to a deep cross by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but his header was over the crossbar.
There were no changes by either side at half time.
But Greece got what there attacking philosophy deserved.
Pavildis cut through three England players and slotted coolly home past Pickford on 49 minutes.
Noni instantly replaced ineffectual Arsenal man Bukayo Saka.
Greece thought they s cored again on 60 minutes but offside was given by the linesman.
Striker Ollie Watkins replaced Gordon a minute later.
However his first touch was to lash the ball over the crossbar.
Foden was replaced by ex-Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke on 72 minutes.
Solanke had a back heel smothered by a dogged Greek defence as the home side tried to wrestle a point.
Disaster struck for the Three Lions with eight minutes on the clock. Pickford's throw out was intercepted and within seconds Pavildis was on the spot to tuck home from close range.
VAR then intervened and chalked off the goal.
Incredibly England clawed their way back into the game with two minutes to spare when Bellingham latched onto the ball on thee edge of the Greek penalty area and caressed a right-footer which Viachodimos could only help in to the back of the net to level the score.
But with seconds left of the four added minutes England's defence were all over the place and Pavildis, smashed home the winner.
READ YANN TEAR'S TALKING POINTS HERE.
Teams: England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Lewis, Rice, Stones, Saka, Bellingham, Foden, Gordon, Colwill, Palmer
Subs: Henderson, Pope, Guehi, Walker, Gallagher, Livramento, Jones, Watkins, Gomes, Solanke
Greece: Viachodimos, Koullerakis, Mavropanos, Kourbells, Masouras, Tzolis, Bakasetas, Pavildis, Rota, Giannoulis, Siopis
Subs: Tzolakis, Mandas, Vaglannidis, Retsos, Douvikas, Pelkas, Chatzigiovanis, Hatzidiakos, Konstantelias, Zafeiris, Mantalos
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