The national team celebrated a great result in Dublin as Greece beat Ireland 2-0 at the AVIVA Stadium on the 7th matchday of the second qualifying group of Euro 2024.
The pioneers of this three-point victory were Giorgos Giakoumakis, who opened the scoring in the 20th minute, and Giorgos Masouras, who increased the lead for the national team at 45+4'.
This three-point victory increases Greece's hopes for direct qualification. They currently sit in 2nd place with 12 points, just three points behind the Netherlands (who they will face on Monday at the OPAP Arena) in a crucial "final" game.
The qualification now lies in the hands of the national team. If they can secure wins against both Oranie and France, Greece will earn a ticket to the stadiums of Germany starting in November.
The match started with Ireland putting pressure on the national team, but Greece gradually balanced and began to keep possession of the ball for longer periods. They had their first moment in the 17th minute with a long shot by Kourbelis. Three minutes later, Tsimikas delivered an amazing cross from the left, and Giakoumakis scored with a header to give Greece the lead.
Ireland attempted to respond, but Greece controlled the tempo of the game and wasn't threatened. In the 37th minute, Masouras passed to Giakoumakis, who set up Pelkas for a shot that was saved for a corner. Before the end of the first half, Mandalos found Giakoumakis on the left, who then fed Masouras for a goal, extending Greece's lead to 2-0.
The national team started the second half strongly, with Pelkas missing a chance for a third goal. Greece continued to control the tempo of the game and managed their lead without allowing Ireland to become a threat. Ireland had a chance with a long shot from Knight in the 70th minute, but it was off target.
Greece found spaces on the counterattack, and Ioannidis had a chance in the 74th minute but missed with his header. After the 80th minute, Ireland had two occasions to threaten, but they couldn't capitalize on them. The national team remained in complete control until the final whistle, securing a very important victory.
Lineups:
IRELAND: Bazunu, Doherty, Duffy, Cullen, Brown (70′ Johnston), Ferguson, Smallbone (70′ Robinson), Scales, Knight, Ogbene (86′ Aida), Collins (46′ Manning)
GREECE: Vlachodimos, Retsos, Mavropanos, Rota, Tsimikas, Kourbelis (64′ Bouchalakis), Mandalos, Pelkas (64′ Chatzigiovanis), Bakasetas (88′ Siopis), Masouras (88′ Koulierakis), Giakoumakis (70′ Ioannidis).
