The Greek National Team delivered a dazzling performance at Hampden Park on Sunday, defeating Scotland 3-0 to secure promotion to League A of the Nations League in their first-ever campaign in League B. Under the guidance of coach Ivan Jovanovic, Greece’s youthful squad—boasting an average age of just 22.7 years—overturned an earlier loss to Scotland at Karaiskakis Stadium and cemented their place among Europe’s footballing elite.
The standout star of the night was Giannis Konstantelias, who orchestrated Greece’s victory with a goal and two assists. Seventeen-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas made history as the youngest scorer in Greek National Team history, while Christos Tzolis capped the triumph with a clinical finish. The result marks Greece’s fourth consecutive away win under Jovanovic, following victories over Ireland, England, and Finland.
A Game of Youth and Brilliance
Scotland started brightly, with Kenny McLean’s pinpoint pass finding Scott McTominay in the 6th minute, only for goalkeeper Konstantis Tzolakis to deny the Napoli midfielder. Tzolakis, just 22 himself, made another vital save two minutes later, keeping Greece in contention during an early spell of Scottish pressure.
The tide turned in the 20th minute when Greece struck first. Right-back Georgios Vayannidis delivered a precise cross, and Konstantelias fired a right-footed shot from the penalty spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Tzolakis stood tall again in the 31st minute, thwarting John McGinn’s effort after a clever McTominay pass.
Greece doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute through Karetsas. Midfielder Lazaros Mouzakitis played a vertical ball to Dimitris Giannoulis, who found Konstantelias. The playmaker then teed up the Genk teenager, whose stunning left-footed strike from the right side of the box made it 2-0—and etched his name into the record books.
The “blue and white” wasted no time in the second half, extending their lead to 3-0 just 46 seconds after the restart. Konstantelias intercepted the ball outside the box and set up Tzolis, who finished with precision to put the game beyond Scotland’s reach.
A New Era for Greece
Jovanovic rang the changes from the earlier defeat in Faliro, introducing six new starters: Vayannidis, Giannoulis, Mouzakitis, Christos Zafeiris, Karetsas, and Vangelis Pavlidis replaced Rota, Tsimikas, Siopis, Mantalos, Masouras, and Ioannidis. The bold move paid off, with the youthful lineup showcasing both skill and resilience.
A late chance in the 67th minute nearly saw Greece add a fourth, as Konstantelias fed Pavlidis, who chipped Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon. However, Grant Hanley cleared the ball off the line to keep the score at 3-0.
The approximately 1,500 Greek fans in attendance erupted in celebration, chanting Jovanovic’s name in the second half as their team sealed a historic ascent to League A. The final whistle sparked wild scenes of joy among the players, who marked their promotion with unbridled enthusiasm.
Lineups
Scotland: Gordon; Souttar, Hanley, Ralston, Robertson (Wilson 73’); Gilmour (Tierney 55’), McLean (Ferguson 55’); McTominay, Christie (Conway 73’), McGinn; Adams (Adams 55’).
Greece: Tzolakis; Giannoulis, Koulierakis, Mavropanos, Vayannidis; Zafeiris, Mouzakitis (Galanopoulos 82’); Konstantelias (Pelkas 73’), Karetsas (Masouras 73’), Tzolis (Retsos 90’); Pavlidis (Ioannidis 82’).
Looking Ahead
With this victory, Greece joins the top tier of the Nations League for the first time, a testament to Jovanovic’s transformative leadership. The Serbian manager remains unbeaten in four away matches, signaling the dawn of an exciting new chapter for Greek football. For Scotland, the defeat ends their hopes of promotion, leaving them to regroup ahead of future challenges.