2024-10-11 07:20:02
England suffered their first defeat under Lee Carsley in a thrilling and frustrating encounter with Greece at Wembley. Having named an attacking and experimental line-up Carsley watched on in shock as his team were outclassed on the turf whilst struggling to utilise the talents of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in a coherent way.
The Greeks should have led at half-time. They had a goal disallowed after Jordan Pickford made some quickfire errors in an uncharacteristically nervous performance. They did lead just after the break with Vangelis Pavlidis weaving through three defenders to slot a low effort past the goalkeeper.
Two more disallowed goals for Greece tells the story of a shaky English defence that lacked substance. The progression nature of the full backs too often allowing space on the counter and leaving John Stones and Levi Colwill with too much to do. In the dying stages Jude Bellingham smoked in a rocket strike that almost nicked England a point.
The deciding moment though came to Pavlidis. England scrambled in the box once again and knocked the ball to the striker who took his chance and secured a first ever win against the Three Lions for Greece.
Relive the Nations League action with our live blog below:
England vs Greece LIVE
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REPORT: England’s failed experiment gives one answer to Lee Carsley – but asks another about him
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RATINGS: Saka and Foden fail to shine in Nations League defeat
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90+4’ GOAL! Pavlidis wins it in stoppage time (ENG 1-2 GRE)
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87’ GOAL! Bellingham’s rocket equalises for England (ENG 1-1 GRE)
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85’ DISALLOWED! Pavlidis’ second is ruled out for offside (ENG 0-1 GRE)
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83’ GOAL! Pavlidis doubles Greece’s lead in the dying moments (ENG 0-2 GRE)
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49’ GOAL! Pavlidis dribbles through the box and beats Pickford (ENG 0-1 GRE)
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10’ DISALLOWED! Multiple errors from Pickford result in a Greece goal but it gets chalked off (ENG 0-0 GRE)
No threat from England
22:47 , Mike Jones
Jude Bellingham’s 87th minute equaliser was England’s first shot on target since the third minute (also from Bellingham).
A long wait for Solanke
22:44 , Mike Jones
Dominic Solanke made his second appearance for England, six years and 331 days after winning his first cap for the Three Lions. It’s the fourth longest gap between a player winning their first two caps for the men’s side.
England boss Lee Carsley on ITV:
22:41 , Mike Jones
“We were second best for a lot of tonight, it is disappointing. You are going to get set backs and it’s important we respond.
“We tried something different and tried to overload the midfield. We tried it for 20 minutes yesterday, we experimented, and disappointed it didn’t come off. It’s unrealistic to expect too much and we will have to try again. All the goals were from mistakes, which is disappointing.
“It is definitely an option going forward. When you have someone of Kane’s quality though it rules it out when he is available. But in the future you have to have the courage and ability to try things.
“We tried something different. It doesn’t change anything. My remit is to do the three camps.”
Greece goal hero dedicates win over England to George Baldock following former teammate’s death
22:37 , Mike Jones
Greece beat England 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday night, with the match-winner Vangelis Pavlidis dedicating the performance as well as the victory to former teammate George Baldock, who passed away earlier in the week.
Baldock, who qualified to represent Greece through a grandparent, won a dozen caps for the national team and had been in the squad earlier this year. But Greek football was rocked when the national association confirmed on Wednesday that he had been found dead at age 31 in a swimming pool at home, just days after featuring for his club Panathinaikos.
The defender played for Sheffield United for seven years in England, among other teams, before a summer switch to the Greek Super League.
Greece goal hero dedicates win over England to Baldock after death
Pavlidis speaking to ITV about George Baldock:
22:34 , Mike Jones
“It was a really special day for us because of George. We are people and it’s a special night because of him.
“[We have thought about him] a lot since we heard it yesterday. A difficult moment for us because George was part of the team. Special guy. We have to play for him and it doesn’t matter the score today. We gave everything for him.”
Stones offers condolences for Baldock’s family
22:31 , Mike Jones
England captain John Stones on the death of Greece defender George Baldock: “For everyone in the dressing room and The FA, condolences to his family.
“A few of the boys were close to him. We knew it wasn’t an easy day for them. Hendo [Dean Henderson] was close to him, it wasn’t easy for him with that news.”
A night to forget for England
22:28 , Mike Jones
Greece are the lowest ranked (48th) side to beat England in a competitive match since Northern Ireland (116th) in September 2005, and the lowest ever on record to do so on English soil.
A historic night for Greece
22:25 , Mike Jones
Greece have beaten England for the first time ever (drawn two, lost seven). Their goals tonight were their first ever scored at Wembley Stadium.
Greece’s matchwinner: Vangelis Pavlidis
22:22 , Mike Jones
Paul Robinson speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live
22:18 , Mike Jones
The former England goalkeeper said: “Very, very emotional evening for Greece.
“Wembley is empty apart from the blue shirts over in that corner. They’ve made an occasion for what is a very sad day. They’re still on the pitch now.”
The winning moment
22:13 , Mike Jones
It’s probably fair to say that England lost this game rather than Greece won it. Vangelis Pavlidis though had a stormer and took his chances when they came.
What a performance. This is his winning goal:
Greece dedicate win to George Baldock
22:07 , Mike Jones
The Greek team have had a ride of emotions over the last 24 hours. The news that George Baldock had passed away in Athens at just 31 years old will have rocked the squad.
Baldock represented Greece and the players have dedicated this win to him and his family.
England captain John Stones on ITV:
22:04 , Mike Jones
“On a personal note, absolutely gutted. To have a result like that with the armband for the first time.
“We prepared like we normally do and it didn’t come off. From the start they put us right under pressure. They were very compact.
“We know the system as players and when we are out there as players we we have to deliver. The onus is on us to deliver – and we didn’t.
“A difficult night, a lot was riding on it for me personally and we saw it as a great opportunity to top the group. We have to move forward.”
Can England win the group?
22:00 , Mike Jones
England can still earn automatic promotion out of League B in the Nations League but they will now need to win, and win big, against the Greeks away from home.
Not to mention, they’ll need to beat Finland and Republic of Ireland again as we can assume Greece won’t slip up against either of those teams.
Bellingham scores a cracker
21:57 , Mike Jones
Let’s rewind a touch. Here’s Jude Bellingham’s equaliser and what a goal this is. It’s also Bellingham’s first goal of the season:
England suffer first defeat under Lee Carsley
21:54 , Mike Jones
Not the night England wanted.
England player ratings vs Greece as Saka and Foden fail to shine in Nations League defeat
21:51 , Mike Jones
Lee Carsley suffered his first defeat during his role as interim manager of England with a 2-1 loss at Wembley to Greece in the Nations League.
Despite playing a whole collection of attacking options, the Three Lions were largely dismal and lacking cohesion in possession, and lacking bodies and structure out of it, leading to Greece having a succession of chances on the counter-attack.
Vangelis Pavlidis eventually found a route to goal after dribbling through the defence, only for Jude Bellingham to score a late equaliser for what looked like it would prevent Carsley suffering a first defeat – but another defensive mix-up saw Pavlidis rifle in the winner.
Here are the player ratings from Wembley.
Player ratings as Saka and Foden flop in dismal England defeat
FT England 1-2 Greece
21:49 , Mike Jones
England suffered their first defeat under Lee Carsley in a thrilling and frustrating encounter with Greece at Wembley. Having named an attacking and experimental line-up Carsley watched on in shock as his team were outclassed on the turf whilst struggling to utilise the talents of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in a coherent way.
The Greeks should have led at half-time. They had a goal disallowed after Jordan Pickford made some quickfire errors in an uncharacteristically nervous performance. They did lead just after the break with Vangelis Pavlidis weaving through three defenders to slot a low effort past the goalkeeper.
Two more disallowed goals for Greece tells the story of a shaky English defence that lacked substance. The progression nature of the full backs too often allowing space on the counter and leaving John Stones and Levi Colwill with too much to do. In the dying stages Jude Bellingham smoked in a rocket strike that almost nicked England a point.
The deciding moment though came to Pavlidis. England scrambled in the box once again and knocked the ball to the striker who took his chance and secured a first ever win against the Three Lions for Greece.
Full-time! England 1-2 Greece
21:42 , Mike Jones
90+5 mins: The full time whistle goes.
Greece earn a historic win at Wembley and they deserved it. It was a superb performance from the visitors as Lee Carsley’s experiement didn’t work.
Jude Bellingham almost secured a point but Vangelis Pavlidis stepped up to the plate and his two goals keep Greece at the top of Group B2.
GOAL! England 1-2 Greece (Vangelis Pavlidis, 90+4’)
21:39 , Mike Jones
90+4 mins: This one should stand!
England are terrible in defence once more. There’s pressure and a lack of leadership in the box as Greece burst forward. A huge scramble sees the ball squirt out to Pavlidis who takes his opportunity.
Greece go ahead again and that should secure them the points.
England 1-1 Greece
21:37 , Mike Jones
90+2 mins: It’s the Greeks who look a little flummoxed now. They deserved to be in front and seem to have been flattened by the equaliser.
They’re happy with a point too. The players are strolling around the pitch, not moving quickly, just trying to take time out of the game.
England 1-1 Greece
21:35 , Mike Jones
90 mins: Is there time for a winning goal? Bellingham thinks so.
A deep free kick is played out to the right before coming back to Alexander-Arnold. He floats a cross to the far side of the box where Madueke arrives and pokes a shot into the side netting.
Five minutes of added time to play. England couldn’t, could they?
GOAL! England 1-1 Greece (Jude Bellingham, 87’)
21:33 , Mike Jones
87 mins: Jude Bellingham rescues England!
That’s a story that’s been played out before. Ollie Watkins is played into the box on the right side of the pitch. He pulls it back and doesn’t find a teammate in the area.
Bellingham runs onto the ball from deep and rattles a rocket towards goal which beats Vlachodimos and brings the Three Lions level at Wembley.
England 0-1 Greece
21:30 , Mike Jones
85 mins: Reprieve for England!
Greece’s second goal is ruled out for offside as Pavlidis just edge ahead of the ball before Tzolis played the pass across to him. Greece have scored four times tonight with only one of those efforts being legitimate.
What a performance from them.
GOAL! England 0-2 Greece (Pavlidis, 83’)
21:28 , Mike Jones
83 mins: Boom!
Pavlidis doubles Greece’s lead. It’s a quick break through Tzolis down the left side after England give the ball away. Tzolis drives up the pitch, goes into the box and squares the ball to the forward who turns it home.
England 0-1 Greece
21:27 , Mike Jones
81 mins: The frustration is growing amongst the England players but not so the crowd. They’re trying to encourage England on, get them up the pitch and inspire them to score an equaliser.
Greece aren’t letting them though. They have a good defence and look likely to shut the Three Lions out. Will there be some late drama?
England 0-1 Greece
21:23 , Mike Jones
78 mins: Madueke goes on a nice run alongside the edge of the penalty area but there’s no final ball nor a shot meaning his gets dispossessed.
The Chelsea forward then wins a corner with his next attack. Trent Alexander-Arnold curls in the delivery but Tzolis is there to nod the ball away.
England 0-1 Greece
21:18 , Mike Jones
75 mins: Now then. Here comes Dominic Solanke.
He’s brought on to replace Phil Foden and makes a first appearance for England in seven years following his debut in 2017. Can the Tottenham striker rescue this match for the Three Lions?
England 0-1 Greece
21:17 , Mike Jones
72 mins: A long ball comes over the top and finds Jude Bellingham. He has a quick glance at the goalkeeper then looks to lob Vlachodimos from range and gets it all wrong.
The chances goes begging for England and Bellingham knows that was the wrong decision.
England 0-1 Greece
21:15 , Mike Jones
69 mins: Greece send a corner into the box that Bellingham and Madueke deal with. The visitors recycle the ball and whip it back into the box where Jordan Pickford again fumbles an attempted clearance.
It’s been a night to forget for the England No.1.
England 0-1 Greece
21:12 , Mike Jones
66 mins: Carsley is trying to be proactive. He’s issuing orders and instructions from the manager’s box and trying to keep the energy levels up.
England’s performance has just been flat throughout the game.
England 0-1 Greece
21:10 , Mike Jones
63 mins: Can England recover from this position? Under Gareth Southgate there would be a confidence in the team that they were never out of the game.
Is that same belief there under Lee Carsley?
With Watkins on the pitch, there’s a more recognised shape to England with a central focal point. He’s already had one good chance, there’ll probably be another before full-time.
England 0-1 Greece
21:08 , Miguel Delaney at Wembley
“OK, it can probably be said the experiment is on the brink of failure.
“It is right now on the brink of defeat, as Greece lead 1-0 after Vangelis Pavlidis’s goal. He just managed to work his way through to finish in a way you might expect of a team with so few defensive players. Before getting into the tactical technical detail, it is worth recognising the sad emotion.
“The Greek players were in tears as they celebrated for former teammate George Baldock.
“They have been driven by emotion tonight, but also their focus and fine tactical set-up. Against that, England have looked so shapeless. Is that a surprise when the Premier League’s most productive playmaker is used as a passing midfielder alongside Declan Rice?
“The team is actually so uninspiring – despite so much creativity in it – that it’s hard not to at least muse whether Lee Carsley has picked an inverse Jose Mourinho-style team that is part political point. “This is the team you all wanted.” Will people ask for all the stars again after this?
“It’s almost like he went too far, giving far too much of the creativity that people craved after Gareth Southgate. England could suddenly do with some order.”
England 0-1 Greece
21:06 , Mike Jones
60 mins: An hour played at Wembley with England needing to find something special. Ollie Watkins almost brings it after getting played into the penalty area.
He strikes it strongly but smokes the first time shot over the crossbar!
England 0-1 Greece
21:05 , Mike Jones
58 mins: Lee Carsley makes his first tactical substitution with Ollie Watkins introduced to replace Anthony Gordon. That will give England a target to aim for in the forward line and the Aston Villa striker isn’t afraid to shoot.
Disallowed!
Greece score again after a long ball comes up to Koulierakis. He plays it inside to Pavlidis who carries the ball into the box and sets up a teammate to score.
Pavlidis was offside though and the flag is raised immediately.
England 0-1 Greece
20:59 , Mike Jones
55 mins: England are wobbling here. They don’t look comfortable at all defensively and Jordan Pickford is called into action to flap a shot away.
The pragmatism of the Gareth Southgate era is not at all on display tonight.
England 0-1 Greece
20:58 , Mike Jones
52 mins: With that goal, England have conceded for the first time under Lee Carsley. How will the manager repsond?
Bukayo Saka went down off the ball and had to be taken off the pitch. Noni Madueke is the man called on to replace him which shouldn’t affect the formation.
GOAL! England 0-1 Greece (Pavlidis, 49’)
20:55 , Mike Jones
49 mins: That’s a cracking goal!
England are all at sea at the back as Greece pile the pressure on. Konstantinos Koulierakis drives down the inside left channel before slipping it to Vangelis Pavlidis.
He weaves in between three English defenders then curls a low effort past Jordan Pickford into the back of the net!
England 0-0 Greece
20:52 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Nearly!
Alexander-Arnold chips the ball down the line for Saka then sprints up to the penalty area. Saka keeps hold of the ball then slips Alexander-Arnold into the box.
The defender backheels it hoping to set up Foden but his pass is off target and Greece clear their lines.
It was a slick, quick move from the hosts that almost came off.
Second half! England 0-0 Greece
20:50 , Mike Jones
Greece get the match back underway at Wembley.
Lee Carsley hasn’t made any changes at the break so it’s as you were for England. Can they improve and get the opening goal?
HT England 0-0 Greece
20:46 , Mike Jones
Here’s a look at Levi Colwill’s heroics and Jordan Pickford’s error that almost resulted in the opening goal:
HT England 0-0 Greece
20:42 , Mike Jones
Anyone fancy a few stats?
England created seven chances in the first half with just one on target. Despite having only 40% possession, Greece almost matched them with six chances and one on target.
Those chances don’t include the attempt that was cleared off the line nor the Greek disallowed goal.
Greece are calm and dangerous and can easily win this game if England don’t come up with a solution.
HT England 0-0 Greece
20:38 , Mike Jones
Half-time! England 0-0 Greece
20:34 , Mike Jones
45 mins: No minutes of added time to play. The whistle goes with Greece having created the better chances over the first half.
Lee Carsley’s experiment hasn’t worked, will he stick with it or switch things up after the break?
England 0-0 Greece
20:33 , Miguel Delaney at Wembley
“Carsley’s experiment hasn’t really worked so far.
“Although England have weathered the way Greece got at them in those opening stages – not a great night for Jordan Pickford – there still isn’t really coherence.
“The team currently looks like what it is: a lot of players out of position. It should be stressed that is actually fair enough.
“If there is ever time to experiment with an England team, it is surely in a Nations League home match when you’ve already won your first two games?”
England 0-0 Greece
20:31 , Mike Jones
43 mins: Another England corner, won be the pacey sprinting of Phil Foden and Anthony Gordon.
Trent Alexander-Arnold swings the ball into the middle of the box but once again the Three Lions fail to trouble the Greek defence.
England 0-0 Greece
20:27 , Mike Jones
40 mins: Alexander-Arnold dinks the set piece into the penalty area this time, looking for John Stones near the back post. The ball gets intercepted and looped into the air before Vlachodimos takes control of it.
Not England’s best set piece.
England 0-0 Greece
20:26 , Mike Jones
39 mins: The corner is taken short and sent to Palmer. He lifts a cross into the middle but Mavropanos rises higher than anyone else and nods it away.
Foden then wins a free kick in a dangerous position and Palmer willm fancy his chances again.
England 0-0 Greece
20:25 , Mike Jones
37 mins: Foden and Bellingham combine on the edge of the box with some short, sharp passes but Foden can’t find enough space inside the area to take a shot.
The ball is sent back to John Stones but England come again quickly. They find Bukayo Saka who cuts onto his left foot and shoots winning England a corner.
England 0-0 Greece
20:23 , Mike Jones
34 mins: England are still trying to get things to click. The players don’t look well drilled enough for this formation to work properly (they aren’t as they’ve only had three sessions to practice it).
What it is doing though is making the game entertaining. The fans inside the ground seem to be enjoying themselves.
England 0-0 Greece
20:18 , Mike Jones
31 mins: Chance!
A cross comes in from deep with pace on it as Anthony Gordon bursts through the defence. He’s wide open but a ways out from goal when he attempts a headed effort.
He gets plenty of the ball but nods it over the top.
England 0-0 Greece
20:16 , Mike Jones
29 mins: This is better from England. Palmer is dictating from midfield and tries to feed the ball through a small gap for Saka. Giannoulis intercepts and clears but the Three Lions recover the ball and send it over to Gordon.
Gordon carries it into the box, goes on the outside and wins a corner as Lazaros Rota turns the ball out of play.
England 0-0 Greece
20:13 , Mike Jones
26 mins: Bakasetas goes form goal from a long way out but is charged down by Declan Rice. The visitors are enjoying their night here as England’s formation is providing them a lot of space to run into.
England’s attacking prowess means they need to control the game and so far they haven’t been able to.
England 0-0 Greece
20:11 , Mike Jones
24 mins: Close!
It’s end-to-end stuff this. Anthony Gordon takes the ball into space on the left before slipping a pass into the box for Jude Bellingham.
He manages to shift to the right before passing it across to Cole Palmer. Palmer shoots but whips the ball over the top!
England 0-0 Greece
20:09 , Mike Jones
21 mins: Chance!
Alexander-Arnold gives the ball away and Christos Tzolis flies down the left hand side. Dimitris Giannoulis makes an overlapping run before cutting it back into the box for Anastasios Bakasetas.
He shoots and drills a low effort at goal only for John Stones to flick it wide before Rico Lewis completes the clearance.
England 0-0 Greece
20:06 , Mike Jones
18 mins: England don’t look all that confident with this new formation and their defence has suffered for it. Levi Colwill is the only reason the game is still on level terms.
Rico Lewis makes a forward run on the left but gets bungled off the ball and Greece attempt to break. Phil Foden shuffles across and pokes the ball out for a throw in.
England 0-0 Greece
20:05 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Jude Bellingham makes a fantastic run in behind and is picked out by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Bellingham eases into the box from the right side but only has a couple of tough options.
He decides to shoot from a tight angle and fizzes the ball over the crossbar.
England 0-0 Greece
20:01 , Mike Jones
12 mins: Trent Alexander-Arnold boots the ball forward in order to ease some of the pressure on England’s back line. There were struggling to deal with the Greece press and Jordan Pickford will be low on confidence at the minute after those two mistakes.
England 0-0 Greece
20:00 , Mike Jones
10 mins: Disallowed!
Jordan Pickford is having a nightmare. First up he decides to come out of his penalty area to take control of the ball then takes too long to decide what to do with it.
He passes it to his opponents who then flick the ball at goal and Pickford’s blushes are spared but Levi Colwill clearing the ball off the line!
From the resultant corner, Pickford decides to come for the ball. He misses it and it gets poked to Konstantinos Mavropanos who dinks it into the back of the net only for the offside flag to go up!
England 0-0 Greece
19:55 , Mike Jones
7 mins: Oh hello!
Konstantinos Koulierakis clatters into Jude Bellingham who beats him to a loose ball. He takes out the midfielder over to the right side of the pitch just outside the box.
The defender is shown a yellow card and will miss the next match.
Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold stand over the ball. It’s Palmer who strikes the effort and lands the ball just on the roof of the net.
Decent effort.
England 0-0 Greece
19:53 , Mike Jones
5 mins: Close!
England get caught on the break after Bellingham loses possession. Greece sweep forward quickly and work the ball up to Vangelis Pavlidis.
The forward checks to the right and curls a shot towards the far bottom corner. He strikes it well but Jordan Pickford isn’t interested and watches the ball go wide.
England 0-0 Greece
19:51 , Mike Jones
3 mins: Rico Lewis releases Jude Bellingham down the left side of the pitch and the Real Madrid star attempts to drive into the box. He loses possession but it comes out to Anthony Gordon who rolls a pass over to Cole Palmer.
Palmer looks to shoot first time but fumbles the ball.
It comes back across to Bellingham who spins and rattles a shot at goal that Odysseus Vlachodimos leaps to his left to push wide of the post.
England 0-0 Greece
19:49 , Miguel Delaney at Wembley
“For a game that isn’t maybe the most momentous, there is some discussion here at Wembley over whether Lee Carsley’s line-up is the most revolutionary England have ever had.
“It is certainly a historic landmark.
“It might just be the first time that England have started a game without a traditional striker or number-nine. That may not be so remarkable in the context of the modern game, but it is for the national team. England have just always had a nine, and not simply in terms of tactics.
“There’s always been that defined front man. Is Harry Kane the last one in that sense, potentially the end of a lineage that goes through Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer?
“His place was taken here by Jude Bellingham, who started as a false nine – although a connected question: at what point does a false nine just become… a nine.
“The game will tell. This low-key historic moment may be the future.”
Kick off! England 0-0 Greece
19:48 , Mike Jones
There is a period of silence before the start of this Nations League match in memory of George Baldock who passed away in Athens yesterday at the age of 31.
England then get the ball rolling.
Will England miss Harry Kane?
19:40 , Mike Jones
England captain Harry Kane has scored 26 goals in 26 competitive home appearances for the Three Lions, scoring on each of his last six such outings (nine goals) – only Steve Bloomer (1895-1899) and Wayne Rooney (2012-2015) have ever scored in seven straight competitive home games for the nation.
Kane has had a hand in 28 goals in his last 28 appearances at Wembley Stadium for England (25 goals, three assists), netting 14 goals in his last 14 games at the ground.
England vs Greece
19:40 , Mike Jones
Here come the players.
John Stones is the England captain for the evening and will partner Levi Colwill in central defence against the Greeks. Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka are all in the starting line-up and this promises to be a free flowing attacking game.
Will it work?
We’re about to find out…
Roy Keane explains why ‘brilliant’ Cole Palmer is a player ‘you’d pay to watch’
19:38 , Mike Jones
With Lee Carsley opting to start Cole Palmer in an attacking midfield role for England’s Nations League encounter with Greece, much attention was quickly about how to get the best out of the Three Lions side with him involved – and why he could be such an important player.
Palmer was named England’s men’s player of the year recently – though was yet to even collect ten senior caps at the time, with the fixture against the Greeks bringing up his double figures.
But it’s only the start of a journey which must make him a massive part of the plans, be it with Carlsey in charge on a permanent basis or not. That’s the opinion of former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who singled out Palmer’s mindset and technical qualities as the keys to making him such an impressive performer.
Roy Keane explains why ‘brilliant’ Palmer is a player ‘you’d pay to watch’
Bellingham, Foden or Palmer? Lee Carsley knows England need something else entirely
19:35 , Mike Jones
After of course speaking at length about Cole Palmer, Lee Carsley wanted to make one clarification. He has no plans to play the Chelsea star at left-back. The interim England manager last week referenced how Palmer is so talented that he can play there, only for that to cause some commotion.
“I definitely won’t be saying anything like that again!”
Carsley then went on an instructive explanation of one vision for the position – “not like a traditional Ashley Cole kind of thing” – which touched on a far bigger discussion over the forward.
Bellingham, Foden or Palmer? Lee Carsley knows England need something else entirely
England vs Greece
19:30 , Mike Jones
This will be England’s 21st game overall in the Nations League (currently P20 W7 D6 L7), while they have the chance to win three successive matches in the competition for the first time, following wins against Ireland and Finland.
England haven’t lost any of their last 17 competitive matches at Wembley (W13 D4) since a 0-1 loss to Denmark in this competition back in October 2020.
The Three Lions have lost just two of their last 23 competitive matches overall (W14 D7), with those defeats coming against France at the quarter-final stage of the 2022 Fifa World Cup and against Spain in the final at Euro 2024.
England vs Greece
19:25 , Mike Jones
Following back-to-back 2-0 wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland, Lee Carsley will be aiming to be the first England manager to win his first three competitive matches in charge since Fabio Capello in October 2008 and the first ever to do so without conceding.
Greece are winless in their last 12 matches against nations ranked inside the top five of the Fifa rankings (D6 L6), since a 1-0 win over France at Euro 2004 – their most recent such fixture ended 2-2 however, against France (ranked second) in November 2023.
Cole Palmer in ‘incredible’ place – but England boss Lee Carsley wants him to get even better
19:20 , Mike Jones
Lee Carsley says every England player will have to “earn their place in the team” as he indicated no one would be a certain starter. The interim manager also says Cole Palmer can get even “better” due to how much scope he has to improve.
England’s abundance of talent has seen clamours rise behind a number of players to be central to the team, from Phil Foden through to Jude Bellingham and now Palmer. He is considering Bellingham at false nine for the match against Greece.
While Carsley again stated that he has a “a plan in place” that can include all three talents, he evaded the question when asked whether Bellingham would always play if fit.
Cole Palmer in ‘incredible’ place – but England boss wants him to get even better
Pre-match thoughts from Lee Carsely:
19:20 , Mike Jones
“It [Harry Kane’s absence] has given us a chance to try something and be creative with the way we play. We talk about how exciting and creative we can be so I’m looking forward to the game.
“We have a lot of flexibility and you may see a lot of changes. Hopefully it will be exciting. I see all the players interchanging, we have some really creative players.
“Greece have won the last two games, haven’t conceded a goal so we are expecting a tough challenge.”
England vs Greece
19:15 , Mike Jones
England have won 16 of their last 21 competitive home matches across all competitions (D3 L2), including each of their last five. The Three Lions have kept six clean sheets in their last nine such fixtures.
Since the inaugural Nations League in 2018-19, no team has won more games in the competition than Greece (W13 D3 L4), who have conceded the fewest goals (eight) and kept the most clean sheets (14) of any nation in that period.
England vs Greece
19:10 , Mike Jones
England are unbeaten in all nine of their meetings with Greece across all competitions (W7 D2), keeping a clean sheet in seven of those matches.
Greece have drawn their last two away competitive matches against England, most recently 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier in October 2001, leading twice before David Beckham scored a 90th minute free kick to send the Three Lions to the 2002 World Cup.
England vs Greece
19:05 , Mike Jones
The Three Lions have played Greece on nine occasions, registering seven wins, drawing twice and losing none.
Their last meeting ended in a 4-0 England win on 16 August 2006. It was a meeting at Old Trafford against Otto Rehhagel’s reigning European Champions which ended in a convincing win for Three Lions manager Steve McClaren in his first game in charge.
Goals came from John Terry, Frank Lampard and a brace for Peter Crouch.
Jack Grealish opens up on Euro 2024 snub and how things are different under Lee Carsley
19:00 , Mike Jones
Jack Grealish still believes Gareth Southgate should have taken him to Euro 2024 but is feeling the love under interim England boss Lee Carsley.
The 29-year-old was a high-profile omission from the summer’s shot at glory in Germany having been part of the team that reached the Euro 2020 showpiece and then 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Grealish was “absolutely heartbroken” to be dropped from the expanded pre-tournament selection and Southgate’s decision still sticks in the craw.
Jack Grealish opens up on Euro 2024 snub and how things are different under Carsley
Stones full of praise for Palmer
18:55 , Mike Jones
As part of his pre-match media duties John Stones suggested that he told Cole Palmer not to leave Man City, but is still enjoying seeing his rise at Stamford Bridge.
“I was a huge fan of Cole as soon as he came into our first-team set up, what he brought to the game, how he played as if he was in the park,” he said.
“I was sad to see him leave, I made him aware of that, but what he has gone on and done is a credit to him, how he’s conducted himself, how he’s stepped up in big moments.
“He is in a good moment, and I hope that continues for as long as possible. Scoring in the final, he has experienced those big games now and big moments and hopefully there is more of that to come.”
18:53 , Karl Matchett
And the Greece line up is as follows:
Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Kourbelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis
Confirmed team news
18:48 , Karl Matchett
Here’s the lineup for England:
Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Foden, Palmer, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon
England vs Greece talking points
18:40 , Mike Jones
Greece looking to extend winning run
Greece arrive at Wembley as League B Group 2 leaders after wins in the opening two games against Finland and Republic of Ireland.
They are ahead of England on goals scored, so this match could go a long way to deciding who finishes top of the group and therefore wins promotion to League A.
Greece are playing well but have not played in a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They last played England in an international friendly in 2006 when they lost 4-0 at Old Trafford.
England vs Greece talking points
18:36 , Mike Jones
Palmer’s first start?
As the hottest property in the Premier League at the moment, it is strange to think Cole Palmer has yet to start a competitive game for his country.
That stat did not stop him being named as England’s player of the year for 2023/24. Given his form for Chelsea, Carsley will surely select him in his starting XI against Greece.
The interim boss has hinted Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are all unlikely to start together in this international break so which position Palmer may get the nod will be interesting.
England vs Greece talking points
18:30 , Mike Jones
Carsley to cement his position?
Lee Carsley has always maintained that he is on a three-camp mission following his appointment as interim boss in the wake of Gareth Southgate’s exit.
But the former Under-21s manager is beginning to get his feet under the table and has the opportunity to further enhance his chances of getting the job on a permanent basis.
He said that he felt at home on the Wembley touchline during last month’s win over Finland and if his side put on another impressive attacking display against Greece then he could win further support for the future.
England vs Greece talking points
18:24 , Mike Jones
Solanke’s long wait
If Harry Kane is not fit then it could open the door up for Dominic Solanke. The Tottenham striker is back in the England squad for the first time since 2017 when he made a 15-minute cameo as a substitute in a friendly against Brazil at Wembley.
Despite a seven-year exile he always believed he would be back at the top and had his debut shirt framed on his wall at home to use as motivation.
If Kane does not make it, then he will likely be vying with Ollie Watkins for a starting spot.
England vs Greece talking points
18:18 , Mike Jones
Will Harry Kane be fit?
There are big fitness doubts over captain Harry Kane following the injury he picked up playing for Bayern Munich at the weekend.
The striker came off against Eintracht Frankfurt with a knock but was passed fit by England’s medical staff on Monday.
However, he trained individually on Tuesday and with the tight turnaround, it remains to be seen whether the country’s record goalscorer will be fit.
Lee Carsley confirmed that he will not start but a substitute appearance hasn’t been ruled out.
John Stones blocking out Manchester City noise while on England duty: ‘I put a lot of trust in the club’
18:12 , Mike Jones
John Stones says he pays no “attention” to the off-field issues surrounding Manchester City as it is something he “cannot control”, and that his position is to simply “put a lot of trust in the club”.
The centre-half was speaking ahead of England-Greece, in an international week that has been overshadowed by news of the latest legal case involving the Premier League champions.
Monday brought the judgment in City’s challenge against the competition’s Associated Party Transaction Rules, which will see some rules rewritten. That preceded a storm of controversy amid competing claims about who “won”, with new acrimony in the Premier League as City wrote an email to the other clubs threatening further legal action.
John Stones blocking out Man City noise while on England duty: ‘I trust in the club’
Stones to ‘cherish’ captaining England
18:06 , Mike Jones
John Stones is excited for an “incredible moment” as he captains England for the first time against Greece on Thursday.
“It’s definitely everything that I could have dreamed of as a kid,” the defender said ahead of the game.
“For my family to be able to see me walk out as England captain is a special moment and one I can’t thank Lee enough for. It was a great conversation we had last night and one I was a bit speechless in.
“An incredible moment for me, it was a bit more normal today, everything resumed as normal, the preparation, the training that we’ve done and our focus.
“To be walking out with the armband on is an absolute honour and a moment I will cherish forever.”
Stones to captain England
18:00 , Mike Jones
John Stones will lead England out as captain for the first time this evening. He wins his 82nd cap and is looking forward to leading the national team.
“It was a great conversation that I was able to have with John last night, to have that responsibility to ask him to captain the team,” Lee Carsley said.
“It’s a brilliant achievement for John. Something that he deserves – the amount of caps he’s got, the experience he’s got, the level of professionalism that he shows within the squad, the example he is to the younger players.
“It was a great conversation to have.”
Kane won’t start for England
17:54 , Mike Jones
“Harry’s nursing an injury, a small knock,” confirmed interim England manager Lee Carsley when asked if the Three Lions captain was fit for tonight’s game.
“Something that we won’t take a chance with.”
Asked to clarify whether Kane will be on the bench at Wembley, he said: “We’re not ruling him out yet of the game, but he won’t start the game.
“Hopefully he’ll be in contention then for Sunday (against Finland) but, again, time will tell. It’s not something I think we should be rushing.”
Lee Carsley confirms Harry Kane won’t start for England against Greece – ‘We won’t take a chance’
17:48 , Mike Jones
Interim boss Lee Carsley says he “won’t take a chance” with Harry Kane’s fitness in England’s Nations League clash against Greece as the skipper deals with a knock.
A month on from celebrating his 100th cap with a match-winning brace against Finland, the 31-year-old could miss Thursday’s Wembley return against the Group B2 leaders.
Kane sustained a knock during Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday and has been unable to train with the group despite getting the green light to stay with England.
Carsley confirms Kane won’t start for England against Greece
Jack Grealish reveals which England teammate he will never ask to babysit new daughter
17:42 , Mike Jones
Jack Grealish has revealed which of his England teammates he will never ask to babysit his new baby daughter.
The Manchester City player announced the safe arrival of his first child Mila with partner Sasha Ashwood earlier this week.
In an interview with BBC Sport on Wednesday, ahead of England’s match against Greece, Grealish was asked which of his Three Lions teammates would be the best and worst babysitter.
The 29-year-old chose Harry Kane as his preferred favourite, when pressed on his least preferred choice, he chose Bukayo Saka, stating the Arsenal winger might “fall asleep”.
England vs Greece prediction
17:36 , Mike Jones
With England in great form and fully revitalised under interim manager Lee Carsley they should be looking forward to a more challenging outing this evening.
Greece are unbeaten in the Nations League so far but will likely be forced to change their style of play against the Three Lions. It may take a while for the first goal to come but England will look to take advantage when it does.
England 3-0 Greece.
Predicted line-ups
17:30 , Mike Jones
Here’s how we see both teams lining up tonight given pre-match information and how we think the manager’s will see the match playing out. Lee Carsley has a job on his hands fitting Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham into the team so it seems likely at least one will be on the bench.
I can easily see Palmer or Foden starting on the left side ahead of Anthony Gordon though the Newcastle winger impressed in the previous camp and deserves to keep his spot.
England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Colwill; Gomes, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Watkins
Greece XI: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Bouchalakis, Mantalos; Chatzigiovannis, Bakasetas, Pelkas; Pavlidis
As for the latest odds, it should come as no surprise that England are the heavy favourites though without Harry Kane up front the match will likely be a closer affair than expected.
England win 1/5
Draw 7/2
Greece win 9/1
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Greece early team news
17:24 , Mike Jones
Greece have been dealt a huge blow to their chances of winning as Fotis Ioannidis sustained an injury during Panathinaikos’ recent Greek Super League clash with Olympiacos and has been left out of the squad.
Vangelis Pavlidis should lead the line as a result with the rest of the squad taking up a more familiar shape. Goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos should win his 45th cap in goal.
England early team news
17:18 , Mike Jones
Harry Kane did not train with the rest of the squad on Tuesday as he recovers from a thigh injury and the England captain is a doubt for this game. He trained indoors on a specialised programme so may be able to feature at some point though a starting place is unlikely.
Ezri Konsa, Morgan Gibbs-White and Kobbie Mainoo all withdrew from the squad on Monday having picked up respective injuries over the weekend. Having returned to the squad for this camp, Kyle Walker, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are all in line to start for the Three Lions.
How can I watch it?
17:12 , Mike Jones
This Nations League clash will be shown on ITV1 and ITV X with coverage starting at 7pm BST.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is England vs Greece?
17:06 , Mike Jones
England vs Greece is due to kick off at 7.45pm BST on Thursday 10 October at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Greece
17:00 , Mike Jones
England face their biggest test of the Nations League so far when they welcome Greece to Wembley in a top of the table clash in Group B2.
Neither team have lost a game since the resumption of this tournament with both defeating Finland and the Republic of Ireland in September’s international break.
Greece have made the better start, keeping two clean sheets and scoring more goals (five compared to four from the Three Lions) though there is very little to separate the sides.
Both teams could also be missing their main forward with Fotis Ioannidis out of the Greece squad due to injury and Harry Kane still trying to recover from a thigh problem.
Welcome!
14:54 , Mike Jones
Good evening one and all. England are back in Nations League action at Wembley tonight as they take on Greece in a blockbuster clash at the top of Group B2.
Neither team has lost yet in the competition but both sides are missing their main strikers as Harry Kane and Fotis Ioannidis will sit this one out (Kane may make an appearance off the bench but won’t start).
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
