Greece Maintains Perfect Nations League Record With 2-0 Win Against Republic Of Ireland

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Greece maintained their flawless start in the Nations League with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland. This victory on Sunday marked their fourth consecutive win. Ivan Jovanovic's team had earlier surprised England with a 2-1 triumph at Wembley. The match in Piraeus also included tributes to George Baldock, who passed away this week.

The Greek team controlled the first half, forcing Caoimhin Kelleher into several saves. Evan Ferguson missed an early chance for Ireland. The deadlock was broken three minutes into the second half when Anastasios Bakasetas' shot deflected off Liam Scales and looped over Kelleher.

Anastasios Bakasetas has been instrumental for Greece, contributing to 46% of their goals in the Nations League. He has scored six times and assisted seven in 21 matches. His efforts helped Greece secure a fifth consecutive win, keeping clean sheets in four of those games.

Odysseas Vlachodimos was alert as Jack Taylor nearly redirected Josh Cullen's cross past him. However, Vlachodimos managed to tip it over the bar after an hour of play. Petros Mantalos sealed the win during stoppage time by capitalising on Kelleher's poor pass and scoring easily.

The victory concluded an emotional week for Greece, who held a minute's silence for Baldock before the match. This win moved them three points ahead of England before their upcoming meeting in Athens in November.

The hosts deserved their victory, having accumulated an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.15 compared to Ireland’s 0.74 xG. This performance highlights Greece's strong form across all competitions, achieving five straight wins for the first time since October 2016.