Greece edge Serbia in Nations League thriller
Serbia hosted Greece in the League A stage of the Nations League on Wednesday evening, and the visitors snatched victory after a frantic finish. The final whistle found Greece 2-1 ahead, a result that came despite Serbia taking an early lead. And here's the thing — you'd have expected Serbia to take something from this one at home.
Andrija Živković opened the scoring in the fourth minute, a moment that settled the home side. Greece looked uneasy until the break, when Mihajlo Cvetkovic was brought on for Serbia. The hosts kept their advantage through the first half, and by then the visitors were searching for answers.
Christos Tzolis equalised in the seventy-fourth minute, and the game opened up from there. Serbia responded with two changes — Luka Jović and Filip Kostić both came on at the same time. But Greece pushed forward, and Vangelis Pavlidis was among the fresh legs sent on.
The decisive moment came in stoppage time. Anastasios Douvikas fired home in the ninety-fourth minute to complete the turnaround. Dušan Tadić was one of the last substitutions for Serbia, but it was too little, too late. The away side came for a cross he never reached, and the point was gone.
Greece dominated the statistics, as you'd expect from a team chasing a game. They held 61 per cent possession and registered 126 attacks compared to Serbia's 88. Their expected goals figure of 2.49 tells the story — they created better chances than the home side's 1.32.
Serbia were more clinical with their opportunities, converting four shots on target into one goal. Greece had nine shots on target for two goals, and that inefficiency cost them for most of the match. The home side won 22 aerial duels to 11, but it wasn't enough to withstand the pressure.
This result means Greece move clear of the bottom of their group, while Serbia's unbeaten run in competitive matches comes to an end. Both sides had played no games in this tournament before tonight, so the table is still wide open. The away side fancy their chances now, with momentum on their side.
