AGONA Analysis: How the Greeks performed against Finland at OAKA

The AGONA Analysis takes a closer look at how each individual Greek player performed in the victory against Finland in the concluding game of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.

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The end of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign has arrived too soon for Greece. Playing with infectious confidence and desire, the Greeks should have won by more against Finland at the Olympic Stadium, but they had to come from behind after Teemu Pukki opened the scoring in the first half. Nevertheless, Greece were more than up for the challenge, and two goals from Petros Mantalos and Konstantinos Galanopoulos sealed a well-deserved 2-1 victory - the third consecutive win in Group J.

Let’s take a look at how each Greek player performed:

Odisseas Vlachodimos: Not at fault for the Finnish goal as Pukki calmly slid the ball under him when clean through. Barely tested in the match as Greece completely dominated proceedings at the other end.

Dimitris Giannoulis: The PAOK left-back was a threat throughout the 90 minutes, causing the Finns plenty of problems with his quick, cunning runs on the flank. In the 70th minute of play, Giannoulis whipped the ball across into the box, with Galanopoulos eventually tapping it into the net. One of the best Greek players on the pitch.

Konstantinos Stafylidis: Unfortunately, while he was solid in the centre of defence for the majority of the game, he was caught flat-footed by Pukki when the Finnish forward scored the opening goal. Played solidly after that mistake.

Pantelis Hatzidiakos: A similar story to Stafylidis. For the Finnish goal, Hatzidiakos was beaten far too easily by Pukki, who subsequently breezed past Stafylidis and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. The AZ Alkmaar defender then redeemed himself with a confident display following that goal.

Michalis Bakakis: Dealt with the Finnish threat well, although it must be noted that the away team did not attack with regularity. As the match progressed, he began to contribute to the attacking play with more effectiveness, linking up well with his teammates.

Dimitris Kourbelis: Controlled the game in midfield next to Galanopoulos, a partnership which has flourished since Van ‘t Schip became the head coach. While protecting the defence well, his forward passes were also excellent, as he offered a good balance between the back and forward lines. A positive showing.

Konstantinos Galanopoulos: The future is bright for the AEK star. With 20 minutes remaining, the 21-year-old hit the jackpot to score the winning goal for the Ethniki Omada, knocking the ball over the line after the initial shot from Efthymis Koulouris had been stopped. Played with energy and intent, especially in the second half.

Petros Mantalos: Scored the equalising goal early in the second half to give the team more confidence. At times, the AEK captain did struggle during the opening set of 45 minutes, but his goal helped him settle and play with belief. More accurate passing in the final third could have resulted in Mantalos making assists.

Tasos Bakasetas: The 26-year-old Alanyaspor representative picked out Mantalos for the equaliser two minutes after the half-time break. In the past, Bakasetas was heavily criticised for his performances in the Greece shirt, but he has been a revelation under Van ‘t Schip and he’s continuing to be very effective. Keeps the attack flowing and has good mutual understanding with Mantalos.

Dimitris Limnios: Most Valuable Player of the game? Probably. Limnios is another perfect example of a player who has been given the platform by Van ‘t Schip on which to fully display his talent and potential. Competing with creativity, ideas and pace, Limnios is difficult for the opponents to deal with and he constantly tormented the Finnish defence. Perhaps the most dangerous player in this Greek side.

Vangelis Pavlidis: To his credit, Pavlidis did show good movement and was trying to get into the game, but he couldn’t settle and didn’t have a lot of opportunities to score. Van ‘t Schip decided to remove him from the game in the 64th minute.

SUBSTITUTES

Efthymis Koulouris: The Toulouse hitman is coming closer to his maiden senior international goal. His saved shot in the 70th minute resulted in Galanopoulos scoring from the ensuing rebound, before Koulouris then missed another chance in the closing stages. Displayed effort and desire.

Andreas Bouchalakis: Offered freshness in the middle of the park after being introduced as a substitute in the 73rd minute of the match. Didn’t lose the ball and found teammates with accurate passes.

Giorgos Masouras: The Olympiacos attacker only joined the game in stoppage time and didn’t have time to make an impact.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image source: to10.gr

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