Greek duo making impact with Willem II

In the Netherlands, young attackers Marios Vrousai and Vangelis Pavlidis have been catching the eye with Willem II, as the pair begin to build a reputation for themselves in the Eredivisie.

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The Eredivisie is the perfect platform on which for talented Greeks to showcase their abilities. Last season, left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas earned a move back to Olympiacos with excellent performances for Willem II, and this year, it’s Lazaros Lamprou (Fortuna Sittard), Marios Vrousai and Vangelis Pavlidis (both Willem II) shining.

Willem II may be mid-table in the Eredivisie, but thanks to the VIP attacking trio of Vrousai, Alexander Isak and Pavlidis, they are being noticed. Isak, a highly rated 19-year-old Swedish forward on loan from Borussia Dortmund, has struck up productive mutual understanding with his Greek teammates, with the three players scoring a combined total of 18 goals in the Eredivisie since joining Willem II in January. The Swede generally plays down the middle as the central striker, with Vrousai and Pavlidis either side of him. The fact they’re playing so well in a major European league at such a young age has been particularly impressive.

Vrousai’s potential is no secret. A product of the Olympiacos academy, the winger has already played in a handful of Super League games for the Erythrolefki, netting the one goal in the 2017/2018 campaign and scoring in the Greek Cup this season. However, due to the high competition for spaces in Piraeus, Olympiacos opted to send him on loan to Willem II in January where he has subsequently excelled.

In a mere 12 matches across all competitions, Vrousai has scored four goals while dishing out a further five assists, and he helped Willem II qualify for the final of the Dutch Cup in which they will face Amsterdam giants Ajax. On both sides of the pitch, he is a real threat to the opposing defence, often conjuring up an end product to his solid play. Reports have suggested that Ajax, Sporting Lisbon and Benfica are all interested in purchasing Vrousai. His contract at Olympiacos expires in June 2021, and he is scheduled to continue playing on loan at Willem II until the completion of the 2019/2020 campaign.

Fellow Greek Pavlidis has been just as good. When he moved to Willem II on loan from Bundesliga 2 outfit VfL Bochum in January, he was in serious need of a boost to his career, and the versatile forward is making the opportunity count. In the Eredivisie, 20-year-old Pavlidis has popped up with three goals and four assists in 11 games, and he’s also tallied one goal and one assist in the Dutch Cup. The Thessaloniki-born attacker is finally making an impact at senior level.

The summer transfer window promises to be an interesting one. At the moment, it appears Isak and Pavlidis will be summoned back to their parent clubs, while Vrousai is becoming a player in demand. It remains to be seen whether Olympiacos will be willing to sell Vrousai, or if they might be tempted into ending his Willem II loan early. Head coach Pedro Martins could be interested in taking a look at Vrousai in the pre-season training camps.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sdna.gr

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