Greece kicked off their UEFA Nations League campaign on a high note, defeating Finland 3-0 in Piraeus on Saturday.
This marked the debut of coach Ivan Jovanovic, with striker Fotis Ioannidis delivering a standout performance.
The national team’s new chapter began with a strong result at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, with Greece’s play improving as the match progressed, while Finland struggled with the heat.
Though the hosts appeared shaky in the first half, they capitalized on their opportunities. Greece opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Ioannidis pressured Finnish goalkeeper Lucas Hradecky into an error, allowing him to steal the ball and score. Shortly after, a well-executed team move involving Ioannidis, Dimitris Pelkas, and Konstantinos Koulierakis forced an own goal from Finland’s Benjamin Kallman, giving Greece a two-goal lead before the break.
Despite Finland’s possession, they failed to register any shots on target. Greece displayed more confidence in the second half, especially after the introduction of Yiannis Konstantelias at halftime.
Ioannidis came close to scoring again when his shot was blocked by Hradecky and the post, but he sealed the game in the 76th minute with a header from a corner, securing his second goal of the match.
Greece’s next match is an away fixture against Ireland on Tuesday night.
