Tasos Bakasetas scored Greece’s opening goal in Finland [Intime].
Greece beat Finland 2-0 away on Sunday, only to miss out on winning its UEFA Nations League group to England due to its inferior head-to-head record.
The team of manager Ivan Jovanovic has finished the group with 15 games from six matches, having only lost at home to England three days ago. Greece’s results mean it will be in the second pot for next month’s World Cup qualifiers’ draw.
In Helsinki Greece allowed no shots on target to its host, and scored twice early in the second half, to win the game with ease.
First up Kostas Koulierakis fed Tasos Bakasetas in the box and the Greece captain powered the ball home for the opening goal on the 52nd.
Then, four minutes later, Christos Tzolis made the most of a poor clearance by the Finnish keeper to lob the ball over him from 30 meters out and make it 2-0.
This was Greece’s first ever win in Finland, a month after Greece’s first ever victory over England. On Sunday there was also the debut of the youngest ever Greek international in a competitive game, that of 17-year-old Christos Mouzakitis.
Greece will now wait to learn its opponent in the playoffs for promotion to the top division of the competition. The opponent will be one of the four third-placed teams in the top-division groups, and the playoffs are scheduled for March 2025.