England celebrates 3-0 victory against Greece-can only be substituted late!

England celebrates 3-0 victory against Greece-can only be substituted late!

In a gripping Nation League duel, the English national football team in Athens celebrated the revenge against Greece with a clear 3-0 victory! Without the star striker Harry Kane in the starting eleven, who initially took a seat on the bench, the team of interim coach Lee Carsley showed an impressive performance. The replacement player Ollie Watkins brought England in the lead in the 7th minute, followed by an own goal of the Greek goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos in the 78th minute and the debut goal of Curtis Jones in the 83rd minute. Kane was only substituted in the 66th minute after Watkins delivered a strong performance.

The decision not to let Kane play from the beginning caused a sensation. Carsley explained that Watkins had to gain more experience and praised Kane for his "fantastic attitude" for this decision. England had to struggle with massive personnel worries because nine players, including stars such as Phil Foden and Declan Rice, had to cancel due to injury. Despite these challenges, England now leads Group 2 of League B, tied with Greece, but with a better goal difference.

The struggle for group victory

The group victory and the associated direct rise to league A will be decided on Sunday. England welcomes Ireland while Greece has to compete in Finland. The second of the group has the opportunity to climb over the playoffs. In the meantime, Thomas Tuchel, who will take over the Three Lions from January 1, is already criticized. Many fans and experts are dissatisfied that he is not showing himself and that he was reportedly not present in Athens. The concerns grow that valuable time with regard to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is lost.