Greece vs France: Suspensions Loom as Greece Prepares for Pivotal Clash

Despite its setback, Greece overcame it by beating its opponents, Holland and New Zealand. The next test, however, is huge, and yet it’s not known if the home team can turn it into a win.

Two out of the last three encounters between France and Greece have resulted in victories for France, with France being the front-runner. Petros Mantalos and Dimitrios Kourbelis are suspended so they won’t play for the home team.

Let’s take a look at today’s match highlights:

First-half begins!!!

• In the 4th minute, Theo Hernandez advances to the left in a quick offensive move and the ball goes off the pitch after an interception by Retsos. The pressure persists as Giroud intercepts a Retsos clearance attempt.
• In the 8th minute, with only one more game to wrap up the 2023 fixtures, France can close the year with an unbeaten streak of eight wins out of the eight matches played. This would be the first time Les Bleus completed the calendar year without any defeats recorded in official matches (10/10) since 2003.
• In the 10th minute, however, France retakes the ball but meets a stubborn, compact Greek defensive formation. Space is limited on the right, leading to the switch to Kolo Muani on the other wing, but none was found.
• In the 12th minute, Griezmann quickly cuts and gives a corner to Dembele in the pen. Quickly, Dembélé fires at the left-hand side of the net, but Vlachodimos saves it from being put through in time.
• In the 15th minute, impressive save by Vlachodimos! Griezmann looks around the box, but it seems no option is viable, so he decides to shoot. The last move of Vlachodimos is worth noting here. He curls the ball towards the near top corner, stretching to clip it off and ward off the effort to score.
• In the 17th minute, despite encountering three French players, Mavropanos threads a pass to Galanopoulos. Despite trying to get into the box, Galanopoulos does not pose any trouble for Rabiot.
• In the 23rd minute, Ioannidis tries to push Greece towards an advantageous position only to be impeded by Saliba, which leads to a successful free-kick for Greece.
• In the 25th minute, After the challenge is over and Ioannidis massages his jaw, he joins the play. A free-kick follows on the side of the left box. Mavropanos leaps high, but he directs the header above the crossbar.
• In the 27th minute, France takes the offensive for a while after a short while under Greek pressure. The dynamism of Rabiot gets them a corner kick that Griezman delivers, but no one connects it in the midfield.
• In the 31st minute, Kounde finds himself out of focus and Bakasetas takes advantage of this. Greece rebounds, playing the ball back to their goalkeeper and setting up a counterattack starting from the back line with France increasing pressure, trying to correct the error.
• In the 33rd minute, Fofana makes an excellent lofted cross over the top where Griezmann slips by Hatzidiakos to the outskirts of the six-yard box. Subsection Griezmann's back heel flicks the ball over a motionless Vlachodimos. It just hits the post, leaving poor Griezmann very disappointed.
• In the 34th minute, a tangle between Dembele and Giannoulis results in a free kick for the Frenchman. Yellow cards are issued to Dembele for protesting over the foul.
• Bouchalakis takes a side position, which becomes a reason for disagreement with Dembele, and this leads him to a new booking, which is for dissent when the free-kick is being handled.
• In the 37th minute, Dembele narrowly misses his head, while Theo Hernandez finds it. 
• His sliced effort seems destined to skid out before being volleyed back with an attempted winner at the net. Dembele tries to channel it toward the goalkeeper, but the raise of the flag is for offside.
• In the 40th minute, Retsos is running after Kolo Muani, who breaks down the left side of the field. Retsos makes a couple of yanks on the boy and is issued a yellow card.
• In the 42nd minute, Kolo scores! France manages a late breakthrough towards the end of the first half! Fofana drives this ball across midfield right into the path of Giroud. Giroud kicks at the back of the target as he sends it towards Kolo Muani who shoots very close to Vlachodimos. The goal is confirmed after a short VAR review for handball! France leads 1-0!
• In the 42nd minute, Giroud gets hold of the ball, knowing that Mavropanos are pressing them, and quickly sends it over to Kolo Muani in one touch.
• In the 44th minute, France quickly takes back the ball off the kickoff and applies pressure on Greece within their twenty-two-meter line. The visitors are disciplined, keeping patience and trying to set up opportunities against their hosts.
• The first half ends in the 45' + 1' minute, with GREECE 0-1 FRANCE.

Second-half begins!!

• In the 48th minute, the play resumed in the second half, continuing how France played in the first half. The combination of Kounde and Fofana provides support down the right side, with Greece in a defensive position trying to block their advances.
• In the 50th minute, Retsos pushes ahead towards Greece, obliging France to rush back into their defense lines. Rota receives it at the back of the ball in his chest and makes a long, deep cross that passes through everybody near the center, towards the far post.
• In the 52nd minute, Galanopoulos makes an excellent chipped pass from the right that finds Ioannidis on the opposite end of the area. Ioannidis wins a yard with an intelligent first touch but misses out as he shoots over the bar. This is Greece’s best chance up till now.
• In the 55th minute, the referee shows Youssouf Fofana a yellow card.
• In the 56th minute, the ball keeps bouncing on the box even as Lucas Hernandez attempts to clear his lines. Saliba blocks first, and then Hernandez obstructs Bouchalakis’ try. Bakasetas loops the ball towards himself at the edge to D, and he volleys in front of Samba. The score is now 1-1!
• In the 58th minute, it is worth noting that France has now conceded only their second goal of this qualifying campaign. They are working hard to regain their supremacy. Be careless, and losing possession for Dembele is simple, giving Greece a new faith in this game.
• In the 60th minute, Kounde can still advance on the right side and provide an accurate pass to the center. Kolo Mouni tries to head in his second goal, but Vlahodimous firmly clutches it.
• In the 61st minute, The game has been turned by Greece! A major change of Giannoulis to the left will open up and begin the play. Zapping past Koundé, he goes inside, where he squares the ball onto an advancing Ioannidis, who has stationed himself in front of Hernández Lucas. Ioannidis hits his net at the far end and Greece goes one. The score is now 2-1!
• In the 64th minute, to keep the 100% record, Deschamps institutes three changes to refresh the game. To replace Kounde, who allowed Giannoulis to escape before the second goal, Pochettino brings in Clauss.
• The goal scorer, Kolo Muani, was removed and replaced by Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick.
• In the 65th minute, Coman, the scorer of a brace against Gibraltar, enters the field instead of Dembele.
• In the 67th minute, Sotirios Alexandropoulos replaces Konstantinos Galanopoulos.
• In the 70th minute, livier Jonathan Giroud is substituted by Marcus Lilian Thuram-Ulien.
• In the 774th minute, Mbappe heads the ball at him, but his initial control could be better than usual, and he needs to close him down quickly enough. Fofana shoots from the edge of the box and powers it just enough to be beyond the goalkeeper's grasp, Vlachodimos, who gets his hands to it in vain. Another goal by Fofana, who has scored a second goal within two games, makes it 2-2!!
• In the 75th minute, Ioannidis is booked (with a yellow card) for his protests after France’s goal.
• In the 77th minute, Greece does a double substitution to renew their menacing attackers. First, Zeca replaces Ioannidides, who has already got a yellow card. In addition, Masouras was replaced by Pavlidis. listade: Mention the advantages of having a personal email address over an organizational one.
• In the 82nd minute, in the box there is an open Mbape who out-jumps Coman’s cross coming from the flank. He heads in slightly behind the ball but can only loop a header that goes on the top of the net. listade: in the first section, he analyzes the life before and post 9/11.
• In the 85th minute, Deschamps introduces his last substitution by replacing Lucas Hernandez with Disasi.
• The second double substitution is performed in Greece. Saliakas comes in for Rota, and Bakasetas gives way to Konstantelias.
• In the 90' + 2' minute, a late foul by Griezmann against Konstantelias earns him a yellow card.
• The game ended in the 90' + 6' minute with GREECE 2-2 FRANCE.

The French had returned and drew 2-2 against Greece, ending their undefeated campaign. Halftime saw Les Bleus one up with a great goal from Kolo Muani after Griezmann hit the post, resulting in an edge of 1-0. However, Greece scored twice in five minutes through Bakasetas and Ioannidis, which turned the game upside-down. However, Fofana came in with a stunning long-range effort when Fofana equalized for France. Thus, it wasn’t an easy win. It could have been their win with the cross bouncing off the goal line without entering it, and the other shot made Vlachodimos tip it on the bar. France had been declared winners and would end up with 22 points as they await their Euro 2024 opponents. With this, Greece now turns towards the playoffs so that they may face their opponents in the draw.