Greece vs England LIVE: Result and reaction as Three Lions seal victory in must-win Nations League clash

Greece 0-3 England: Ollie Watkins, an own goal created by Jude Bellingham and Curtis Jones ensured Lee Carsley’s Three Lions got the victory they needed in Athens

Lee Carsley is yet to speak to Thomas Tuchel about the England squad

England took a big step closer to winning automatic promotion to the top tier of the Nations League with a strong 3-0 victory over rivals Greece in Athens.

Interim manager Lee Carsley made it four wins out of five for his time in charge and made a bold call in leaving captain Harry Kane on the bench to start the game. His replacement was Ollie Watkins and the decision made off spectacularly. Noni Madueke sprinted down the right and slipped in a pass that Watkins turned home with seven minutes on the clock.

The early breakthrough settled the nerves and England were able to weather a storm from the hosts with Jordan Pickford proving his worth on a busy night between the sticks. In the second half, Carsley made attacking substitutions and replaced the whole front line.

It worked a treat as first Bellingham raced at the defence to score a fortuitious deflected shot from range before Curtis Jones added a third with a dainty flick having been supplied by substitute Morgan Rogers. Three goals and three points puts England top of Group B2 and they need one more win to gain promotion.

Relive the action from the Nations League with our live blog below as England take on Greece:

Greece vs England LIVE

• REPORT: England’s Ollie Watkins gamble pays off to leave tricky Harry Kane question
• RATINGS: Noni Madueke and Jude Bellingham shine in crucial win over Greece
• 83’ GOAL! Jones scores on debut with fine flick (GRE 0-3 ENG)
• 78’ GOAL! Bellingham’s effort comes off the goalkeeper and into the net (GRE 0-2 ENG)
• 54’ POST! Bellingham’s header strikes the upright (GRE 0-1 ENG)
• 53’ SAVE! Vlachodimos keeps out Lewis’ shot (GRE 0-1 ENG)
• 30’ SAVE! Pickford’s right hand denies Tsimikas (GRE 0-1 ENG)
• 7’ GOAL! Watkins turns in Madueke’s pass (GRE 0-1 ENG)

[14 November 2024 16:45 · Mike Jones]

Greece vs England

England head to Greece for an away clash in the Nations League on Thursday evening, with Lee Carsley hoping for a positive result after suffering a Wembley defeat to the same opponent last month.

There could well be new players handed a senior bow for the Three Lions this time out, with a total of six now in the squad who are so far uncapped, following a spate of injury withdrawals.

Curtis Jones, Lewis Hall and Taylor Harwood-Bellis were the trio originally included this time around without a cap to their name, but at the other end of the scale the likes of Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker and Harry Kane remain involved - all three with over 70 caps now and the captain past the century mark.

Even so it’ll be an unfamiliar lineup one way or another, with a further nine players in this squad having so far played between once and eight times for England at this level.

[14 November 2024 14:50 · Mike Jones]

Good evening!

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Nations League action as England take on Greece in a match which will have consequences on Thomas Tuchel’s upcoming reign.

Interim boss Lee Carsley is in charge for two more matches and is tasked with securing promotion to the top tier of the Nations League. That means the Three Lions must defeat Greece tonight to have any hopes of winning their group.

We’ll bring you all the team news, line-ups and latest updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.