Greece thrashed Kazakhstan 5-0 in their Euro 2024 play-off semi-final on Thursday and has one final hurdle to clear on its way to the finals.
If Greece beats Georgia in Tbilisi on Tuesday it will qualify to the finals of a major international competition after a 12-year wait.
A truly imposing performance by the players of coach Gus Poyet at the OPAP Arena on Thursday night led to an unexpectedly comfortable victory in the division’s semifinal.
The Greeks opened the score in the first five minutes, as Dimitris Pelkas earned a penalty that captain Tasos Bakasetas converted into the first goal.
The second came just eight minutes later, this time with Pelkas translating into a goal the delightful cross from the right by Giorgos Massouras.
Massouras was also the provider for the third goal that Fotis Ioannidis scored on the 37th, three minutes before Dimitris Kourbelis headed home another cross from the right, this time by Kostas Tsimikas, for 4-0 at half-time.
The Greeks dropped a gear in the second half, as victory was already assured, but a fifth goal arrived five minutes from the end by the Kazakhs themselves: Yerkin Tapalov scored an own goal from a corner kick Greece took, once again, from the right.
Repeat performance on Tuesday could see Greece in Euro 2024
Overall it was an impressive performance by the Greek National team. A repeat performance on Tuesday will surely guarantee a place in Euro 2024, a competition it won so unexpectedly in 2004.
Euro 2024 is taking place next summer, with 23 teams joining the hosts in the finals. Germany will host the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from 14 June to 14 July 2024.
It will be the third time that European Championship matches are played on German territory and the second time in reunified Germany, as the former West Germany hosted the tournament’s 1988 edition.
Greece has transformed itself under the guidance of Gus Poyet since February 2022. He guided the team to four victories from their four opening fixtures in League C of the 2022 UEFA Nations League, helping Greece earn promotion to League B for the following campaign. Now he is set to lead the team to the finals of Euro 2024.
It has been a great few weeks for Greek soccer as soccer giants Olympiacos and PAOK triumphed advancing to the last 8 of Europa Conference League and dreaming of a place in the final of the UEFA competition that will be held in Athens.
PAOK and Olympiacos are also contenders for the title in Greece’s Super League, along with AEK Athens and Panathinaikos.
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