Greece led the Netherlands by two goals at halftime but conceded twice after the break to draw 2-2 in the UEFA Nations League at Toumba Stadium.
The result leaves Greece at the top of Group A2 with seven points after three matches. The Netherlands moved to five points.
Greece had produced a strong first half and appeared in control of the match. The Netherlands responded after the break and turned the game around.
The result also offered a clear contrast between the two halves, with Greece creating the stronger impression before halftime and the Dutch side finding more space and momentum after the interval.
Greece Takes Control in the First Half
Greece started aggressively and created problems for the Netherlands from the opening stages.
An early goal by Christos Tzolis was ruled out after the officials determined that Vangelis Pavlidis had interfered with the play while in an offside position.
Greece continued to press and eventually took the lead through Fotis Ioannidis.
Georgios Masouras then doubled the advantage, giving Greece a 2-0 lead before halftime. The Greek Football Federation described the first half as an excellent performance in which Greece was clearly the better team.
The two-goal advantage reflected Greece’s effectiveness during the opening 45 minutes.
The Netherlands Changes the Game
The second half followed a very different pattern.
The Netherlands increased the pressure and made three changes at halftime. Coach Xavi HernĆ”ndez later said he took responsibility for the team’s poor first-half performance.
He also explained that a change to a diamond midfield helped the Netherlands improve after the break.
Virgil van Dijk pulled one goal back before Tijjani Reijnders equalized in the 89th minute.
The late goal completed the Dutch comeback and denied Greece a win after it had led by two goals.
Greece Remains Top of Group A2
Despite the draw, Greece remains first in Group A2.
The national team opened the Nations League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Serbia and followed it with a 1-0 win over Germany. The draw with the Netherlands took its total to seven points.
The Netherlands has five points, while Germany has four and Serbia has none after three matches.
Greece’s next Nations League match will be against Germany on October 4. The match will take place in Greece, while the Netherlands will face Serbia on the same day.
The 2-2 draw therefore leaves Greece at the top of the group, but the match also showed how quickly the balance can change against one of Europe’s strongest national teams.
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