Greece and the Netherlands drew 2-2 in a match from the third round of Group 2 in League A of the Nations League. The hosts took a two-goal lead at the “Toumba“ stadium in Thessaloniki, but the visitors equalised with a goal by Tejani Reynders in the 89th minute.
The result left Greece top of the group with seven points. The Netherlands are second with five points and remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Greece took the lead in the first half
Fotis Ioannidis opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. The striker finished off a Greek attack and gave the hosts the lead.
Greece doubled their lead in added time in the first half. Georgios Masouras scored for 2:0 after a combination with Ioannidis, and the hosts went into the break with a comfortable lead.
Before the match, Netherlands coach Xavi said that “Greece is at its best, and the atmosphere at “Tumba“ is incredible“. The Dutch started more actively after the break and gradually brought the intrigue back.
Van Dijk and Reinders bring the Netherlands back into the match
Virgil van Dijk reduced the visitors' deficit in the 59th minute. The defender took advantage of a deadlock situation and started the reverse chase.
The Netherlands continued to attack and came close to equalising late in the match. Tejani Reynders scored in the 89th minute to make it 2-2.
Greece failed to hold onto their lead, but remained unbeaten after the first three rounds. The team started the campaign with wins over Serbia and Germany before picking up a point against the Netherlands.
Next matches
Greece will host Germany on 4 October in the fourth round of the group. On the same day, the Netherlands will host Serbia.
The top two teams in the group will proceed to the knockout phase of the tournament, making the point in Thessaloniki important for both teams.
Sources: In.gr, Onsports, Sport FM