Gustavo Pogget had made it clear that anything less than a victory against Ireland would not only be a failure but would significantly hinder Greece’s chances of qualifying for the EURO 2024 finals. The team’s success was crucial to keep their aspirations alive and maintain a favourable position in Group B of the qualifiers.
As the final score demonstrated, the Greek national team executed their game plan flawlessly, delivering an impressive performance throughout most of the match and securing a 2-1 victory against the Irish in the third round.
Beyond the six points earned from two games, which is an evident achievement, the “blue and white” team head to Paris with composure and high morale for their upcoming match on Monday (19/6) against France, the World Cup 2022 finalist and group leader.
Greece completed their preparations on home soil for Monday’s clash with France and departed for Paris. The training session went smoothly, with the Greek players following individual programs based on their involvement in the Friday match against Ireland.
Sunday’s training was scheduled to take place at the stadium where the Monday match will be held.
Cyprus
In a painful and somewhat unfair defeat, Cyprus experienced a 2-1 loss against Georgia in the first qualifying group match for EURO 2004.
Timour Ketsbaia’s team initially fell behind with a goal from Mikaoutadze in the 31st minute but quickly equalized with a penalty scored by Pittas (40′).
Cyprus dominated the game thereafter, hitting the woodwork twice through Pittas and Laifis and creating several other promising opportunities. However, in the 84th minute, Davitashvili secured the victory for Georgia, pushing them ahead of Spain and into second place in the group.
Scotland leads the group after defeating Norway 2-1 in Oslo, thanks to goals from Dykes and McLean in the final moments of the match.
