Forty-five minutes of good performance were not enough for the Greek national team, that went down 1-0 to Scotland in Piraeus for the playoffs of the UEFA Nations League.
The home-and-away tie remains open, with the return match in Scotland three days later to determine which of the two will be promoted to the top level of the competition.
From the start of the game, in front of a capacity crowd at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Scotland was the most threatening of the two, and earned a penalty kick on the 31st for a foul Lazaros Rota committed inside the box. Scott McTominay converted it a minute later, to give the Scots the lead.
The visitors threatened again two or three times before half-time, with a Che Adams shot on the 45th clipping the bottom of Konstantis Tzolakis’ upright. Kostas Tsimikas had a decent free-kick breeze just above the crossbar in injury time.
However, the second half was a cat-and-mouse affair, with the Greeks throwing everything at the Scotland goal having upped their game dramatically with the introduction of 17-year-old debutant Konstantinos Karetsas on the right wing.
Greece’s chances came thick and fast, the biggest one arriving on the 68th, when Christos Tzolis met a Karetsas cross, only to be denied by the upright.
The visitors fought tooth and nail to maintain their lead, assisted by the insistence of the Greeks to cross the ball into the box instead of keeping it down where they had the edge with their speed.
All in all, if Greece repeats that second-half showing in Glasgow on Sunday, it could find a way through and snatch the win that will reverse Thursday’s defeat.
Notably, Greece and Scotland have also been drawn to the same World Cup qualifying group.