The youngsters of the Greek national team outplayed and outscored the Scots in Glasgow on Sunday, thrashing the Hampden Park hosts 3-0 and rightfully earning Greece a spot in the top level of the UEFA Nations League.

Greece overturned its 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Piraeus with three beautiful goals that undid the Scottish defense and gave the team of coach Ivan Jovanovic a 3-1 aggregate triumph in the home-and-away promotion playoffs of the competition.

Giannis Konstantelias scored the first goal and set up the other two, by Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis, while the visitors had several more chances in the second half to add to their tally. All three form part of the new generation of the national team, with Karetsas becoming Greece’s youngest ever scorer in the Nations League at the age of 17.5 years in what was only his first game as a starter with the Blue-and-Whites.

Scotland tried to surprise the Greeks with two good chances in the first 10 minutes of the game, first finding the outside netting and then being denied by Greece keeper Konstantis Tzolakis.

However the visitors quickly regained their composure and – against the run of play – they opened the score with a great team effort that Konstantelias completed on the 20th minute, to open the score and cancel the Scottish lead from the the first leg.

Before the first half was over Greece managed to find a second goal, with Konstantelias turning from scorer to provider, and Karetsas finding the back of the net on his second game for Greece three minutes before half-time.

The shock for the Scots got even greater as barely 17 seconds into the second half Kostantelias once again offered an assist and Tzolis scored Greece’s third to practically end the hosts’ hopes for a comeback.

The Greeks had 12 final efforts, but only three of them were on target, and all turned into goals.

In the end the 1,500 Greek fans outshouted the silenced home fans, singing “Elladara Omadara” (i.e. Great Greece, great team), and that was spot-on for the Greek national team on the night.

Source: Ekathimerini.com