Home of football statistics and historyEngland pulled off a crucial 3-0 victory in Athens on Thursday to leapfrog Greece into the table’s summit of the UEFA Nations League Group B2.
Despite benching star forward Harry Kane, interim boss Lee Carsley guided his side to a crucial win in the group’s top-table six-pointer, taking a decisive step towards securing the Three Lions’ Division A return.
Ollie Watkins opened the floodgate at the Olympic Stadium of Athens with a deadlock-breaking tap-in in the seventh minute.
While the full-time score may indicate it was a walk in the park for Carsley’s side, it was anything but plain sailing.
England left it late to kill the game off, only doubling their lead in the 78th minute through Odysseas Vlachodimos’s unfortunate own goal.
Jude Bellingham’s effort rattled off the post before bouncing in off the back of the Newcastle United goalkeeper.
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones put the icing on the cake five minutes later as he latched on to Morgan Gibbs-White’s cutback to make it 3-0.
However, the job is only half done.
No room for complacency
Carsley’s team must better Greece’s result against Finland on the final matchday to lock down an immediate League A promotion.
Given the Republic of Ireland’s wasteful form despite a 1-0 home win against the Finns during midweek, the upcoming clash at Wembley Stadium should be a mere formality.
After making way for Watkins, Harry Kane will return to the starting line-up against the Boys in Green, seeking only his third goal in the ongoing Nations League cycle.
The 50-year-old caretaker manager told Sky Sports that the Bayern Munich superstar ‘understood’ his decision to play Watkins over him in Athens.
But with numerous injury setbacks decimating his squad, Carsley needs his heaviest hitter back into his XI for this must-win fixture.
Sunday’s encounter in London will be his farewell game in the dugout, with Thomas Tuchel set to take over the reins when the international breaks calendar narrows at the start of 2025.
Widely expected to bow out in style, Carsely could strengthen his managerial credentials by navigating England’s return to the Nations League’s top table.
It would likely increase his chances of landing a new job immediately after vacating the Three Lions post amid talks linking him with a switch to Coventry City via CoventryLive.
What’s next?
As aforementioned, England will entertain Ireland in the final fixture of the last international break in 2024.
Carsely got his temporary tenure off to a winning start against this opposition, with goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish firing the Three Lions to a 2-0 triumph at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in September.
In addition to being Carsley’s last game in charge, Sunday’s meeting will be England’s final warm-up ahead of the impending 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle.
Though Tuchel will be at the helm when the campaign begins, England need every encouragement they can get following a morale-wracking Euro 2024 heartbreak against Spain in the summer.
Recovering their top-flight status in the Nations League seems like a decent place to start.
2024 schedule
The Nations League’s introduction in 2018 has not affected the number of international fixtures or breaks since it’s barely replaced pointless international friendlies with an equally meaningless competition.
Yet, it has added a layer of significance to previously inconsequential matches, offering teams a clear pathway to silverware and, in some cases, qualification for major tournaments.
However, the overall calendar remains unaffected, with two more international breaks scheduled before the conclusion of the 2024/25 club season.
England will return to action in March 2025, when Tuchel will make his touchline debut with the Three Lions, while the next stop comes in June.
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