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San Marino: Sensoli IN Lazzari OUT

San Marino: Valli Casadei IN Capicchioni OUT

KASTANOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PENALTY!

Cyprus: Correia IN Artymatas OUT

Cyprus substitution: Kyriakou IN Pileas OUT

San Marino: Matteoni IN Sammaritani OUT

San Marino 0-1 Cyprus HT

+5

LOIZOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

San Marino substitution: Berardi IN Contadini OUT

CYPRUS 1 Mall(GK) 2 Pileas 19 Laifis 16 Andreou 17 Shikkis 20 Kastanos 5 Charalambous 18 Artymatas(Captain) 21 Tzionis 10 Loizou 9 Pittas BENCH 12 Kyriakou(GK) 22 Michael(GK) 3 Panayiotou 4 Kyprianou 6 Satsias 7 Correia 8 Kousoulos 11 Kakoullis 13 Angelopoulos 14 Malekkidis 15 Koutsakos 23 Kyriakou Manager: Apostolos Mantzios(GRE)

SAN MARINO 1 Colombo(GK) 4 Sammaritani 5 Cevoli 6 Rossi 3 Riccardi 17 Golinucci(Captain) 8 Capicchioni 18 Zannoni 11 Contadini 21 Lazzari 9 Nanni BENCH 13 Zavoli(GK) 16 Amici(GK) 2 Matteoni 7 Vittaioli 10 Berardi 12 Tosi 14 Valentini 15 Capicchioni 19 Giacopetti 20 Sensoli 22 Mularoni 23 Valli Casadei Manager: Roberto Cevoli(ITA)

Nothing but 3 wins now. I hope we can do it. 🙏

I also don’t see what Kourbelis has done so special in the last 3 years either. Ever since leaving Panathinaikos he has hasn’t done anything significant for the clubs he’s played for. Alexandropoulos is more of a box to box than a defensive midfielder and statistically has better defensive contributions this season. Also better going forward with the ball. Just look at both players goals they both have scored in their careers in the past. Alex has better quality goals. Not saying Alex is the answer but I would say he’s better and he’s the same size. You’d rather go for the better option. Also Triantis 2 goals and 2 assists this season plays in America ok, but still contributes more as a player in both defence and attack. All 3 don’t play at the highest level but we have to make improvements in that area. Point is we have other players of the same size that can do the job he is doing and possibly better. Seen too many errors from an experienced player. Mouzakitis is better than all of them I agree.

Alexandropoulos has had a poor 2-3 years at club level. He has bounced around between Portugal, Belgium and now in the 2nd tier in Germany and hasn't been able to nail down a starting position since leaving PAO (played a good amount of games in Belgium last season but plenty were as a sub or he was hooked off at halftime.) Fair to say he hasn't developed as we would've hoped. Liatsikouras isn't worth mentioning as a possible replacement atm as he has not broken into Olympiacos first team yet. When he does that he will well and truly be on the radar but a kid playing B Ethniki is not going to displace a seasoned international, that is just reality. Mouzakitis should absolutely be a starter going forward. He has quality and is good on the ball, a modern central midfielder. Similarly so is Zaferis. Kourbelis has a role in the squad, he is experienced and a bigger body, the 2 aforementioned are on the smaller side. I believe Triantis is worth a look and we should be seeing him in the near future. Siopis also has his place in the squad, he is needed in certain games. Tomorrow's game is a tough one as to who you start in CM. I think I would start Siopis next to one of Zafeiris/Mouzakitis. I would argue a midfield 3, with the 3 names mentioned could be a decent option, and start without a number 10 and play with 2 number 8's instead. I don't think Jovanovic will do that though, he won't leave out both of Bakasetas/Konstantelias, one will start.

Also there are players in the Greek league who play CM that can be more serviceable in midfield for Greece.

Theres already 3 DMs I can name that are better than Kourbelis. Alexandropoulos, Triantis and Liatsikouras (potentially) are better and have more height to them aswell. Siopis isn’t the answer although he has high stamina and a lot of running in him. We had less height in the game against Scotland in the nations league and won comfortably in there home stadium. Mouzakitis awareness and intelligent positioning helped us that game and his attacking ability and playmaking is also superior to all of our mids. Zafeiris covered a lot of ground that game too which is important to note. You never change a winning team. That team in the nations league game that won 3-0 should’ve been the starting lineup going forward.

I am not a Kourbelis fan or defender, but I believe the reason he plays is simply because of his height and physiacality. We are quite a short team, apart from the 2 CB's and the striker (all of Pavlidis, Ioannidis and Douvikas are well over 6 foot/186cms +) we lack height. While our CB's are generally good in the air (not the other day) especially when facing set pieces the coach probably feels we don't have enough height to deal with those situations. Now clearly the way we defended in Scotland indicates, as we all know height is not the only factor when defending set pieces. Siopis is a superior defensive mid, but again he lacks height. I believe this is why EPO got Greek-Australian Nectarios Triantis to get his Greek citizenship. He is a 22 year old defensive midfielder who is 191cm (6'3), who played for Scottish side Hibernian last season and was voted into the SPL team of the season. He has moved to the MLS this season and has started well there, with goals and assists in his early appearances. Yet to be called up for the NT despite being eligible the last 2 windows, so I am not sure what is going on there. Clearly for EPO to chase him and have him get his passport indicates there is an intention to call him up, and he plays in a position where we lack quality/depth.

Good points I am not putting all the blame on the coach as we have defensive issues in the old days under Rehagel and Santos and with the backs we had Greece would never lose that match. Our defending has been questionable to say the least but we have Kourbelis vs Denmark dribbling near our box and giving away the ball that leads to a goal. Then he gets the start again in Scotland? Why? what has he done for Greece? I remember him giving away a needless penalty in Finland in 2020 European qualifier and that cost us the match. How is he being selected when he plays in the Saudi league? It makes no sense and I am a PAO fan..

Its still crazy that Greece can actually top the group. We should have won that match vs Scotland and we would have been in a great position to get 2nd place at the very least, total domination and we get nothing from it. Who knows if Jovanovich gets the lineup right and we defend like Greek teams of old then we can win this match. If Greece can win in England they can win here. Our problem is we are giving up way to many silly goals. Scotland had no chances in open play there goals came of set pieces and our defense could not clear our lines. The third goal was a stupid mistake from Tzolakis two in the last two matches. No Tzolakis for this match and no Kourbelis and no Masouras very simple!

Despodov just provided an assist for Bulgaria against Turkey.

Cyprus in a rare position of being expected to win this one comfortably.

Great result indeed. Germany was unbeaten for 4 years. The Kostoulas goal btw not scored by striker Babis but his brother and defender Kostas.

That's a big result, since Germany are the finalists of the last U21 EURO championships.