Greece had plenty to celebrate in Thessaloniki, yet they left with a share of the spoils and a fresh injury concern. Their evening took a worrying turn when Arsenal forward Christos Tzolis stopped mid move during an attacking spell. The winger, who has begun every one of Arsenal’s five league fixtures this term, tried to convince the staff he could continue. Medical judgement prevailed, and he was taken off in the 18th minute.
Even without him, the home side looked sharp. Fotis Ioannidis opened the scoring with a neat, composed strike, then turned provider by teeing up Giorgos Masouras for a second. At that point, a famous result looked well within reach.
The visitors had other ideas. Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez responded at the interval by rolling the dice with three fresh faces, and the shake up transformed the contest. Momentum shifted quickly, and the Dutch began to dominate proceedings.
Captain figure Virgil van Dijk, the Liverpool centre back, chose a memorable moment to celebrate his 99th international appearance. He rose highest to nod home and revive his side’s hopes. Then, with the clock running down, replacement Tijjani Reijnders unleashed a fierce shot that sealed the equaliser and stunned the hosts.
The point means neither nation has tasted defeat in Group A2, so the table remains finely poised. For Greece, though, the result will sting, since they held the contest firmly in their grasp.
The bigger headache may belong to Arsenal. Tzolis is now the second forward from the club to pick up trouble while away with his country during this international window. Germany’s Kai Havertz suffered a setback just a week earlier, which will leave the Gunners anxiously awaiting medical updates.
Fans will hope the damage proves minor, as both players matter greatly to their club’s plans.
