Greece mount comeback to claim late win at Serbia in Nations League opener

[p][b]Much was made in the build-up of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tadic-dusan/Ic4oPYSF/"]Dusan Tadic[/a]’s recall to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/serbia/8Kl6iq0i/"]Serbia[/a] squad, yet he took less than four minutes to justify his selection by chasing a ball over the top from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milinkovic-savic-sergej/pAWQ3AE3/"]Sergej Milinkovic-Savic[/a] before crossing for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zivkovic-andrija/QDeNRxET/"]Andrija Zivkovic[/a] to divert into the net.[/b][/p][image alt="Serbia celebrate their opening goal" id="aecb20f1-6646-4512-b8f4-75e08b198e47" credit-line="REUTERS / Marko Djurica" guid="3bef4725-d9fd-4fea-a240-53d73d27625d" original-width="2391" original-height="1605" /][p]Nevertheless, the Greek response was almost immediate, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/karetsas-konstantinos/EBMZbxBK/"]Konstantinos Karetsas[/a] struck the post following [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolis-christos/484Acu9H/"]Christos Tzolis[/a]’ cutback.[/p][p]Close to the quarter-hour mark, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/greece/COuk57Ci/"]Greece[/a] had their next chances; first, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlidis-vangelis/fTsS9nkc/"]Vangelis Pavlidis[/a] forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milinkovic-savic-vanja/Mw0wd0xM/"]Vanja Milinkovic-Savic[/a] into a smart save, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostoulas-charalampos/GA3CqpgC/"]Charalampos Kostoulas[/a] failed to keep an effort down from a good position.[/p][p]A timely [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cvetkovic-mihajlo/SErhvM9U/"]Mihajlo Cvetkovic[/a] block denied Pavlidis as the Serbian penalty area continued to come under pressure until the midpoint of the first half.[/p][p]Having weathered the storm, Orlovi wasted a golden opportunity to double their advantage as a mishit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlovic-strahinja/Qm2DVwBO/"]Strahinja Pavlovic[/a] fell perfectly for the unmarked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovic-luka/viIS0FT7/"]Luka Jovic[/a], who volleyed over from eight yards.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="ec3d77b9-d5c4-4dcf-a17a-7b3d82d84836" credit-line="Flashscore" hidden-attrs="alt, credit" guid="2d898a47-46ed-4d97-bb15-459347190b2e" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]That display of poor finishing threatened to come back and haunt Serbia when Tzolis unleashed a first-time curling effort from 25 yards, only for V. Milinkovic-Savic to tip it away at full stretch and preserve his side’s lead at half-time.[/p][p]The home goalkeeper was far less convincing early in the second half, flapping at a free-kick crossed into the box. However, he recovered to save from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/retsos-panagiotis/W6dn3O5H/"]Panagiotis Retsos[/a], and Serbia were soon breathing another sigh of relief when Pavlidis had a goal ruled out for offside.[/p][p]Pavlidis, Karetsas and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ioannidis-fotis/b1pVKpjM/"]Fotis Ioannidis[/a] continued to pepper the Serbian goal after the hour mark, but the unbeatable shot-stopper had Galanolefki staring down the barrel of a fourth game in five this year without troubling the scoreboard.[/p][p][b]But that all changed 14 minutes from time, when Pavlidis took down a ball chipped over the top and fed Tzolis, who gave V. Milinkovic-Savic no chance with a low shot onto the post and in.[/b][/p][image alt="Tzolis celebrates his equaliser" id="330a7bbd-ec6f-4faf-81ac-aa1823cc518c" credit-line="REUTERS / Marko Djurica" guid="0c473ab4-e284-4274-88b9-5ffa99404467" original-width="2300" original-height="1546" /][p]Despite conceding, the late momentum appeared to swing back Serbia’s way.[/p][p][b]However, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joveljic-dejan/4faWNQ39/"]Dejan Joveljic[/a] struck the post from distance and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukic-sasa/nwu2UvUA/"]Sasa Lukic[/a]’s header produced a brilliant stop from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolakis-konstantinos/G0ZL7CGI/"]Konstantinos Tzolakis[/a], it was the visitors who stole the points courtesy of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/douvikas-anastasios/YgPGkQYi/"]Douvikas[/a]’ close-range header. [/b][/p][p]Following that cruel late blow, Veljko Paunovic’s side have not won a Nations League game for eight years, while Greece end a run of five away games without a triumph.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolis-christos/484Acu9H/"]Christos Tzolis[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/greece/COuk57Ci/"]Greece[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/greece-COuk57Ci/serbia-8Kl6iq0i/?mid=2BWSzjVN"]Check out the match summary with Flashscore[/a][/b].[/p]