Sporting forward in awe of Van Dijk: he's the best defender in the world | OneFootball

Fotis Ioannidis stood out in Greece’s 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, directly contributing to both goals for the Hellenic national team. The Sporting forward scored and provided an assist in the match played in Thessaloniki, helping Ivan Jovanovic’s side build a lead that was ultimately cancelled out by the Dutch.

At the end of the match, the Greek international also reflected on the national team’s current moment and acknowledged signs of progress. "The national team has stepped up a level, we are improving. In the second half we didn’t react as we should have and as the coach asked. We have to understand more quickly what the game demands," said the Lions’ number 7.

The match was also marked by Ioannidis’ duel with Virgil van Dijk, one of the Netherlands’ defensive leaders. The forward did not hide his admiration for the opponent he faced and was full of praise for the centre-back.

"Van Dijk is the best defender in the world. It was special," Ioannidis admitted after going up against the experienced player throughout the 90 minutes in Thessaloniki. The forward still has one more commitment with the Greek national team during this international break, with a home match against Germany scheduled for Sunday.

, which is preparing for the trip to Braga, scheduled for October 9 at 8:15 pm, when the national league resumes.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.