Vagiannidis off the bench, but Sporting full-back can't help Greece | OneFootball

Georgios Vagiannidis was used in the second half, but could not prevent Greece’s 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in a friendly played on Greek soil. The full-back came on after the break in an attempt to give the team more dynamism.

After an even first half with few chances, the only goal came in the 52nd minute. Following a direct free-kick, Diego Gómez struck a low, powerful shot, beating goalkeeper Vlachodimos and putting the South Americans ahead.

Faced with the unfavorable scoreline, Ivan Jovanovic made changes to the team and introduced, alongside Vagiannidis, players such as Pavlidis, Konstantelias and Masouras. Greece tried to respond, but came up against a solid Paraguayan defence that nullified their attacking moves.

As time went on, the Greeks lost organization and clarity in the final third, while Paraguay managed their lead calmly. The Hellenic side, who failed to reach the World Cup qualifying play-offs, were unable to avoid defeat until the final whistle.

This season, wearing the Sporting shirt, Georgios Vagiannidis - valued at €11 million - has taken part in 24 matches. The green-and-white full-back played a total of 1,379 minutes, in which he managed to provide six assists for his team-mates.

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