24 Sept 2026

Serbia 1-2 Greece: Late Douvikas header seals comeback

Greece opened their UEFA Nations League, League A Group 2 campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Serbia at Rajko Mitić Stadion in Belgrade. Andrija Živković struck early for the hosts, but Christos Tzolis equalized and substitute Anastasios Douvikas headed in the winner at 90’. For full data, xG and player heat maps, see the full match page on Sofascore.

Greece’s control finally told on the scoreboard

From midway through the first half, Greece owned the ball and the territory. They finished with 61% possession and a 588-375 edge in passes, which pushed Serbia deep for long stretches. The visitors also won the shot count 26-9 and led xG 2.49-1.32, a gap that reflects their sustained pressure. Final-third entries ended 56-32 to Greece and corners 6-2, underlining where the game was played. Serbia did get the best possible start, but Greece kept asking questions down both flanks and through the inside channels.

Even so, it took patience to turn dominance into goals. The first half ended 1-0 despite 14 Greek attempts and 1.20 xG before the break. The equalizer finally came on 74 minutes through Tzolis after a neat move and assist by Vangelis Pavlidis. The winner arrived at 90’ when Kostas Tsimikas whipped in his 10th cross of the night and Douvikas rose to nod home. On the balance of chances, and especially the 43-20 advantage in touches inside the box, Greece’s late conversion of pressure into points felt consistent with the numbers.

Serbia’s resilience and the big missed chances

Serbia defended for long periods and did many of the back-foot things well. They posted 32 clearances to Greece’s 14 and won 68% of aerial duels, which blunted several direct balls. The hosts also led total tackles 17-13 and interceptions 7-3, a sign of how compact they were after taking the lead. Vanja Milinković-Savić kept them in front for a while, producing seven saves, three punches and 0.57 goals prevented by Sofascore’s model.

The flip side was ruthlessness in attack. Serbia created four big chances but missed three of them, a swing that often decides tight international games. Luka Jović had a big chance he could not convert and Saša Lukić later passed up another. Dušan Tadić, who assisted the opener and created two key passes, also missed a big moment. Dejan Joveljić came on and hit the post, adding to the near-miss column. With Greece still creating at the other end, those lost moments grew costly.

Key moments that shaped 1-2

Serbia struck at 4’. A slick right-side progression found Tadić between the lines, and his through ball teed up Živković, who finished left-footed into the far side. Greece responded with volume rather than panic, but the break arrived with the hosts 1-0 up despite the visitors’ 14 attempts.

The equalizer on 74’ began with a patient sequence. Dimitris Kourbelis and Christos Zafeiris recycled play before Pavlidis slipped a clever ball to Tzolis, who finished low to the right. At 90’, Greece produced the decisive action: a deep switch freed Tsimikas, whose measured cross found Douvikas for a well-placed header. Referee Glenn Nyberg showed three yellows late on, booking Tadić and Aleksa Terzić for Serbia and Zafeiris for Greece. Five added minutes followed, but Greece managed the closing stages cleanly.

Midfield platform and full-back supply

Greece’s midfield axis was a steady drumbeat all night. Kourbelis completed 70 of 72 passes with three key passes, while Zafeiris added 66 of 71 to keep Serbia penned. Tzolis mixed volume with incision, taking six shots, supplying four key passes and scoring the equalizer. Tsimikas was a frequent outlet down the left, delivering 10 crosses with three accurate and a smart assist on the winner. Panagiotis Retsos and Konstantinos Mavropanos stepped forward with purpose too, combining for four shots and over 140 accurate passes.

Serbia’s midfield and back line did produce big efforts. Sergej Milinković-Savić won seven aerials, connected on 32 of 39 passes and got a shot on target. Strahinja Eraković made five blocks, completed 43 of 47 passes and cleared five times. Strahinja Pavlović added six clearances, four tackles and a key pass. Filip Kostić’s two-way shift counted four tackles and a key pass before he was withdrawn. The defensive workload was high, but against 56 Greek final-third phase completions and 24 crosses, the dam eventually cracked.

MVP: Andrija Živković leads by example

Živković earned the game’s highest Sofascore Rating at 8.6, and it was easy to see why. He took his early chance with conviction, then kept offering outlets in transition and tight spaces. Beyond the goal, he produced two key passes, created one big chance and clocked an expected assists figure of 0.54. His on-ball security also stood out, completing 21 of 25 passes, including 2 of 3 crosses and 3 of 5 long balls.

The winger’s carry threat and progressive touches were timely whenever Serbia needed ground. He logged 18 ball carries and pushed play forward reliably, helping Serbia relieve pressure before Greece’s late surge. He also chipped in four recoveries and a tackle, working diligently without the ball. On a night where margins were thin, his quality kept Serbia in front for most of it and competitive until the end. Even in defeat, Živković’s output read like a complete wide-man’s performance.