Josh Cullen chasing quick-fire Ireland double, but bogey team Greece are up next

Ireland play Greece at Georgios Karaiskakis Football Stadium - home of Olympiacos - in Piraeus on Sunday night

Josh Cullen knows Ireland will have to bring their A-game to Athens if they are to finally get one over Greece.

The Greeks have quickly become Ireland’s bogey team after winning home and away in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, when Stephen Kenny was boss.

And they won 2–0 in Dublin last month, in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s second game in charge.

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Greece were rocked this week by the tragic death of their English-born international George Baldock who played against Ireland in the 2-1 defeat in Athens last summer.

But they went to Wembley on Thursday and stunned Lee Carsley’s England in a famous 2-1 win.

Ireland are buoyed by their own 2-1 win in Finland on the same night and Cullen would love to make it a quick-fire double.

At Olympiacos’ stadium in Piraeus, just outside Athens, the Burnley midfielder said today of Greece’s win over England: “It was a little bit of a surprise, I suppose.

“We know they’re a talented side and a tough opposition for everyone.

“At this level, if a certain team isn’t quite at their maximum and another team is then anyone can beat anyone at this level. We saw that with the game on Thursday.”

But Ireland went into the game in good confidence after seeing off Finland with a late Robbie Brady winner in Helsinki.

Cullen said: “A win always lifts morale. It helps with the mood around the camp, of course. But we’ve another game to focus on tomorrow night quickly after the game on Thursday.

“Our attention turns to the game tomorrow. It’s a tough game that we’ve had to prepare for really quickly.

“No one likes losing games and everyone wants to be a winner, and we’ve got a squad full - staff included - of people who want to win games.

“But the way you win games is in details and a lot of smaller parts that you have to make sure you get right to earn the right to win games.

“We did that on Thursday. We know we have to prepare right and be ready to go. Coming off the back of a win it’s always a bit easier to reboot the energy. What’s happened in the past against Greece has happened and tomorrow night is a fresh opportunity for everyone.”

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