Maybe this is what happens when you play against all the nice guys. Lee Carsley loaded his starting England XI with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer in the central areas, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon on the wings; the dial turned furiously to attack.

It was a team to excite, the kind that so many England fans longed for. And for very long periods it was a mess. England lacked control in midfield and were porous at the back, while Greece tore through with increasing regularity.

No one could say Vangelis Pavlidis’ goal was unmarked after 49 minutes and as the second half progressed it was Greece who looked the most likely scorer for the next goal. These were dismissed when Pavlidis hit home plate after another slick team play. The VAR saw that he was offside and it was not the only time Greece had a goal disallowed.

The advantage of having so many playmakers on the pitch is that there is always a chance, even when all seems lost – and in this case, especially the team. Carsley had thrown to Ollie Watkins and as he pulled back from the byline, Bellingham ran towards the ball and guided home a fierce curler from the edge of the penalty area.

However, Greece would not be denied a historic first victory over England. Pavlidis was the hero at the last minute, striking after England’s defense was thrown into terrible disarray – and it was far from the first time.

Carsley had said Wednesday that these days he often spends five or six minutes at the start of games figuring out the lineups of the teams he’s watching. Spectators did the same here with his setup, which was characterized by daring and extreme levels of fluidity.

The pre-match hype had taken into account the possibility of Carsley playing as a false nine against Bellingham, which he did. What was clear from the start was that he had also asked Foden to operate in a central striking role. Behind them, Declan Rice held his ground in midfield, while Palmer had the license to push forward. Call it a 4-2-4, with asterisks.

Trent Alexander-Arnold moved from right back into midfield – sometimes in a position on the inside of the striker – while Rico Lewis was attacking from left back. It was all a bit of a blur, coherence elusive for much of the first half. Worse, England were open at the back and vulnerable to Greek counters, of which there were many. Carsley’s team were fortunate not to concede midway through the first period and the thought occurred that better opponents might have punished them.

Greece had a big regret in the tenth minute. Jordan Pickford left his area to try to provoke a move but he couldn’t see a pass and the longer he dawdled the more trouble he caused. When he was robbed, Tasos lobbed Bakasetas into the empty net and only a spectacular goal-line clearance from the retreating Levi Colwill saved England.

Carsley’s team enjoyed some rewards as they put a lot of pressure on the ball, causing Greece to panic and make mistakes. Further up the field, however, the visitors were comfortable in possession, played neat triangles and also had other opportunities in the early period.

Pavlidis curled wide after Bellingham had gone to ground too easily and Greece had advanced the length of the pitch. Konstantinos Mavropanos had the ball in the net after a Pickford flap following a corner, but was withdrawn for offside; Pickford was a happy boy. And Bakasetas would work as a goalkeeper if he was well placed.

England had their own chances before the break, the big one coming in the 23rd minute when Bellingham fell behind before producing a stunning cutback to throw his defender before teeing up the unmarked Palmer. It was the moment the Chelsea player would have dreamed of. It was unlikely that he would rise high.

Palmer had delivered an air kick early on and there was also a moment when he bent a free-kick towards the goal. Bellingham was able to point to a curler from the edge of the area that forced Odysseas Vlachodimos to tip over, while Anthony Gordon headed high from an Alexander-Arnold cross.

The overriding impression from the first half was that Carsley needed to find clarity.

The traveling fans believed there would be a goal, one in honor of George Baldock, the England-born Greece international who drowned in a swimming pool at his home in Athens on Wednesday. The tragedy has devastated everyone associated with the Greek team and Baldock was in celebration when Pavlidis scored.

Lazaros Rota had seen a shot blocked by John Stones after cutting into yards of space. Now Pavlidis accepted the ball in the area, many England shirts around him, but no one could rise to the challenge. Stones came closest, but Pavlidis was too cute for him and charted a flawless course to the finish.

England looked messy. Rice was booked for a late tackle on Manolis Siopis after getting away with one off Dimitrios Kourbelis in the first half and there was further alarm when Konstantinos Koulierakis came in behind to head in a corner square. Bellingham was acquitted. What was going on?

Carsley lost Saka to injury, Noni Madueke came on and he took drastic action on the hour mark, introducing Watkins for Gordon and changing to 4-2-3-1, Palmer moved to the right.

Watkins almost scored with his first touch, shooting high after a pass from Palmer, but after that it was almost all Greece.

A draw would have been difficult for them to accept. Their first victory over England was fully deserved.