Greece vs Italy Player Ratings

Greece 0-1 Italy Player Ratings: Jeff Ekhator 8.0/10 Brilliant Assist Sparks Italy's New Era as Esposito Strike Seals Win Over Greece in Heraklion

Mohit Tomar

Published - Jun 07, 2026, 09:08 PM

3 min

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Summary

Italy claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Greece at Pankritio Stadium, Esposito's composed 18th-minute finish from Ekhator's pinpoint cross delivering the sole and decisive goal before Reggiani's red card transformed the final 20 minutes into a genuinely anxious defensive rearguard that Italy ultimately survived through Donnarumma's outstanding individual quality.
Greece pushed relentlessly after Reggiani's dismissal, Pavlidis going close, Zafeiris striking the post, and the hosts creating genuine opportunities that confirmed Italy's defensive vulnerability and the attacking quality that Greece possesses when given the numerical advantage and the space to run directly at an undermanned backline.
Jeff Ekhator was the standout performer at 8.0/10; his pinpoint cross for Esposito's opener, relentless direct running, and complete attacking contribution were the defining contributions of an Italy performance that confirmed the genuine and exciting potential of their new generation, despite the chaotic and avoidable circumstances that complicated what should have been a comfortable and straightforward victory.

This was Italy's new era, arriving with genuine purpose and excitement, Gianluigi Donnarumma the only recognisable name in a starting lineup that featured teenage talent, debutants, and the kind of collective energy and directness that the Azzurri's disappointing recent years had so often and painfully lacked. Ekhator was the brightest spark from the very first whistle, his direct running, sharp combination play, and early near-post chance setting an immediate tone that gave the Pankritio Stadium a taste of what the Italy national football team's rebuilding project might eventually look like at its finest.
The breakthrough arrived in the 18th minute, Ndour winning possession intelligently before quick link-up play with Ekhator created the cross that Esposito brought down and slammed clinically in off the far post in a move combining three of Italy's most exciting young talents with the instinctive cohesion of players who had clearly been working together with growing understanding and collective confidence.
Reggiani's catastrophic 68th-minute red card, shown for a last-man shirt pull on Douvikas just 13 minutes into his Italy debut, transformed the final 20 minutes into a genuinely anxious defensive exercise, with the Greece national football team pushing relentlessly and both Pavlidis and Zafeiris coming agonisingly close to the equaliser before Donnarumma's outstanding late save preserved Italy's clean sheet.
The victory, completed against ten and with ten, confirmed that while this Italian generation faces a long rebuild, the raw materials in Ekhator, Esposito, Koleosho, and Ndour are genuinely exciting enough to suggest that the Azzurri's international exile from major tournaments will not extend beyond the next qualification campaign. Here are Sportsdunia's Greece vs Italy player ratings.

Greece National Football Team Player Ratings vs Italy

Check out the Greece national football team player ratings vs Italy.

Player Name	Ratings
Odysseas Vlachodimos	6.5
Panagiotis Retsos	7.5
Pantelis Hatzidiakos	6.8
Konstantinos Koulierakis	6.3
Georgios Vagiannidis	6.0
Nectarios Triantis	6.1
Christos Mouzakitis	6.5
Georgios Kyriakopoulos	6.1
Christos Tzolis	6.8
Giorgos Masouras	6.5
Tasos Douvikas	6.2

Italy National Football Team Player Ratings vs Greece

Here are the Italy national football team player ratings vs Greece.

Player Name	Ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma	7.9
Honest Ahanor	6.6
Pietro Comuzzo	7.5
Fabio Chiarodia	7.0
Davide Bartesaghi	7.6
Niccolò Pisilli	7.1
Luca Lipani	7.4
Cher Ndour	7.3
Jeff Ekhator	8.0
Francesco Pio Esposito	7.9
Luca Koleosho	7.2