Vellios Out To Restore Pride

Greek striker set for Under-21 action.

Everton striker Apostolos Vellios will be in international action on Monday as the curtain comes down on qualifying for next summer's European Under-21 Championships.

The youngster and his Greek teammates will be looking to bounce back from a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Bosnia last week with victory over neighbours Cyprus.
 
Greece headed into the current round of international fixtures knowing a place at next year's championships was already out of reach but will want to show more resilience than they managed in Sarajevo on Thursday.

Arriving in the Bosnian capital on the back of three straight defeats and a disappointing goalless draw against San Marino, Antonios Nikopolidis' charges crumbled, conceding all four goals inside the opening 16 minutes.

Last September, Vellios netted as the Greeks earned their first qualifying points with a 2-0 win in Cyprus and a repeat victory today would not only secure the hosts a morale-boosting double but see them leapfrog their fierce rivals and finish third in the Group One standings.

Meanwhile, defender Shane Duffy is suspended for the Republic of Ireland's final Group Seven game against table-toppers Italy after picking up his second booking of the qualifying campaign in last week's 2-1 defeat to Hungary.

The loss in Kecskemét put an end to Ireland's hopes of reaching next summer's tournament in Israel, though they could clinch third with victory in Casarano. 

Elsewhere, centre-back Johan Hammar will be hoping to get a run-out for Sweden Under-19s against Norway, while in the same age group Gethin Jones' Wales travel to Germany.

Visit evertonfc.com later to find out how all our youngsters fare.