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Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Dachbet
Looking to claim some immediate revenge on Thursday night, England will travel to Athens when they meet Greece.
Greece
Starting with the hosts, while Greece might have been left heartbroken back in March as they missed oil on the chance to book a EURO 24 ticket, the Ethniki have come roaring back in a sensational fashion. Putting in what was a famous Nations League performance when they travelled to Wembley back on October 10th as they claimed a 2-1 victory against England, Ivan Jovanovic’s men will be dreaming of a repeat display here. Signing off October with a routine 2-0 win at home against Greece, the mood in Athens is at a red-hot high. In fact, getting their Nations League adventure underway on September 7th with a 3-0 romp against Finland, Greece have won all of their first four League B appearances by an aggregate score of 9-1.
Team News
Bagging a famous Nations League brace at Wembley last month as Greece clinched that iconic 2-1 win, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis will spearhead the Ethniki’s charge. Making six Premier League appearances for a high-flying Liverpool, Konstantinos Tsimikas will start at left-back.
Making the move to Newcastle over the summer, Odysseas Vlachodimos will start between the sticks in Athens. West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos will start at the heart of Greece’s defence on Thursday night and earn a 32nd international cap.
England
As for the visitors, while England might have claimed an immediate response last month as they claimed a hard-fought 3-1 victory away at Finland, Lee Carsley’s temporary squad have struggled to make much of a statement. With incoming boss Thomas Tuchel not set to officially take over at Wembley until January, the Three Lions will once again have plenty of pressure on their shoulders when they travel to Athens on Thursday night. Suffering major EURO 24 heartbreak back in July as they fell to a 2-1 loss against Spain as they missed out on the chance to get their hands on a first piece of international silverware since 1966, England have also shown some extended defensive issues. Hit with that infamous 2-1 loss when they welcomed Greece to north London last month, Carsley’s temporary squad have recorded just a pair of clean sheets from any of their previous eight matchups continuing on from the summer.
Team News
The duo of Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Newcastle youngster Lewis Hall have both received maiden senior call ups to England’s senior squad. Limping off against Aston Villa last weekend after picking up a muscle injury, Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold is not likely to feature over the next fortnight.
Embarking on what has become another Bundesliga romp this season and already registering 11 top-flight goals, ex-Tottenham skipper Harry Kane will lead out England in Athens. Returning from a minor knock last week, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has been included in Carsley’s squad.
Key Factors to Consider
- When Greece and England met for their reverse Nations League showdown last month, the Ethniki collected an iconic 2-1 win at Wembley.
- Greece have suffered just a single defeat on home soil over the past 12 months.
- The Three Lions have recorded just two clean sheets from any of their previous eight appearances across all competitions.
- Greece have won all of their four Nations League appearances this year by an aggregate score of 9-1.
- Thursday’s hosts have recorded at least a pair of goals in eight of their last 10 matchups across all competitions.
Conclusion
Falling to that 2-1 loss when they welcomed Greece to Wembley last month, England will have plenty of pressure on their shoulders here. Facing what is a must-win showdown on Thursday night if they are to book an immediate League A return this year, the Three Lions should be bracing themselves for another stern examination in Athens. With Greece winning each of their first four Nations League appearances by an aggregate score of 9-1, the Ethniki will be looking to test an England defence that have recorded just a pair of clean sheets from any of their last eight outings.
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Dachbet