Greece pulled off a monumental upset at Wembley a mere 35 days ago, beating England for the very first time, meaning the Three Lions simply must win at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium to keep alive their hopes of claiming top spot.
Greece vs England Preview
Following their ignominious relegation in 2022, most expected England to cruise through UEFA Nations League B, but that certainly has not been the case, thanks entirely to Greece. Last month at Wembley, Vangelis Pavlidis' brace saw the Greeks spring a major surprise, departing North London 2-1 winners, doing so thoroughly deservingly it must be added, the latter, a 94th minute winner no less, sparking wild scenes of jubilation from the away fans. So, as the pair reconvene in Athens, can they do it again?
Aside from the reverse fixture, England have accumulated maximum points in Group B2. After beating both Republic of Ireland and Finland 2-0 in September, they swatted the Finns aside again 3-1 in Helsinki last time out, with Jack Grealish breaking the deadlock and Trent Alexander-Arnold curling home a stunning free-kick, before Declan Rice poked in his fifth England goal.
A few days later, it was announced by the FA that Thomas Tuchel will take over as the Three Lions' new boss, although his first fixtures in charge will have to wait until late-March. So, for this trip to Athens, as well as Sunday's clash with Ireland, Lee Carsley remains in interim charge, and England simply must win both matches if they're to snatch first place; even that may not prove to be enough.
Greece though require just a draw, roared on by a sell-out crowd at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium, to rubber stamp successive Nations League promotions. That's because Ivan Jovanović's side currently have maximum points on the board, one of only two teams, alongside Romania in League C, who've won every game in the competition this year.
In September, the Blue and Whites smashed Finland in Piraeus and then swatted aside Ireland in Dublin, before following up their historic triumph at Wembley by beating the Irish 2-0 once again; Anastasios Bakasetas and Petros Mantalos on target at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium. Greece, European Champions two decades ago, have not qualified for any of the last five major tournaments, but have found joy in the Nations League, finally gaining promotion from League C at the third attempt in 2022, now on the cusp of joining the continent's elite in the top-tier for the very first time.
So, what are the permutations? Remember, only the group winners are promoted to League A automatically, while the runners-up will face a League A third-place finisher in a two-legged play-off in March. A draw, or a home win of course, will secure first place for Greece with a game to spare. Victory for England would see them join their hosts on 12 points but, with head-to-head the secondary tiebreaker, the Three Lions require victory by a two-goal margin to leapfrog Greece, thereby keeping their fate in their own hands.
A 1-0 England win would still leave them behind by virtue of the tertiary tiebreaker: overall goals-scored. Thus, in short, Lee Carsley's side must win and win well, setting up an intriguing final day on Sunday, when both fixtures will kick off simultaneously, thereby requiring those who'll be making the pilgrimage to Wembley to pack their transistor radios. There is along way to go before that however, considering Greece have lost just two of their last 24 internationals played on home turf, beaten only by Spain and Netherlands since June 2019.
Greece vs England Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 10.
- Greece Wins: 1. Draws: 2. England Wins: 7.
Greece Team News
Midfielder Dimitrios Kourbelis is suspended, having been booked during both October fixtures, but centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis can return, having served a one-match ban of his own against Ireland last time out. Goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos has played a mere 45 minutes of an EFL Cup tie since his summer move to Newcastle, but was excellent at Wembley last month, so will start a 33rd consecutive international, most-recently missing one over four years ago. West Ham's Konstantinos Mavropanos will form part of his back-line, while Kostas Tsimikas of Liverpool will be hoping to return at left-back, after Dimitris Giannoulis, somewhat surprisingly, started both matches during the last international break.
Greece predicted lineup vs England: (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos; Rota, Koulierakis, Mavropanos, Giannoulis; Mantalos, Siopis, Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis.
Greece Player to Watch vs England
Fotis Ioannidis scored three goals during two games in September, before sitting out the October double-header injured, although his deputy didn't prove to be too bad. Vangelis Pavlidis was the Greek hero at Wembley, scoring twice, despite having not found the net for his country since June 2022 beforehand. He has scored five times since joining Benfica this summer, so could Pavlidis prove to be England's nemesis again?
England Team News
Lee Carsley's travels to Athens with a substantially depleted side. Firstly, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo were not included in the initial squad due to injury before, on Monday, the following octet all withdrew: Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jack Grealish, Levi Colwill and Aaron Ramsdale.
So, Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa appear the most-likely centre-back combination, while Rico Lewis will be deployed at left-back, as he has been in both home Nations League fixtures so far. Angel Gomes will be at the base of midfield, with Jude Bellingham further-forward, although the identity of the player completing that trio is anyone's guess. Out-wide, Carsley has favoured Anthony Gordon during this campaign, while Noni Madueke appears to be just ahead Jarrod Bowen in the pecking order.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers and Curtis Jones are all hoping to make their senior England debuts, either here or when Ireland visit Wembley at the weekend. In contrast, Kyle Walker requires just nine more caps to become only the 11th man to reach a century of Three Lions appearances.
England predicted lineup vs Greece: (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Konsa, Guéhi, Lewis; Gomes, Gallagher, Bellingham; Madueke, Gordon, Kane.
England Player to Watch vs Greece
Harry Kane marked the occasion of his 100th cap against Finland in September by scoring twice, taking his tally to 68 for England; only 22 men of any nationality, just five of which are European, have more. Kane has found the target against 31 different national teams, scoring during his last two outings in Greece for Tottenham, so will he repeat that feat at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium?
Greece vs England Prediction
We're forecasting a famous night for Greece. With close to a dozen potential starters all sidelined, we do not believe the England team that will take to the field in Athens on Thursday will be able to defeat Ivan Jovanović's improving side, with the hosts earning a point they require to secure promotion with a game still to go: Greece 1-1 England.
Greece vs England FAQs - UEFA Nations League
How to watch Greece vs England UEFA Nations League game on TV channel?
Greece vs England UEFA Nations League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: ITV1
- USA: fuboTV, TUDN, Fox Sports 1 & TUDN USA
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Greece vs England UEFA Nations League game on live streaming?
Greece vs England UEFA Nations League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: ITVX
- USA: Foxsports.com, ViX and FOX Sports App
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Greece vs England in the UEFA Nations League?
Greece vs England takes place on Thursday 14 November 2024, with kick off at 19:45 (GMT), 14:45 (EDT) & 11:45 (PST).