MX23RW : Friday, November 8 03:08:44| >> :120:33630:33630:
[monks data]
Greece national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Oct 16, 2023 at 7.45pm UK
OPAP Arena
Netherlands national football team

Greece
0 - 1
Netherlands


Kourbelis (14'), Mantalos (29'), Retsos (76'), Pavlidis (86')
Poyet (90+4')
FT(HT: 0-0)
van Dijk (90+3' pen.)
Geertruida (13'), Simons (51')

Preview: Greece vs. Netherlands - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Monday's Euro Champ Qualifying clash between Greece and Netherlands, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

At risk of missing out on a top-two finish in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B, the Netherlands head to the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens to meet Greece on Monday evening.

Oranje trail their hosts by three points in the rankings, and Gus Poyet's side could ensure a top-two finish by stunning their morale-depleted visitors by at least four goals on home soil.


Match preview

Greece coach Gustavo Poyet reacts on October 13, 2023© Reuters

As unrealistic as that four-goal scenario sounds, Greece are inching ever closer to a first Euros appearance since reaching the 2012 quarter-finals, prior to which the defence of their historic 2004 crown ended with a group-stage exit in the 2008 edition.

Poyet's men travelled to Dublin on Friday aiming to replicate their narrow triumph over the Republic of Ireland from four months ago, and after surviving a couple of early scares - including a strike from Evan Ferguson onto the woodwork - the visitors began to turn the screw.

With 20 minutes gone, Kostas Tsimikas's cross found Georgios Giakoumakis to direct a powerful header past a stranded Gavin Bazunu, before Dimitrios Pelkas's scuffed shot fell kindly for Georgios Masouras to double Greece's lead with the final act of the first half.

The Pirate Ship comfortably kept a lacklustre Irish XI at bay during the second 45 to cement their second-placed standing in Group B - three points worse off than Finals-bound France - and an unforeseen emphatic win over the Netherlands would see Poyet's side join Les Bleus in Germany with a game to spare.

All is not said and done for the Greeks just yet, though, as the Pirate Ship only sit three points clear of the Dutch having played a game more and must also host section leaders France in their final Group B fixture next month, but even in the worst-case scenario, Poyet's men will earn a ticket to the playoffs.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman before the match on October 13, 2023© Reuters

An unwelcome abundance of injuries derailed the Dutch preparations for France's visit to Amsterdam on Friday, but even a fully-fit troupe would have had trouble quelling an on-song Kylian Mbappe, who made goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen's senior international debut one to forget.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker volleyed home from Jonathan Clauss's cross after just seven minutes before picking out the top corner with an outrageous curling strike in the second half, and a debut goal from Quilindschy Hartman - who beat Mike Maignan at his near post - was a mere consolation in a 2-1 beating.

Mbappe certainly had the last laugh after Oranje boss Ronald Koeman aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the Frenchman for PSG's Newcastle United trouncing, and a second defeat from five games in Group B leaves the Netherlands third in a five-team section, albeit with winnable fixtures against Ireland and Gibraltar to come.

As is the case with Greece, the Netherlands will also have their Nations League feats to fall back on if their top-two dreams crash and burn, having qualified for and hosted last year's finals, but defensive deficiencies forced Oranje to settle for fourth place.

However, Koeman had three first-half goals to thank as the Netherlands strolled past Greece 3-0 in last month's qualifier, which marked Oranje's eighth win from 10 contests against the Pirate Ship, whose solitary triumph against the 2010 World Cup finalists came in a 2016 friendly.

Greece Euro Champ Qualifying form:


Greece form (all competitions):


Netherlands Euro Champ Qualifying form:


Netherlands form (all competitions):


Team News

Netherlands' Quilindschy Hartman shakes hands with Donyell Malen after the match on October 13, 2023© Reuters

Coming through their success over Ireland without any new injury or suspension worries to take into account for Monday's match, Greece head coach Poyet should be hesitant to tinker with a winning formula in Athens, meaning another start up front for Atlanta United striker Giakoumakis.

Only trailing Mbappe in the Group B goalscoring charts with an eye-catching five efforts to his name, Masouras will now bid to reach double figures in national team colours as he keeps Taxiarchis Fountas and Vangelis Pavlidis at bay once more.

Thirty-five-year-old defender Giorgos Tzavellas was a notable absentee from Friday's matchday squad for unexplained reasons, so the Atromitos man may be kept waiting for his 50th cap as Dinos Mavropanos links up with Panos Retsos in front of Odysseas Vlachodimos.

In contrast, the Netherlands' well-documented fitness woes were exacerbated in the first half of their loss to France, as striker Wout Weghorst sustained an unspecified issue and had to be replaced by Donyell Malen with 38 minutes gone.

Koeman has revealed that Weghorst should be available here, but Malen was a bright spark in the second half and should have done enough to earn a start on Monday nonetheless, while Steven Bergwijn also has a case to come into the attack after setting up Hartman's debut goal.

Verbruggen, Tijjani Reijnders and Joey Veerman also made their first starts in Oranje last time out - the first time since 2013 that the Netherlands have had four full debutants in one game - but Mats Wieffer and Calvin Stengs are ready to freshen up the engine room if required.


Greece possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Rota, Retsos, Mavropanos, Tsimikas; Bakasetas, Kourbelis, Mantalos; Masouras, Giakoumakis, Pelkas

Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Geertruida, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, Reijnders, Veerman, Hartman; Simons, Malen, Bergwijn


SM words green background

We say: Greece 1-2 Netherlands

The Netherlands may have put three past Greece without reply a few weeks ago, but Poyet's troupe ought to be a different proposition in front of their own fans, especially with so much at stake in Group B.

However, a handful of Koeman's players still did themselves justice in the loss to France, and with a few alterations here and there, we expect Oranje to bring Greece crashing back down to earth and keep their hopes of a top-two ranking alive.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Greece vs Netherlands

Greece
27.4%
Draw
13.7%
Netherlands
58.8%
226
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Cyprus Cyprus00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Norway Norway00000
Q Scotland flag Scotland00000
Q Spain Spain00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France00000
2 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar00000
3 Greece Greece00000
Q Netherlands Netherlands00000
5 Ireland Rep. Ireland00000

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England00000
Q Italy Italy00000
3 Malta flag Malta00000
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia00000
5 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Armenia Armenia00000
Q Croatia Croatia00000
3 Latvia Latvia00000
Q Turkey Turkey00000
5 Wales flag Wales00000

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania00000
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
3 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands00000
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova00000
5 Poland Poland00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria00000
2 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan00000
Q Belgium Belgium00000
4 Estonia Estonia00000
5 Sweden Sweden00000

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Bulgaria Bulgaria00000
Q Hungary Hungary00000
3 Lithuania Lithuania00000
4 Montenegro Montenegro00000
Q Serbia Serbia00000

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark00000
2 Finland Finland00000
3 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan00000
4 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland00000
5 San Marino flag San Marino00000
Q Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Andorra flag Andorra00000
2 Belarus Belarus00000
3 Israel Israel00000
4 Kosovo flag Kosovo00000
Q Romania Romania00000
Q Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina00000
2 Iceland Iceland00000
3 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein00000
4 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg00000
Q Portugal Portugal00000
Q Slovakia Slovakia00000


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