England vs Greece: Preview and Prediction

England and Greece will aim to continue the perfect start to their UEFA Nations League campaigns when they clash at Wembley on Thursday.

The dreaded international break is here, and the UEFA Nations League resumes with Matchday 3 this midweek. England will look to continue the bid to return to the top division when they host Greece at Wembley on Thursday evening.

England fell into UEFA Nations League B after finishing at the bottom of the standings in Group A3 in the 2022/23 edition. However, the Three Lions have started their bid to return to the top division with successive wins in the first two rounds of fixtures, scoring five goals while keeping clean sheets in both outings thus far.

As for Greece, they have also kept a clean sheet in both matches thus far, although they have scored one fewer goal than the home side. The Sky Blue-whites are second in the Group B2 standings after beating Finland and the Republic of Ireland in the September international break.

The most recent clash featuring England and Greece was in 2006, with the Three Lions cruising to a 4-0 win and Peter Crouch scoring a brace. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

England

Lee Carsley has made a few changes to the squad he picked in the September international break, with a few players pulling out due to fitness issues, while others have returned to the group after missing out last month.

Carsley did not pick Harry Maguire, although the Manchester United defender would not have featured anyway after sustaining a knock this past weekend. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa, Kobbie Mainoo, and Morgan Gibbs-White have withdrawn from the group. In addition, Carsley has dropped Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze.

Meanwhile, Cole Palmer has returned after missing last month’s action due to a minor issue. The 22-year-old will return to the starting eleven on Thursday, lining up alongside Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, and Bukayo Saka in the final third. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will pair up in the double pivot.

Jordan Pickford will take his usual spot between the sticks, with England lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Greece on Thursday. The backline should feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Guehi, Levi Colwill, and Rico Lewis. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who returns to the English squad after seven years, will be an option on the bench.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Guehi, Colwill, Lewis; Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Palmer, Grealish; Watkins

Greece

Like his counterpart in the English dugout, Ivan Jovanovic has made a few changes to the squad he picked last month. Fotis Ioannidis is the most notable absentee, with the 24-year-old striker suffering an adductor injury during a training session.

Odysseas Vlachodimos will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Greece lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against England on Thursday. The backline should feature Lazaros Rota, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Dinos Koulierakis, and Kostas Tsimikas.

As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Manolis Siopis and Dimitris Kourbelis in the double pivot. The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park and restrict Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham.

Captain Tasos Bakasetas will reprise the no. 10 role, looking to pull the strings in the advanced areas. Giorgos Masouras and Christos Tzolis will be the two wide attackers, with Vangelis Pavlidis leading the line for Greece against England this midweek.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Siopis, Kourbelis; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis

Key Stats

Player to Watch

Angel Gomes

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While Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham might be in the spotlight, Angel Gomes will be eager to continue making his mark at Wembley after a memorable September international break. His performances might also help him continue attracting the attention of more high-profile clubs across Europe.

With Gomes entering the final 12 months of his contract at LOSC Lille, several Premier League bigwigs have set their sights on him. The 24-year-old will likely appear off the bench against Greece, and he will be eager to stamp his authority in the middle of the park.

Prediction

England 2-1 Greece

Both teams have been imperious in the first two rounds of fixtures in the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League. So, England and Greece might lock horns in an intense battle at Wembley on Thursday.

However, the visitors have an impeccable record in the UEFA Nations League, although their output on the road against top-five ranked countries is abysmal. England should take control of the proceedings on Thursday, but Greece will take the game to the home side. However, Lee Carsley and his charges should have enough quality to clinch a 2-1 win at Wembley.

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