Greece had never won a single game against England until their trip to Wembley last month. The Three Lions’ shocking 2-1 defeat seemed to put an end to the idea that Lee Carsley would become England’s permanent manager. Soon after, Thomas Tuchel was announced as the new boss.
The two matches this international window (vs. Greece on Nov. 14 and the Republic of Ireland on Nov. 17) will be Carsley’s final games in charge, and he will want to show that the earlier loss to Greece was a mere aberration and enhance his credentials with positive displays. A point here would confirm a play-off promotion spot, but one imagines the Three Lions will be looking to win the match and send a message to doubters. Another defeat would rule out finishing top of the group.
Perhaps it is inevitable, given this is the third international break of the season, but Carsley has been hit with a plethora of injuries and withdrawals from the squad. Take a deep breath. Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Declan Rice, Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer are all out. In their stead are the likes of Tino Livramento, Jarrad Branthwaite, Morgan Rogers and Jarrod Bowen.
Astonishingly, this will be England’s 16th game in 2024, the most the Three Lions have ever played in a calendar year. There have only been three years in which they’ve played more and, more troublingly, they’ve already lost four times. The national side only endured more defeats in one year, five way back in 1981. All of this will give Greece hope they could manage an unlikely double over Carsley’s side, as will the fact that they’ve won five on the bounce. Further still, Greece have not actually conceded a goal at home since November last year.
Greece are on the longest winning run of any European nation, and there is a sense that England are just waiting for Tuchel to take over and the team’s regeneration to begin in earnest. Having not beaten England once in their history until last month, Greece now have a serious chance of securing back-to-back wins against this European heavyweight.
Greece vs England odds
Odds from Betfair and updated as of 6 p.m. GMT Wednesday.
- Greece win: 16/5 (+320)
- Draw: 21/10 (+210)
- England win: 17/20 (-118)
Venue: Athens Olympic Stadium — Athens
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT (2:45 p.m. ET), Thursday
Form guide
Nations League only
Greece: 4-0-0, 12 points (1st in Group B2), W-W-W-W
England: 3-0-1, 9 points (2nd in Group B2), W-L-W-W
Match prediction
Greece 1-1 England
Both sides will be desperate to win this one, and a draw might be disappointing for either manager. England need to bounce back after that shock defeat at Wembley, and the fresh blood will want to prove their worth. Still, with so many key players missing, the Three Lions might have to make do with a draw.
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(Photo of Ollie Watkins: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
