Greece-Ireland is a match from the third day of the Euro 2024 qualifying group B and is played on Friday at 20:45: tv, predictions.
Goddess seems to have turned her back on these two national teams in the group draw, as they have found themselves in an impossible group – at least on paper – in which the Netherlands are in addition to France. The first two places, those that allow them to qualify directly for the European Championship in Germany, therefore appear already booked.
And yet, looking at the ranking now, you would not think so, as Greece is second, with the same points (3) as the Dutch, who are currently engaged in the Final Four of the Nations League. But it is just a coincidence, the result of a calendar ‘joke’: without taking anything away from the Hellenic selection, the national team led by Uruguayan Gus Poyet has so far only faced Gibraltar, the most serious candidate for the role of cinderella in Group B, as well as the least competitive. It was an easy win for Bakasetas and his teammates (0-3) and it could not have been otherwise given the very clear gap between the two teams. In any case, the South American coach will build on that performance to get the better of Ireland and remain on full points. Greece missed out on qualifying for the last two European Championship finals and have not managed to snatch a pass for a major international event since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Ireland are still out of points
As a five-team group, Ireland also played just one game, immediately facing Didier Deschamps’ battleship.
Ireland struggling with a ‘crocodile’
Stephen Kenny’s national team, however, did not demerit at all, making a far better impression than the Netherlands, who had been thrashed 4-0 by the transalpines on the previous day. In order to break down Irish resistance, France needed a glimpse of a defender, Benjamin Pavard, who broke the deadlock in the second half. A few days earlier, the Boys in Green had been engaged in a friendly match against Latvia, which ended in a nail-biting 3-2.
The prediction
Greece have only lost one of their last sixteen matches played in front of their home crowd. And if we consider that Ireland have not won an official away match since November 2021, it would not be a surprise if we witnessed a victory for Poyet’s selection. We do not expect many goals, taking into account the offensive problems of both sides: the total goals could be less than three.
Greece-Ireland line-up probables
- GREECE (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos; Baldock, Mavropanos, Chatzidiakos, Tsimikas; Siopis, Mantalos; Masouras, Bakasetas, Pelkas; Pavlidis.
- IRLAND (3-5-2): Bazunu; Collins, Egan, O’Shea; Doherty, Browne, Cullen, Molumby, McClean; Ferguson, Obafemi.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
