Ireland-Greece is a match on the seventh day of Euro 2024 qualifying Group B and is played Friday at 8:45 p.m.: predictions.
The dream of returning to the final stage of a European championship is set to remain so for Ireland. The Boys in Green scraped together only 3 points in Group B, in which the first two places were practically “booked” by the heavily favored France and Holland.
Therefore, in case of a knockout in the challenge with Greece – which unlike the Irish can still threaten the second place of Ronald Koeman’s Oranje – the selection led by Stephen Kenny will be arithmetically out of the game. Even a draw may not be enough if at the same time the Netherlands beats France, now one step away from qualification. For Ireland, there is not even the “lifesaver” of the play-offs, since in the last edition of the Nations League they finished third in Group 1 of League B behind Ukraine and Scotland. The next European Championship in which the green-and-whites will take part is likely to be the one in 2028, which the Irish federation will have the opportunity to host together with the United Kingdom: yesterday the official announcement came. Greece, on the other hand, is still in the running thanks to three wins against Gibraltar (overwhelmed 3-0 and 5-0) and Ireland.
The Hellenes, we said, have the same points as the Netherlands (9), which, however, played one match less because it was engaged, last June, in the Nations League Final Four.
Ireland-Greece Prediction: free prediction, likely lineups and exact result Euro 2024 Qualifiershttps://t.co/pX1cr5KlXO
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Poyet and Pavlidis
The selection led by Uruguayan Gus Poyet will thus have to try to avoid defeat in Dublin – hoping that France gets the better of the Dutch in the meantime – and then play it all out in next week’s direct clash in Athens. Difficult but not impossible. In any case, should things turn ugly Greece is sure to at least play in the play-offs by virtue of the first place they won in the League C group in the last Nations League. Poyet rejoins Liverpool fullback Tsimikas, who was absent with Gibraltar in September. Also recovering an important element is Kenny, Brighton youngster Ferguson, but at the same time he will have to do without Stevens, Connolly and Egan.
The Prediction
Maybe it will do little good, considering that qualification is now compromised. But Ireland should be able to at least avoid defeat against Greece. At home, the Boys in Green always have an edge and, more importantly, they almost always score at least one goal. A draw is not to be ruled out.
The likely lineups of Ireland-Greece
- IRLAND (3-4-2-1): Bazunu; O’Shea, Collins, Duffy; Doherty, Cullen, Browne, Manning; Ogbene, Idah; Ferguson.
- GREECE (4-3-3): Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Chatzidiakos, Tsimikas; Bakasetas, Bouchalakis, Pelkas; Masouras, Pavlidis, Fountas.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
