Prediction: Greece vs Netherlands

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

The Netherlands travel to face Greece in Athens on Monday within the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifications. Their chances to finish inside the top two spots in Group B are not good, and picking up all three points against Greece would be a great help in their cause. Greece, however, will have ideas of their own, knowing that a triumph now would get them within touching distance of that goal.

Greece

Greece is making a strong push to secure a spot in the Euro 2024 tournament, which would mark their first appearance since the 2012 quarter-finals. They have had some memorable runs in past tournaments, including winning the 2004 championship.

In their match against the Republic of Ireland on Friday in Dublin, Gus Poyet’s team secured a crucial win, with goals from Georgios Giakoumakis and Georgios Masouras. Their solid performance put them in a good position in Group B, just three points behind the group leaders, France.

Before that, Greece triumphed in Gibraltar, beat Ireland at home, lost away to France and then away to the Netherlands, before smashing Gibraltar at home.

A win against the Netherlands would significantly boost their chances of qualifying directly for the tournament. Even in a worst-case scenario, they would secure a spot in the playoffs, providing hope for Greek football fans. For the time being, they are second to France in the group with a three-point deficit.

Team News

Greece are expected to maintain their winning formula from the game against Ireland for this game. Having come through the match against Ireland without any new injury or suspension concerns, head coach Gus Poyet will likely field a familiar starting lineup.

The striking duo of Giakoumakis and Masouras, who have been instrumental in Greece’s success so far, is expected to lead the attack. Masouras, with five goals to his name, is the second-highest goalscorer in the group, behind only France star Kylian Mbappe.

Veteran defender Giorgos Tzavellas, who missed the previous match for unexplained reasons, may still have to wait for his 50th cap, as Dinos Mavropanos and Panos Retsos are likely to form the defensive partnership. Odysseas Vlachodimos will surely be in goal again.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands faced a challenging match against France at home in their previous game, and a standout performance from Kylian Mbappe saw the French side come out on top. Mbappe scored two brilliant goals, making it a memorable night for the Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who was making his senior international debut.

Despite a consolation goal from Quilindschy Hartman, the Netherlands succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. This result places them third in Group B, with two wins and three defeats from their five matches. While they face a challenging situation, they still have games against Ireland and Gibraltar, which they will consider winnable.

In their previous encounter with Greece, the Netherlands secured a convincing 3-0 victory, with three goals in the first half. The Dutch have historically enjoyed success against Greece, having won eight of their ten matches, with Greece’s only victory coming in a friendly match in 2016. Apart from that, they were thrashed away to France, before thrashing Gibraltar at home. After losing to Croatia in the semifinals of the Nations League, they also lost the third-place match to Italy. Their Euro qualifications campaign continued with the win at home over Greece, before winning in Ireland and losing at home to France.

Team News

The Netherlands have faced numerous fitness issues in recent matches, and their loss to France saw yet another blow when striker Wout Weghorst suffered an unspecified injury in the first half. Weghorst had to be substituted for Donyell Malen after 38 minutes, and it remains uncertain how severe his injury is.

Donyell Malen made a positive impact in the second half, and it is likely that he will earn a starting role on Monday. Steven Bergwijn also impressed and could be in contention to join the attack after providing an assist for Quilindschy Hartman’s debut goal.

In the previous game, Bart Verbruggen, Tijjani Reijnders, and Joey Veerman all made their first starts for the Netherlands, marking the first time since 2013 that the national team had four full debutants in a single game. With the midfield options available, Mats Wieffer and Calvin Stengs are ready to provide fresh options if needed.

Conclusion

Despite the Netherlands’ recent loss to France, some players performed well in that game, and with a few adjustments, they can remain competitive.

The match could be a closely contested battle, but the visitors have the potential to secure a crucial victory and keep their hopes alive in the group.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Olympusbet