Greece
Greece weren’t given much of a chance ahead of their trip to Wembley last month, but they should have been. Ivan Jovanovic’s side are perfect in the Uefa Nations League this year, winning all of their four games. They’ve only conceded one goal, to Jude Bellingham at Wembley. Since a 2-1 defeat to Germany in June, Greece have won five consecutive matches. At home, they’re unbeaten in five games, including a draw with France at the tail end of 2023.
England
England, currently three points behind Greece in Group B2, need a strong performance in Athens to close this gap. This match will also be interim manager Lee Carsley’s penultimate game before Thomas Tuchel takes charge in January. Key English players like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Phil Foden are absent, making this a challenging test for Carsley’s squad, especially in the passionate atmosphere expected in Athens
Prediction
England are the only team to have scored against Greece in the Uefa Nations League this year but Greece are unbeaten in their past five home games. This puts the onus on England and, with so many withdrawals from the England squad, they might find it difficult to get across the line in what should be a rabid atmosphere. This could be a cagey affair, and I can see a 1-1 draw on the cards.