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Group B2 of the Nations League is heating up, with the two unbeaten sides facing off at Wembley Stadium as England welcome Greece for what could be a battle for promotion. The Three Lions will know that even being on the second rung of this competition is a matter of great shame, and the reality is that Lee Carsley will be expected to win and win well if he auditions permanently for the job in England.
However, Greece is not to be taken lightly and has secured impressive enough wins over Ireland and Finland to leave them top of the table after two games. However, Ivan Jovanovic’s team will have to make do without the star of those victories. Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis cannot add to the three goals he has already scored in the Nations League as an injury prevents him from being included in the squad. Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s game:
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- Date: Thursday October 10 | Time: 2:45 PM ET
- Location: Wembley Stadium – London, England
- TV: Foxsport 2 | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Chances: England -400; Sign +450; Greece +1000
Team news
England: With Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer all back in the squad, the latter in the form of his life, there is an ostentatious abundance of wealth for Lee Carsley to try and adapt to advanced midfield roles as he struggles with the few injuries he encounters. have surfaced. The most notable of these are Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, both of whom may be kept in reserve with Finland still to come during the international break.
A bigger challenge comes in defence, where Carsley has failed to field a natural left-back in his squad. Rico Lewis and Levi Colwill could both be in contention, while Tino Livramento, a late addition to the group alongside Curtis Jones, could also be in the mix.
Possible England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Colwill; Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Palmer, Gordon; Watkins
Greece: While Ioannidis’ absence will certainly be felt, it will also provide an opportunity for one of Europe’s best scorers of recent years to translate his form onto the international stage. Vangelis Pavlidis left AZ Alkmaar for Benfica this summer after scoring 80 goals in 137 games, but for his country his return has been a more prosaic six in 40.
This squad will include several names that may be familiar to the Wembley crowd. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Kostas Tsimikas are Premier League regulars, while Odysseas Vlachodimos made the move from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle in the summer, albeit a high-profile move due to the significant transfer fee and not the goalkeeper himself. Christos Tzolis, who scored for Club Brugge in the Champions League, could also be a threat against Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Possible Greece XI: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Siopis, Kourbelis; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis
Prediction
England really should win this… and win it well. CHOOSE: England 3, Greece 0