Table of Contents
If the UEFA Nations League has any meaningful significance for a team like England, that should become apparent on Thursday evening in Athens. After all, if the Three Lions want to avoid a possible promotion play-off in the summer of 2025 and go straight back to the top tier of the Nations League, they simply have to beat Greece. That’s the cost of a shock 2-1 defeat to Ivan Jovanovic’s side at Wembley last month.
Just days later, the FA confirmed that Thomas Tuchel would take up the England job in the new year, leaving Lee Carsley to guide a much-weakened side for two final games in which just six points would ensure them of promotion. Even that might require a two-goal winning margin. For the Greeks the comparison is entirely simpler. Avoid defeat and they will be promoted to the major European leagues. Here’s how to watch the match and what you need to know:
View information
- Date: Thursday November 13 | Time: 2:45 PM ET
- Location: Olympic Stadium – Athens
- TV: Foxsport 1 | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Chances: Greece +33; Sign +230; England -120
Team news
Greece: Jovanovic has won in all four matches he has coached and his side have scored nine and conceded just one. Jovanovic will certainly be reluctant to tinker with a formula that has so far delivered great success for a Greek side chasing their first tournament place since 2014. The top level of the Nations League wouldn’t guarantee them that, but it would offer a good chance of at least securing a play-off spot for World Cup qualifying in 2026.
Dimitrios Kourbelis will serve a one-match ban for the visit to England, but Jovanovic will be able to welcome back Fotis Ioannidis, scorer of three goals in their first two Nations League games, to the squad after missing October’s matches. However, the question remains whether he will take the place of Vangelis Pavlidis, scorer of both goals at Wembley.
Possible Greece XI: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Zafeiris, Mantalos; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis
England: The withdrawal of eight senior players, including some of the Three Lions’ brightest stars, drew a sharp rebuke from captain Harry Kane on Tuesday. The Bayern Munich striker suggested some players had “taken advantage” of what will now be a down period. prior to one of the toughest matches of the club season.
“I think England comes before everything,” Kane told ITV. “It’s more important than club and it’s the most important thing you play as a professional footballer. Gareth [Southgate] was keen on that and he wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions when certain players started to go astray. Of course it’s a shame this week. Yes, I think it’s a difficult period of the season and maybe that has been taken advantage of a little bit.
“If I’m completely honest, I don’t like it that much. I think, as I just said, England comes first, in any club situation. The joy of playing for England. I think Gareth brought that back. Every camp the people were I was excited to come, in every camp the people wanted to play for England and yes that’s the most important thing.”
Certainly, Lee Carsley’s task will be more challenging without the eight players who withdrew at the start of this week, a group that includes seasoned internationals Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka. Adding to that group, Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite withdrew on Wednesday after missing training earlier in the week. He was replaced by Jarrell Quansah
Possible England XI: Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Konsa, Hal; Gomes, Jones; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Prediction
This certainly won’t be England at their best, but with Kane and Bellingham in the XI they should have the firepower to get the job done. CHOOSE: Greece 0, England 2