England take on the visitors Greece in the round 3 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, October 10th at Wembley Stadium (London).
England undeniably embarrassed themselves in the last cycle of this tournament. A team that once contended for the title shockingly finished last in their group and was relegated to Division B. Clearly, nothing short of reclaiming their lost status will be acceptable. However, at the same time, the team lacks a permanent head coach. Gareth Southgate left after losing in back-to-back Euro finals, and a successor has not yet been named. Instead, Lee Carsley, the U21 team manager, has been given the responsibility—he is clearly trying to prove himself and shed the "interim" title. Under his leadership in September, a revamped squad delivered impressive performances and results, with 2-0 victories over Ireland and Finland. But those opponents were relatively easy; now comes a more serious test.
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Greece is trying to return to the top ranks. The "Hellenes" will always be remembered for the shocking triumph 20 years ago when Otto Rehhagel’s underdogs became European champions—regardless of how defensive their play was. However, they haven't come close to replicating that achievement since, and the team has steadily declined. For several cycles now, Greece has failed to qualify for major tournaments. There was some hope in the last cycle, especially after they won their Nations League group and were promoted to Division B. But direct qualification for the Euros was blocked by very strong rivals, France and the Netherlands, and Greece secured a playoff spot after a penalty shootout in the spring. Following that, Poyet was replaced by Jovanovic, who has worked in Greece for a long time but previously coached clubs. In September, he successfully guided the team to a 3-0 home win over Finland and a 2-0 away victory against Ireland.
There have been seven meetings between these teams. Greece managed two draws, while England won the other five, including the most recent encounter in 2006. Only the "Three Lions" can create problems for themselves, but Carsley will transfer his own motivation to the team. Expect a home win for the favorites with a handicap of "-1.5 goals."
Prediction for the match: England to win with -1.5 handicap.
