Greece v Netherlands: Nations League Prediction

Group 2 in League A of the Nations League is in full swing. Especially after Greece managed to secure a 1-0 win on German soil. Following their earlier late victory in Serbia, it is therefore clear that the Greeks are currently the Netherlands’ biggest challengers. On Thursday evening, the two nations will face each other in Thessaloniki. Will Xavi secure the three points, just as he did in Belgrade? We’ll tell you more about both countries and give you our Greece v Netherlands prediction.

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Greece v Netherlands preview

How will the nearly 29,000 supporters at the Toumba Stadium experience the clash between Greece and the Netherlands? It’s clear that ‘we’ need to take the Greeks seriously, as they’ve won two out of six. Before we move on to the Greece v Netherlands betting tips, we’ll tell you more about both teams.

Current Form & Team News

Greece

A glance at the Greek squad immediately reveals a number of familiar faces. Anastasios Douvikas had a very good season for FC Utrecht, whilst Vangelis Pavlidis became the top scorer in the Dutch league whilst at AZ Alkmaar. Both players remain key figures for the national team, which, surprisingly, currently tops Group 2 of League A in the Nations League. In particular, the late 1–0 away win against Germany was a remarkable result, especially as Die Mannschaft are still highly regarded. Can they cause the Netherlands problems too?

The Netherlands

The Dutch national team has also made a fine start to the new Nations League campaign. National coach Xavi’s influence seems to be becoming increasingly apparent, particularly when it comes to pressing high up the pitch. Of course, there’s still plenty to criticise, but four points from the home game against Germany and the away game against Serbia is certainly not bad. What stands out in particular is the impact made by two debutants. Mexx Meerdink scored twice in Belgrade in the 2–1 victory, whilst Ruben van Bommel provided a brilliant assist against Germany and also put in a fine performance against Serbia. Will both Eredivisie players get another chance against Greece?

Head-to-Head

The Netherlands generally have little trouble against Greece. The two nations have faced each other eight times in the past, with the Oranje winning nine of those matches. One match ended in a draw, whilst Greece proved too strong in a 2–1 friendly victory in 2016. The Netherlands won the last two encounters without conceding a single goal.

Expected line-ups

Greece (4-4-2):

Tzolakis, Tsimikas, Retsos, Mavropanos, Vagiannidis, Tzolis, Zafeiris, Andtroutsos, Karetsas, Douvikas, Pavlidis

Netherlands (4-3-3):

Verbruggen, van de Ven, van Dijk, van Hecke, Dumfries, Veerman, Gravenberch, Reijnders, van Bommel, Meerdink, Summerville

Greece v Netherlands betting tips

Betting tip 1: Netherlands to win

When you’ve won nine out of eleven head-to-head matches, there’s no getting round the fact that you’re the clear favourites. Despite Greece topping the group stage, we reckon the Netherlands will ‘simply’ win this match. A win for the Dutch national team on Greek soil will earn you odds of 2.06.

Betting tip 2: More than 0.5 shots on target by Crysencio Summerville

One of the standout players for the Oranje is Crysencio Summerville. The winger, who now plays for Al-Hilal, posed a threat in front of goal against both Germany and Serbia and had several shots on target. We believe he will also pose a threat against Greece and will have at least one shot on target. If Crysencio Summerville has more than 0.5 shots on target, you’ll get odds of 1.80.

Greece v Netherlands Prediction

Final score: Greece 1–2 Netherlands
Just as against Serbia, we’re predicting a narrow victory for the Dutch national team. That’s why we’re going for a 2–1 win for the Netherlands – not least because keeping a clean sheet has been a rare occurrence for the Netherlands in recent years.