Adam Scriven’s best bets for England’s penultimate Nations League game include a positive result for Greece with plenty of goals.
Lee Carsley takes charge of England for the final time this week before Thomas Tuchel arrives on the scene and the first of his two matches remaining takes him to Athens as the Three Lions face Greece.
The hosts are flying high after enjoying the perfect start under August appointee Ivan Jovanović, and they will be hoping to take advantage of an injury-hit England on Thursday as they look to secure top spot in their UEFA Nations League group.
Best bets
Greece or draw double chance
10/11
Over 2.5 goals
5/4
Fotis Ioannidis to score anytime
3/1
Hosts can claim result
Former APOEL, Panathinaikos and Al-Nasr manager Jovanović took charge of Greece at the beginning of August and the Ethniki have been fantastic.
They began their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 3-0 drubbing of Finland and have since beaten Republic of Ireland twice, victories which sandwich a shock 2-1 win at Wembley last month.
With four wins from four, they look good value to retain top spot in Group B2 against an England side ravaged by injuries and withdrawals.
Lee Carsley is without stars such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, and Eberechi Eze for this trip to Athens, and that could be enough to give the in-form hosts the advantage.
Goals galore in Athens
Greece famously defended their way to the Euro 2004 crown as they conceded just four goals in Portugal, but they look a very different side under Jovanović.
They have scored nine goals across their four games under the 62-year-old Serbian and are clearly capable of finding the net, but they are unlikely to keep England at bay.
Despite their injury woes, the Three Lions can still call upon Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Jude Bellingham, Noni Madueke, and Anthony Gordon going forward, and they have not failed to score in any of their last eight matches.
Four of their last six games have gone over 2.5 goals and a similar result can be expected on Thursday.
Returning Ioannidis to find the net
Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis was favoured as Greece’s lone striker during Jovanović’s first set of international fixtures and the 24-year-old repaid that faith with three goals across two appearances.
He was injured for October’s international break, but he is back in the squad for Thursday’s game and is likely to reclaim his starting berth up front.
In his absence, Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals at Wembley, meaning the lone striker deployed has scored five of their nine goals since the new manager arrived. Ioannidis could be a threat again at Olympiako Stadio Spyros Louis.
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