Greece vs England: Preview, predictions and lineups

England need three points when they take on Greece in their penultimate 2024/25 UEFA Nations League group game on Thursday night.

3-1 win over Finland last time out means the Three Lions are still fighting for top spot in their League B group after succumbing to their first defeat against the Greeks on October 10.

It looked as if Jude Bellingham had grabbed a point for Lee Carsley’s side in the dying minutes of normal time, but Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis scored his second of the game to make sure. Greece secured a historic and well-deserved victory at Wembley.

England will return to League A of the Nations League if they top their group, while a second-place finish will see them through to the play-offs next March. The Euro 2024 finalists are currently three points behind the Euro 2004 Group B2 winners, so England will need to be perfect this month to have any chance of automatic promotion to the A-League.

Thursday’s hosts took maximum points so far and will conclude their Nations League campaign in Helsinki on Sunday.

here it is 90 minutes guide to Greece vs England.

Greece-England head-to-head record (last five games)

Current form (all competitions)

The hero of October’s historic victory, Pavlidis, is struggling to lead Greece’s line again on Thursday, although the Benfica striker does have Fotis Ioannidis to compete with. Ioannidis started the Nations League campaign in fine form but missed his country’s outings last month through injury.

Premier League Stars Kostas Tsimikas and Konstantinos Mavropanos are set to start in the hosts’ backline, while Newcastle United’s Odysseas Vlachodimos remains Greece’s number one despite barely featuring for the Magpies since leaving incorporate in the summer.

Dimitrios Kourbelis is serving a one-match ban.

Predicted line-up of Greece against England (4-2-3-1): Let’s go? Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Siopis, Mantalos; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis? Pavlidis.

There has been a mass exodus from Carsley’s latest England squad, with up to eight players withdrawing of international duty this month. Carsley will not be able to call up Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jack Grealish and Levi Colwill although he initially included them in his 26-man squad.

Five players have been introduced as substitutes: Jarrad Branthwaite, Tino Livramento, Jarrod Bowen, James Trafford and Morgan Rogers.

Record goalscorer Harry Kane is available to lead the line after missing the reverse fixture in October, while Bellingham will start in the middle of the park after scored his first Real Madrid goal of the season against Osasuna at the weekend.

Predicted England vs Greece Line-up (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Walker, Konsa, Guehi, Hall; Gomes, Gallagher; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

Carsley experimented with a striker-less system which failed miserably in the reverse fixture, returning to the status quo against Finland a few days later, which facilitated a far more cohesive and possession-penetrating performance.

However, the Three Lions were defensive last month, even in their 3-1 win over Finland, and it is hard to foresee any sort of structural overhaul allowing for any improvement in that regard.

Greece will once again have joy in transition, but England can rely on an in-form Kane and a group of players in creative positions eager to prove themselves on this stage.

Prediction: Greece 1-2 England

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