Euro 2024: There’ll be No Peace for Greece in Eindoven 

Netherlands vs Greece

The long and winding road to Euro 2024 is underway and there’s a tasty fixture in Holland on Thursday when Greece head to the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven to take on the Oranje.

Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands will be one of the fancied teams for Euro 2024; but first they have to get there; and they have work to do. The Oranje currently sit fourth in Group B, with only the minnows of Gibralter behind them. France top the group on 12 points from four games and they will be hard to catch, while Greece sit second on six, having played three games. The Netherlands and Ireland are three further back, though Koeman’s side has only played two games.

And that makes Euro 24: Netherlands vs Greece a huge six pointer.    

Greece head coach Gus Poyet is a fiery character and well known to English football fans as a player for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and a manager of Spurs, Brighton and Sunderland. He took over at the helm of Greece in February 2022 and guided them to four wins in his first four matches winning promotion to UEFA Nations League B. 

A Poyet team will always fight but the pre-match Netherlands vs Greece betting odds say his team will have an uncomfortable night in Eindhoven.  

Talking Points

Now or never for the Netherlands

The Oranje have been a frustrating team to support; the current squad is packed with talent and the nation is famed for inventing ‘total football’. They play the beautiful game in an endlessly watchable style, but all too often the Netherlands fall short. They failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018 and have since been on a rebuild. But if they slip up against Greece on Thursday they will be in serious doubt of qualifying for the Euro 24 showcase.

While I expect the hosts to dominate the Netherlands vs Greece highlights there is no doubt that Greece will pose a threat, and the Oranje back four will need to be on their game. Keeper Bart Verbruggen joined high flying Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer and he already looks at home in the Premier League. And he will be protected by one of the best centre back defences in the business. Liverpool star Virgil Van Dijk has often partnered Inter Milan’s Matthijs de Ligt, and Manchester City star Nathan Ake has become a top performer for club and country. Koeman may choose to select two of the three or play three across the back with flying wingbacks to put a more attacking formation together.   

Midfieldman Frenkie de Jong remains a key player at Barcelona, despite speculation surrounding a departure last year, and he is integral to the way the Netherlands play, dictating the pace of the game, breaking up opposition moves and supporting the attack. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen are both strong runners with an eye for goal and they will stretch the Greece defence to the limits.  

An upset for Greece would be huge

Poyet’s team come into the game as clear underdogs and they will be hoping for a big upset. They will fight, press and harry for the full 90 plus minutes and, if Olympiacos striker Giorgos Masouras gets a chance to run at the Holland defence he’ll pull the trigger at the first opportunity.

Sheffield United centre back George Baldock is one of the most experienced top flight players in the Greece team and he may line up alongside Liverpool’s utility man Kostas Tsimikas. It’s going to be a busy night for the Greece backline but if they can get through the first 20 minutes or so they will have a chance of silencing the Netherlands’ crowd.   

History

Greece have hit the headlines before when they were shock winners of the European Championships in 2004, beating favourites Portugal 1-0 in the final, and the Netherlands were European Champions back in 1988.    

The Netherlands have won five of their seven previous meetings with Greece, losing one and drawing one; but Greece did win the last meeting 2-1, a friendly back in 2016.

Recent form slightly favours the Greeks who have two wins, two draws and two defeats while the Netherlands have won two and lost four from their last six.  

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 1.39 the Dutch are highly fancied to win this tie with Greece at 5.22 and the draw at 4.26.

While four of Greece’s last six games have yielded over 2.50 goals, all six of the Netherlands games have hit that mark and I think the Netherlands will win a high scoring game.    

 

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