UEFA Nations League: Northern Ireland to Fight for Survival in Greece 

 Already promoted to UEFA Nations League B, Greece host Northern Ireland on Monday in a match where all the pressure will be on the visitors.

While Greece come into the game on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Cyprus, Northern Ireland beat Kosovo to keep alive their hopes of survival. And they will enter the Georgios Kamaras Stadium in Athens knowing that a win will almost certainly see them through. But they are level on points with Cyprus who have some momentum going into their final game with Kosovo.

The UEFA Nations League 2022 betting odds reckon the Irish will just about survive the drop but it will be a nervy night for the Green Army.    

Talking Points

Poyet has Greece firing

Greece were relentless in their opening games of the campaign, winning all of their first four matches without conceding a goal, and a lot of credit goes to their new head coach.

Since his appointment in February, Greece boss Gus Poyet has led his side to five wins and two defeats and, as Premier League fans know, he’s a man with stacks of passion and a will to win. He moved to Chelsea in 1997 and helped the pre-Abramovich Blues to tournament wins in the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. He also won the 1995 Copa America as a Uruguay player.

As a manager Poyet led Brighton and Hove Albion to the League 1 Championship in his first season and he also managed Sunderland in the Premier League. And as Greece boss he has made the team tough to break down and specialists in the 1-0 or 2-0 win.

The Greeks have a strong back four.

Stuttgart centre back Dinos Mavropanos is a man mountain at 6ft 4in and a powerful defender alongside Pantelis Chatzidiakos, while Liverpool wing back Kostas Tsimikas is a class act on the left flank and Sheffield United right back George Baldock patrols the other side.

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis could make a start and his confidence is sky high after he scored in Greece’s last home game, a 2-0 win over Kosovo.   

Northern Ireland finally gets a win  

Ian Baraclough’s Northern Ireland claimed their first ever Nations League victory, at the 15^th attempt, on Saturday, and it may just have come in the nick of time. The Greens have drawn twice with Cyprus and are, quite rightly, in a last game battle for survival. They had to come from behind to beat Kosovo after Vedat Muriqi put the visitors ahead on the hour and the Irish left it late. The excellent Gavin Whyte equalised and then Windsor Park erupted when Josh Magennis scored the injury time winner. 

Inspirational captain Steven Davis, who now plays for Glasgow Rangers, is set to win his 139^th cap in midfield, while Leicester City centre back Jonny Evans is Northern Ireland’s key player at the back. His experience and calm, with plenty of big game experience, makes Evans the ideal player for this occasion. His club boss and fellow countryman Brendan Rodgers is under pressure following the Foxes’ catastrophic start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, and he too relies heavily on the former Manchester United academy star.

History

Neither Greece nor Northern Ireland will be at the Qatar World Cup but both nations have had their moments in the sun. Greece were European Champions n 2004 while Northern Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup.

While Greece have won five of their seven fixtures in 2022, Northern Ireland have struggled to get the wins, with only two registered, alongside two draws and three defeats 

In terms of head to heads Greece are ahead by three wins to two, having taken all three points from their visit to Windsor Park in June. It was Poyet’s first victory as Greece head coach as captain Tasos Bakasetas scored the winner in a tight 1-0 match, the Group C2 opener.

Betting Tip

With Greece 49^th and Northern Ireland 58^th in the FIFA World Rankings there’s not a lot to choose between these two teams but, while Greece are in the ascendancy under Poyet, Northern Ireland have laboured for some time.

The pressure is on the Irish and at SBOTOP odds of 3.35 to win and 3.16 to draw it is a tough ask, thought the double chance of Northern Ireland or Draw at a price of 1.70 should give their fans some comfort.

I don’t think it will be a comfortable night for Northern Ireland I suspect they will be looking nervously at the UEFA Nations League 2022 updates from Kosovo.   

 

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