On Saturday, Greece will host Finland at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus for the opening match of their new UEFA Nations League campaign. This marks Greece’s debut in League B, having earned promotion from League C in 2022.
Following a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, where they were eliminated by an untested Georgia team in the playoffs, Greece is looking to start fresh under new manager Ivan Jovanovic. Jovanovic replaced Gus Poyet in hopes of breaking the national team’s pattern of failing qualifications from 2014.
This will be Greece’s first appearance in League B since the Nations League’s inception, reflecting their struggles. In previous attempts, they fell short in 2018 and 2020 but finally advanced from League C by topping their group, which included Kosovo, Northern Ireland, and Cyprus.
Greece vs. Finland: Team Form and Head-to-Head
With Jovanovic at the helm, the team might feel echoes of the early 2000s, when Otto Rehhagel transformed a struggling Greek side into European champions. Although replicating that success seems unlikely, Olympiacos’ recent triumph in the Conference League could provide some much-needed inspiration for the national team.
England’s presence in the group could limit other teams’ chances for promotion if the Three Lions take the competition seriously. Finland, having won promotion to League B in 2018, has managed to stay at this level, sometimes exceeding expectations. Their performance in the previous Nations League earned them a Euro 2024 playoff spot, but they were defeated 4-1 by Wales, missing out on consecutive European Championships.
Despite this setback, Finland has won seven of their last 13 away competitive games and kept five clean sheets. Their June fixtures were less favorable, including a 4-2 loss in Portugal followed by a 2-2 draw in Scotland.
Team News
For Greece, Konstantinos Tzolakis may take over as the primary goalkeeper from Odysseas Vlachodimos, who hasn’t featured for Newcastle United since his summer move. Midfielder Dimitris Kourbelis has been omitted from the squad after transferring to Saudi Arabia, while Vangelis Pavlidis’s move to Benfica might enhance his chances of making a significant impact.
Right-back George Baldock, along with defenders Panagiotis Retsos and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos, has been excluded from the squad.
Finland will be missing Daniel Hakans, who has been a key player with four goals in recent Euro 2024 qualifiers. Middlesbrough striker Marcus Forss remains injured, so Teemu Pukki is expected to lead the attack for his 123rd cap. Robert Taylor, who previously declined call-ups to prioritize his club Inter Miami, has not been included in the squad for this international break.
Greece vs. Finland: Predicted Starting XI
Greece: Tzolakis; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Mantalos, Pelkas, Bakasetas; Masouras, Pavlidis, Tzolis
Finland: Hradecky; Alho, Tenho, Ivanov, Uronen; Kamara, Schuller; Lod, Pohjanpalo, Antman; Pukki
