Greece will host Finland at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Saturday in the UEFA Nations League. This match marks the start of a new campaign for both teams, with Greece recently promoted to League B and Finland aiming to maintain their status at this level.
Both teams are looking to bounce back after disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaigns.
Match Preview
Greece
Greece Recent Form
Greece enter this match after a mixed run of results. They have won three of their last six matches across all competitions, including a win against New Zealand.
However, their inconsistency was evident with losses to Georgia and France during Euro 2024 qualifiers.
This inconsistency reflects Greece’s struggle to establish themselves as a strong contender in European football once again.
Greece Injury News
New manager Ivan Jovanovic will have to navigate some selection challenges, with goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos not featuring regularly at his club Newcastle United since his summer move from Nottingham Forest.
Key midfielder Dimitris Kourbelis is also out, having been excluded from the squad after his transfer to Saudi Arabia.
Other notable absentees include right-back George Baldock and defenders Panagiotis Retsos and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos.
Finland
Finland Recent Form
Finland have shown decent form leading up to this match, with four wins in their last six competitive outings. However, they faced a significant setback in their Euro 2024 playoff, where they were heavily defeated 4-1 by Wales.
Finland’s recent matches have been a mix of defensive quality at the back and vulnerability, as evidenced by their draw against Scotland and a high-scoring defeat to Portugal.
Finland Injury News
Finland will be missing key forward Daniel Hakans, who is sidelined due to injury. His absence is a significant blow, given his recent goal-scoring form in Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Middlesbrough striker Marcus Forss is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from a long-term injury, which leaves…
Author : [email protected] (Jake Skudder)
Publish date : 2024-09-05 09:14:05
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Author : soccernews
Publish date : 2024-09-05 09:16:50
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.