Greece host Bulgaria for their final assignment ahead of the World Championship qualifications in September. What chances do the Lions have after Greece obliterated Slovakia last week?
The Ethniki have not looked this strong in decades, as Ivan Jovanovic has done wonders with the young generation of players. Greece achieved promotion to the highest tier in the UEFA Nations League after crushing Scotland in the A/B final. The team won eight of its last 10 fixtures, including a famous 2-1 away at Wembley in October.
So Greece have much to look forward to in the next few years but qualifying for the World Cup comes first on the agenda. Their preparation began with a whoping 4-1 over Slovakia last week and there is one more task at hand – another friendly with neighboring Bulgaria.
The Lions will be looking for their first win in 2025 but their performances show little promise. Problems like constant managerial changes, corruption, and an overall weak generation have made Bulgaria completely teethless. And while there has been some improvement in the sense that the national teams scores more goals, their level is far beneath that of Greece. For instance, Bulgaria remain in League C of the Nations League, playing against some of the weakest national teams in Europe and struggling.
How the bookies view it: Greece to win this Balkan clash
Bookmakers expect a one-sided afair, giving Greece a significant betting advantage. You can pick the hosts at 2/5 or opt for the visitors at 15/2. The draw has been priced at 29/10.
Recent head to head: The home team always wins
The most recent H2Hs between these two nations date back to the days when Bulgaria was a serious name in world football. Their last clash was in 2004, when Greece won 2-0. The all-time record shows four wins to two in favour of Greece and a single draw. The curious stat is that neither side has ever won away.
Players to watch: Pavlidis to continue his goal-scoring form
Greece's squad is full of young talent, with multiple players being under the microscope at all times by scouts. But we wouldn't risk too much with the youngsters at this point. Instead, we will watch out for Vangelis Pavlidis, who should lead the attack once more against Bulgaria. The 26-year-old striker played a phenomenal season for Benfica with 29 goals and 11 assists across all competitions. He also contributed with a goal and an assist against Slovakia last week.
Probable line-ups
Greece: Mandas, Giannoulis, Koulierakis, Retsos, Vagiannidis, Zafeiris, Kourbelis, Karetsas, Konstantelias, Tzolis, Pavlidis
Bulgaria: Vutsov, Popov, Dimitrov, Petkov, Nedyalkov, Shopov, Gruev, Milanov, Kraev, Iliev, Kolev
Anything else catch the eye?
It's hard to find positives in Bulgaria's recent performances. Their football is slow and often reckless. They pick up a ton of yellow cards in most games, even in friendlies, so this could be a solid pick if your bookies offer any card markets. The Lions have in fact been scoring more goals but their defence is nowhere near good enough to stop Greece's offensive.
We expect the hosts to win this match and by the looks of it, we can expect a few goals. There are plenty of good options for this match: Over 2.5 goals, Greece to win at HT or score in the first half, etc. Friendlies between Balkan countries are often far more heated than they should be, so we expect to see some cards too.
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