Greece have been a team in decline over the past decade but new boss Ivan Jovanovic will be hoping a good UEFA Nations League campaign can help them end their exile from major tournaments.
Finland come calling for their opener in a tough Group B2 that also includes England and the Republic of Ireland. The clash with the Finns will give Jovanovic an indication of how strong his squad is as he bids to set Greece off on a path to the 2026 World Cup.
The last time the Greeks qualified for a major tournament was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but they came so close to making it to Euro 2024, with Georgia edging them out on penalties in the play-off final.
Finland fell in the play-off semis with a hugely disappointing 4-1 loss to Wales, a game that wasn't as tight as I'd expected, so boss Markku Kanerva will be looking for a response in Piraeus.
The golden generation who made history by reaching Euro 2020 are now in their silver years and Kanerva needs a new batch of talented players to step up.
How the bookies view it: Greeks homing in on the points
Greece have been strong at home, even holding France to a 2-2 draw in Euro qualifying, so it's no surprise to see them as Betfred's 7/10 hot favourites. Finland are 18/5 outsiders while the draw pays 23/10.
Recent head to head: It's tight between familiar foes
These sides have faced off 12 times since 1994 and there's has been very little in it, with six Greece wins, five Finland victories and one draw. They last faced off in Euro 2020 qualifying and home advantage was key, with the Finns winning 1-0 in Helsinki and Greece getting their revenge with a 2-1 victory at home.
Players to watch: Vangelis on song
Vangelis Pavlidis is the main man up front for Greece and has won a move to Benfica after impressing for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. The striker is already off the mark for the Portuguese giants this term and is 7/4 for anytime scorer here.
Oliver Antman is one of Finland's most exciting prospects and has netted six times for them in just 12 caps. The Go Ahead Eagles forward is 9/2 for a goal in Greece.
Probable line-ups
With Marcus Forss and Daniel Hakans out injured for the Finns, veteran striker Teemu Pukki could get the nod to start. Jovanovic faces a dilemma over who to pick in goal as Konstantinos Tzolakis fights Odysseas Vlachodimos for the gloves.
Greece: Tzolakis; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Mantalos, Pelkas, Bakasetas; Masouras, Pavlidis, Tzolis.
Finland: Hradecky; Alho, Tenho, Ivanov, Uronen; Kamara, Schuller; Lod, Pohjanpalo, Antman; Pukki.
Anything else catch the eye?
We've seen a lot of goals with the Finns of late, with BTTS and over 2.5 goals landing in their last five, albeit three of those games were friendlies. Combining BTTS with over 2.5 strikes for this Nations League clash takes you to a decent 3/2 in a Betfred bet builder.
Greece should come out on top if they play well and the value might lie in backing a home win with under 4.5 goals at 10/11.
This UEFA Nations League match between Greece and Finland will be played on Sep 7, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Greece vs Finland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
