Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Greece could line up for Thursday’s UEFA Nations League clash with England.
Greece could open up a three-point lead over England when they head to Wembley to face the Three Lions in League B Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday evening.
New manager Ivan Jovanovic got off to the perfect start in September with victories over Finland and the Republic of Ireland, but the Pirate Ship will be working without a star attacker this month.
Indeed, Panathinaikos’ Fotis Ioannidis – who scored three times in September’s fixtures – has been left out of the squad after sustaining an injury in his side’s Greek Super League clash with Olympiacos at the weekend.
As bitter as that blow is, Greece still possess a highly potent frontman in Vangelis Pavlidis, who finished joint-top of the Eredivisie scoring charts with AZ Alkmaar last season before joining Benfica this summer.
Pavlidis could spearhead a four-man attacking contingent also boasting the experienced Giorgos Masouras and captain Tasos Bakasetas, as well as former Norwich City winger Christos Tzolis.
Hertha Berlin midfielder Andreas Bouchalakis has also been omitted from the squad this month, so Dimitris Kourbelis – who plays his club football in Saudi Arabia – could now be introduced alongside Cardiff City’s Manolis Siopis.
After his side kept two clean sheets in two games last month, Jovanovic has no need to alter the defensive pack, which should be protecting exiled Newcastle United goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas and West Ham United’s Dinos Mavropanos are stalwarts of the backline, which is also set to comprise AEK Athens right-back Lazaros Rota and Wolfsburg 20-year-old Dinos Koulierakis.
Greece possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Siopis, Kourbelis; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis
> Click here to see how England could line up for Thursday’s game
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