At risk of missing out on a top-two finish in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B, the Netherlands head to the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens to meet Greece on Monday evening.

Oranje trail their hosts by three points in the rankings, and Gus Poyet's side could ensure a top-two finish by stunning their morale-depleted visitors by at least four goals on home soil.

Match preview

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As unrealistic as that four-goal scenario sounds, Greece are inching ever closer to a first Euros appearance since reaching the 2012 quarter-finals, prior to which the defence of their historic 2004 crown ended with a group-stage exit in the 2008 edition.

Poyet's men travelled to Dublin on Friday aiming to replicate their narrow triumph over the Republic of Ireland from four months ago, and after surviving a couple of early scares - including a strike from Evan Ferguson onto the woodwork - the visitors began to turn the screw.

With 20 minutes gone, Kostas Tsimikas's cross found Georgios Giakoumakis to direct a powerful header past a stranded Gavin Bazunu, before Dimitrios Pelkas's scuffed shot fell kindly for Georgios Masouras to double Greece's lead with the final act of the first half.

The Pirate Ship comfortably kept a lacklustre Irish XI at bay during the second 45 to cement their second-placed standing in Group B - three points worse off than Finals-bound France - and an unforeseen emphatic win over the Netherlands would see Poyet's side join Les Bleus in Germany with a game to spare.

All is not said and done for the Greeks just yet, though, as the Pirate Ship only sit three points clear of the Dutch having played a game more and must also host section leaders France in their final Group B fixture next month, but even in the worst-case scenario, Poyet's men will earn a ticket to the playoffs.

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An unwelcome abundance of injuries derailed the Dutch preparations for France's visit to Amsterdam on Friday, but even a fully-fit troupe would have had trouble quelling an on-song Kylian Mbappe, who made goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen's senior international debut one to forget.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker volleyed home from Jonathan Clauss's cross after just seven minutes before picking out the top corner with an outrageous curling strike in the second half, and a debut goal from Quilindschy Hartman - who beat Mike Maignan at his near post - was a mere consolation in a 2-1 beating.

Mbappe certainly had the last laugh after Oranje boss Ronald Koeman aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the Frenchman for PSG's Newcastle United trouncing, and a second defeat from five games in Group B leaves the Netherlands third in a five-team section, albeit with winnable fixtures against Ireland and Gibraltar to come.

As is the case with Greece, the Netherlands will also have their Nations League feats to fall back on if their top-two dreams crash and burn, having qualified for and hosted last year's finals, but defensive deficiencies forced Oranje to settle for fourth place.

However, Koeman had three first-half goals to thank as the Netherlands strolled past Greece 3-0 in last month's qualifier, which marked Oranje's eighth win from 10 contests against the Pirate Ship, whose solitary triumph against the 2010 World Cup finalists came in a 2016 friendly.

Team News

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Coming through their success over Ireland without any new injury or suspension worries to take into account for Monday's match, Greece head coach Poyet should be hesitant to tinker with a winning formula in Athens, meaning another start up front for Atlanta United striker Giakoumakis.

Only trailing Mbappe in the Group B goalscoring charts with an eye-catching five efforts to his name, Masouras will now bid to reach double figures in national team colours as he keeps Taxiarchis Fountas and Vangelis Pavlidis at bay once more.

Thirty-five-year-old defender Giorgos Tzavellas was a notable absentee from Friday's matchday squad for unexplained reasons, so the Atromitos man may be kept waiting for his 50th cap as Dinos Mavropanos links up with Panos Retsos in front of Odysseas Vlachodimos.

In contrast, the Netherlands' well-documented fitness woes were exacerbated in the first half of their loss to France, as striker Wout Weghorst sustained an unspecified issue and had to be replaced by Donyell Malen with 38 minutes gone.

Koeman has revealed that Weghorst should be available here, but Malen was a bright spark in the second half and should have done enough to earn a start on Monday nonetheless, while Steven Bergwijn also has a case to come into the attack after setting up Hartman's debut goal.

Verbruggen, Tijjani Reijnders and Joey Veerman also made their first starts in Oranje last time out - the first time since 2013 that the Netherlands have had four full debutants in one game - but Mats Wieffer and Calvin Stengs are ready to freshen up the engine room if required.

Greece possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Rota, Retsos, Mavropanos, Tsimikas; Bakasetas, Kourbelis, Mantalos; Masouras, Giakoumakis, Pelkas

Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Geertruida, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, Reijnders, Veerman, Hartman; Simons, Malen, Bergwijn

We say: Greece 1-2 Netherlands

The Netherlands may have put three past Greece without reply a few weeks ago, but Poyet's troupe ought to be a different proposition in front of their own fans, especially with so much at stake in Group B.

However, a handful of Koeman's players still did themselves justice in the loss to France, and with a few alterations here and there, we expect Oranje to bring Greece crashing back down to earth and keep their hopes of a top-two ranking alive.


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Written by
Ben Knapton

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