Greece will look to keep their three-match unbeaten run intact when they host Jurgen Klopp’s Germany on Sunday.
Having secured their first win under Jurgen Klopp last time out, Germany will be looking to make it consecutive wins when they hit the road to square up against an in-form Greece team.
The home team are currently top of their group with seven points in their three outing. They are two points clear of second-placed Netherlands. Greece started the campaign with a 2-1 win over Serbia and backed it up with a hard-fought 1-0 away win against Germany.
In their last outing, they took a 2-0 lead, but the Dutch bounced back in the second half, and they had to settle for a draw. They will hope to put that second-half performance behind them and keep their unbeaten run intact against Germany.
Meanwhile, the visitors had a disappointing start to their campaign with just a point from their opening two games before securing a win over Serbia last time out. They started the campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands but ended up suffering a 1-0 defeat to Greece in the reverse fixture.
Despite their poor performances, Germany were favourites heading into the game against Serbia, and they did get the job. It was a dominant display, and they clinched a 2-0 win. Klopp’s team will now look to build on that result and climb up the table. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team could be without the services of their star forward Christos Tzolis, who picked up an injury in their last outing and was forced off. Georgios Masouras could replace him in the XI, but apart from that, it could be the same team that started against the Netherlands.
Greece are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Konstantinos Tzolakis starting between the sticks. Manolis Saliakas and Kostas Tsimikas should feature as the full-backs, while Panagiotis Retsos is likely to partner Konstantinos Mavropanos in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Konstantinos Karetsas and Georgios Masouras are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing support on both ends of the pitch. Dimitrios Kourbelis and Thanasis Androutsos should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo tasked with protecting the backline and ensuring German midfielders do not run the show.
Up front, Vangelis Pavlidis is likely to partner Fotis Ioannidis. The two forwards will look to combine effectively and make the most of the chances that come their way.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Tzolakis; Saliakas, Mavropanos, Retsos, Tsimikas; Karetsas, Kourbelis, Androutsos, Masouras; Pavlidis, Ioannidis
Jurgen Klopp remains without the services of Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala because of injury. But apart from the duo, everyone else is available for selection.
Germany are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jonas Urbig starting between the sticks. Philipp Treu and David Raum should feature as the full-backs, while Malick Thiaw will start alongside Waldemar Anton in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof should form the double pivot. The duo will look to protect the backline while also helping Germany control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
Serge Gnabry and Said El Mala will feature on the flanks. The duo will look to provide width to their attacks and stretch the opposition backline. Florian Wirtz should take up the number ten role behind Nick Woltemade, who will lead the line for Germany.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Treu, Thiaw, Anton, Raum; Pavlovic, Bischof; Gnabry, Wirtz, El Mala; Woltemade
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been an integral part of the German national team over the last few years. In his 43 outings for the national team, the Liverpool star has bagged 11 goals, and he will be eager to add to his tally against Greece.
Having bagged just one assist in close to 500 minutes at Liverpool in the new season, Wirtz is eager to get back to his best. He certainly has the quality to decide this game, but it will be interesting to see if he can bring his A game to the table.
Greece will have the advantage of playing at home and should head into this fixture full of confidence after remaining unbeaten in their opening three games. They have already beaten Germany once in this campaign and will be determined to complete the double.
However, their second-half collapse against the Netherlands will be a concern, and they will need to be much more disciplined if they want to secure another positive result. Meanwhile, Germany will be high on confidence after their dominant win over Serbia and will be looking to build on that performance.
Klopp’s side have enough quality to cause Greece plenty of problems, particularly through Florian Wirtz and Serge Gnabry, while their improved defensive display against Serbia will also give them confidence. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
