Matchday: Greece, Netherlands meet in a crunch European qualifier tonight

With France having qualified for next year’s European Championship, the Netherlands and Greece are fighting to join the Group B leader in Germany.

Those two teams head-to-head on Monday at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens. Greece is second in the group and three points ahead of the Netherlands, having played more games. Last-place Gibraltar hosts Ireland in the group’s other game, with neither team able to finish in the top two.

• Both teams have scored in four of the Netherlands’ last five games.
• Greece have scored in eight of their last nine competitive home games.
• The Netherlands won the reverse fixture 3-0.

Key clash in Athens

Greece entertain the Netherlands at the OPAP Arena in Athens on Monday in a huge game in the qualification battle from Group B.

The hosts currently sit in second spot with a three-point advantage over their opponents in third place, although the Dutch have a game in hand.

If the visitors can win by a three-goal margin, as they did in the reverse fixture, they will move into second spot but Greece will feel they are more than capable of getting a result in front of their own fans.

Both teams score appeals

Greece drew a blank in a 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture but should be able to get on the scoresheet on Monday as Gus Poyet’s side have scored in eight of their last nine competitive home games.

Goals at both ends have been a feature in the Netherlands’ games of late, and there have been goals at both ends in four of their last five, while they have scored in 13 of their last 14 away games.

Both sides have the safety net of a play-off spot thanks to their respective Nations League exploits, and that should offer them more freedom to attack in this key clash, so backing both teams to score looks a good starting point.

Predicted Lineups:

Greece Predicted Lineups: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Retsos, Tsimikas; Bakasetas, Kourbelis, Mantalos; Masouras, Giakoumakis, Pelkas.

Netherlands Predicted Lineups: Verbruggen; Gertruida, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, De Roon, Veerman, Hartman; Reijnders, Simons, Weghorst