Georgia Vs Greece
Georgia Vs Greece Saturday, 9 October 2021 – 17:00 (BST)
World Cup Qualifier
Pick: Greece Win
Odds: 13/10
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 7 October 2021)
Preview: Five points stand between rock-bottom of Group B Georgia and a Greece side still in with a chance of usurping Sweden into second position. Yet there was nothing separating them in March, when the sides exchanged late goals in a 1-1 scoreline in Athens. Can the Greeks get it done second time around, this time in Tbilisi?
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Table of Contents
Georgia – Goals, and wins, elusive under Sagnol?
February’s appointment of former Bayern Munich full-back Willy Sagnol as manager hasn’t had the desired affect so far. The Frenchman has won one of his eight games in charge – a shock 2-1 victory away from home against Romania in a friendly international – and none of five competitively, losing four of five qualifying matches (D1) in this campaign to leave the ‘Crusaders’ rooted at the bottom of Group B.
Georgia will be put out of their misery, as far as any faint qualification hopes are concerned, with defeat on Saturday. However they did secure their only point thus far in the reverse fixture. Since getting the better of Romania in June, though, they’ve lost four games on the spin, scoring once but conceding twelve. Moreover, three of their five 2022 World Cup qualifying outings resulted in them being beaten to nil.
Key Stat: Georgia have only managed to score more than once in any match on one occasion across their previous twelve internationals. That came in their 2-1 win away to Romania – the only time they’ve won in their past 13 games (D4 L8).
Greece – Qualification aspirations depend on three points?
Since producing arguably the biggest upset in international football back in 2004, somehow defying huge odds to win the European Championship, Greece’s track record in qualifying has been underwhelming to say the least. Failing to make the cut for four of the eight subsequent major tournaments, including the last three. That could become four unless they can start turning draws into wins.
‘The Pirate Ship’ are the only team undefeated in Group B, while only Sweden (3) has conceded fewer (4). John van’t Schip could be more than satisfied with his team’s efforts against the elite in this group, holding Spain to a score draw in Granada prior to turning over the Swedes in Athens last time out. 1-1 scorelines with Georgia and Kosovo, however, mean they sit third, three points adrift of second place Sweden.
Key Stat: Greece suffered their only defeat in their last thirteen internationals in a friendly away to Switzerland last month, but are unbeaten in competitive matches since October 2019 (W7 D6).
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Georgia Vs Greece Betting Advice
With ground to make up on Sweden in second, a fixture against the side bottom of the group with a solitary point to their name can only constitute a must-win for Greece. Yet their record throughout this qualifying campaign leaves something to be desired, raising their game versus Spain and Sweden – the stronger teams in Group B – but faltering against the supposedly inferior outfits, mustering 1-1 draws with Georgia and Kosovo.
Chelsea Vs Bayern Munich – Key Facts:
- Although Georgia would avoid losing in two of the past three match ups between the countries, it is Greece who boast four wins overall to the none of their opponents.
- On all three previous occasions the countries met in Georgia (in 1999, 2005 & 2011), the hosts were consigned to defeat despite managing to score exactly one goal.
- Both teams have scored in each of the last eight games involving Greece, and in seven of their previous eight when away from home (W3 D3 L2).
Nevertheless, anything less than a win for the Greeks would go down as a big surprise, based on their dominant head-to-head record if nothing else. Georgia has never managed a win in seven stagings of this fixture (D2 L5), but did avoid losing two of the past three, scoring in each of those encounters. In fact, Greece haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of three prior visits to Tbilisi, despite emerging victorious each time.
Best Betting Odds – Georgia Vs Greece
Georgia – 27/10 (BetVictor)
Draw – 21/10 (Betway)
Greece – 13/10 (Betfair)
