Greece V Liechtenstein
Sunday 8th September 2019 -19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualification
Pick: Greece Win & Under 3.5 Goals
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Betfair
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/100 | 27/2 | 43/1 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 6th September 2019 at 14:35)
Preview: Between them, four points have been collected as the weakest teams in Group J lock horns in the Greek capital of Athens, inside the imaginatively named Olympic Stadium of Athens. All of those points were registered by the Greeks who, despite a campaign to forget so far, should be confident of adding to their haul when they host the lowest ranked nation in the section, Liechtenstein.
Euro 2020 Qualifying Betting – 22Bet
Greece Preview – Insipid form to limit their goal potential?
This campaign is now at risk of becoming a write off for Greece who, after slumping to a third defeat in a row only a matter of days ago, are now in need of a minor miracle if they are to finish as one of the two best sides in Group J. Four points out of a possible fifteen is a shockingly poor return and leaves them second from bottom in the table, much closer to pointless Liechtenstein in last place than they are to Finland in second.
Somehow an eight point deficit needs addressing, and quite how the Greeks manage to achieve that feat is anyone’s guess based on current form. Defeat in Finland on Thursday marked the fourth occasion in succession that they had failed to pick up a win, following earlier losses to Armenia (2-3) and Italy (0-3), while they did at least earn a credible draw in Bosnia (2-2). In fact, their only victory to date came against the lowest ranked side in the section, which happens to be their upcoming opponents Liechtenstein.
It almost goes without saying that only another win, against such lowly opposition, will be deemed an acceptable outcome and preferably a large win at that. The Greeks not only need to correct a huge point differential but also a -3 goal difference which, if they were to somehow haul themselves back into contention further down the line with some improved form, could come into play. However, on only one occasion in their last eight home encounters did they manage to score more than once.
Liechtenstein Preview – Underdogs to exploit poor form of hosts?
Is anyone surprised by the performance in Euro 2020 Qualifying so far? Probably not. Ranked all the way down in 182 in the latest FIFA Rankings, expectations were justifiably low, bordering on non-existent, when the group stage got underway. Though with five games now confined to the history books and no points having been registered, a goal at the very least would have been nice.
Group G has been brutal on lowly Liechtenstein. Five consecutive losses, all without scoring a goal, as they occupy last place with a goal difference (-18) that could easily be mistaken for a bitterly cold temperature reading rather than a football statistic. The latest of those losses was a 5-0 rout dished out by Bosnia in Sarajevo, although that scoreline does seem slightly harsh considering it was only 1-0 until a barrage of goals in the closing ten minutes.
It now means it is no win in the last nine matches (D1 L8), since beating the mighty Gibraltar (2-0) in September of last year by a couple of goals at home. As for their away form: a 2-1 victory over Qatar remains their only triumph in the past four years (W1 D2 L17), during which they played no fewer than 20 times on their travels, losing the majority (17) and failing to score in most (14). Therefore, it probably wouldn’t be wise tucking into them even at huge odds.
Greece V Liechtenstein Key Facts:
- Greece have collected four points from their five Group J fixtures so far (W1 D1 L3), losing the last three in a row.
- Liechtenstein have not only lost all five Group J matches so far but did so whilst not scoring a single goal.
- These countries have met on four occasions previously, with Greece winning all of them ‘to nil’ and with no more than two goals scored in the match.
Betting Summary
Greece simply have to win. They certainly should do. Performances have been poor though, and nowhere near the requisite level, labouring to four points from their five matches played. Interestingly, though, Greece have won all four previous meetings with Liechtenstein; all were without conceding, but none were by a margin greater than two goals.
Liechtenstein might be fancying their chances of causing an upset here, despite their wretched form up until now. The table would suggest they won’t get a better opportunity to registering some rare points in this group, facing the team directly above them. The reality, however, is that this is likely to be another rough encounter, for a team with a record of five defeats out of five, no goals scored and a -18 goal difference.
With Greece not in good shape and Liechtenstein being, well, Liechtenstein, the prospect for goals doesn’t appear as healthy as the odds would imply. Furthermore, all four previous meetings between the two countries never breached the three goals or more mark, although Greece did prevail on each occasion. A Greece win with under 3.5 goals has obvious appeal, therefore.
