Greece Vs Spain
Greece Vs Spain Thursday, 11 November 2021 – 19:45 GMT
World Cup Qualifier
Pick: Spain Win By One Goal (Winning Margin)
Odds: 21/10
Bookmaker: PaddyPower
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 9 November 2021)
Preview: The ramification of Thursday’s encounter in Thessaloniki could be seismic in Group B, with both Greece and Spain needing the win to enhance their prospects of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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Table of Contents
Greece – Win or bust in final two qualifiers?
Defeat in Solna to Sweden last time out spelled the end of Greece’s automatic qualification hopes. A play-off berth is now the limit of their ambitions, and it is to be no easy feat either. The 2004 European champions must take maximum points from both remaining qualifiers, including Thursday’s crunch meeting with the team currently in second, Spain, whilst also needing La Roja to slip up in their final outing.
Having held out for a 1-1 draw when these sides met first time around in Granada, The Pirate Ship will be bullish about their prospects in Thessaloniki. Especially with their record at home being as formidable as it is, going the last ten such matches without incurring a single loss (W6 D4). The undoubted highlight of this run, meanwhile, being a shock 2-1 victory against Group B leaders Sweden in September.
Key Stat: Aside from a 2-0 scoreline away in Georgia, Greece have struggled for clean sheets having recorded one – that aforementioned result in Batumi – across their last ten internationals (W4 D4 L2).
Spain – Can Enrique’s men catch Sweden?
After the disappointment of the Nations League, where they were beaten in the final by France who came from 1-0 down to defeat Luis Enrique’s men 2-1 in Milan, comes the important business of securing a place at next year’s World Cup. Finishing top would have been the objective before qualifying got underway in March. While this is still very much plausible, it is not going to be straightforward.
La Roja take on Greece (3rd) before hosting Sweden (1st) needing to realistically win both to have any chance of usurping the Swedes. Considering they came unstuck in both reverse fixtures, that does feel a rather tall order. Thursday’s clash will also bring up game number 17th in all competitions this year alone, and it is perhaps telling that their win ratio inside 90 minutes across this period is under fifty percent (W7 D7 L2).
Key Stat: After conceding at least one goal in all of their first four qualifying matches (vs Georgia, Greece, Kosovo and Sweden), Spain have since recorded successive wins to nil over Georgia and Kosovo.
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Greece Vs Spain Betting Advice
The importance of the result in Thessaloniki cannot be understated, with both sides having to win to maintain their respective qualifying aspirations. Spain were the better side when the pair met in Granada back in March, Greece earning a point after scoring from their only shot of the entire match, and must now find a way of dealing with the hostile surroundings that await inside Toumba Stadium.
Greece Vs Spain – Key Facts:
- After coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in Granada when the sides met in March, Greece have now avoided defeat in three of the previous five head-to-heads (W1 D2).
- Each of the last four encounters between the countries has produced both teams scoring, while the pair have kept just three clean sheets between them in 12 2022 World Cup Qualifying matches so far.
- Although we fancy Spain on the night, don’t rule out the Greeks from making life difficult. The hosts are unbeaten across their past ten home internationals, winning six.
With that draw, Spain have only won two of the previous five head-to-heads (D2 L1) going back to 2003. All of these meetings either ended level or were settled by a solitary goal, so Thursday’s latest renewal could be another tense affair especially with so much riding on the outcome. I suspect Spain’s superiority in personnel – they were recent Nations League finalists, after all – will ultimately tell, though.
Best Betting Odds – Greece Vs Spain
Greece – 15/2 (Betfair)
Draw – 16/5 (WilliamHill)
Spain – 9/20 (BetVictor)
