England and Greece are set to face off in a top-of-the-table UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening, with both teams looking to maintain their perfect starts in League B Group 2.
Interim England manager Lee Carsley aims for his third consecutive victory since taking charge, while Greece’s new head coach Ivan Jovanovic seeks to continue his impressive start after two wins in September.
England, under Carsley’s guidance, secured 2-0 victories against both Ireland and Finland last month. The caretaker manager now has a chance to become the first England boss to win his first three games without conceding, and the first to win his opening three matches overall since Fabio Capello in 2008.
Greece leads the group on goal difference, having defeated Finland 3-0 and Ireland 2-0 in their opening fixtures. The 2004 European champions are pursuing their 14th Nations League victory, the most of any country since the tournament’s inception.
Team selection for both sides is complicated by injury concerns. England captain Harry Kane trained individually on Wednesday following an injury scare with Bayern Munich, leaving his participation in doubt. If Kane is rested, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins or Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke could lead the attack.
Greece has suffered a significant setback with the absence of in-form striker Fotis Ioannidis, who scored three goals in September’s matches but is sidelined due to injury. Benfica’s summer signing Vangelis Pavlidis is expected to spearhead the Greek attack in his absence.
England’s squad has been bolstered by the returns of Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer, all of whom missed September’s fixtures. However, Jack Grealish is a new injury doubt after missing training on Wednesday.
The historical head-to-head favors England, who are unbeaten in their last nine encounters with Greece. Their most recent meeting, a 2006 friendly, saw England triumph 4-0.
As both teams vie for supremacy in the group and a potential promotion to League A, this match carries significant implications for their Nations League campaigns and the trajectory of their new managerial eras.
