Netherlands vs Greece prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-09-06 18:45.
PSV’s Philips Stadion plays host to the Netherlands national team as they look to avenge their anti-climactic fourth-place finish in their recent UEFA Nations League finals on home soil. Ronald Koeman said his team “let each other down” in the wake of that 3-2 loss to Italy, and with just one win from their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers (ECQ), they must bounce back to cut the gap to second-place Greece, or risk falling six points adrift of their upcoming opponents, albeit having played a game fewer.
A home return in this competition can only be seen as a positive for the Dutch, who have scored at least three times in each of their six ECQ home wins since the beginning of 2014 (W6, D1, L3). Even so, the only two ECQ home H2Hs each produced exactly two goals (W1, D1), and with an overall record of W7, D1, L1 against Greece, Koeman may feel quietly confident of posting a resurgent result.
Greece’s sole win over the Dutch did come at this very stadium back in 2016, but the Euro 2004 champions must avoid defeat if they’re to reach the halfway stage of qualifying in the top two. Any such result would certainly help in their quest to end a 12-year wait for a Euro’s appearance and would also continue a curious trend which has seen the Greeks post differing results in succession across their last nine games (W4, D2, L3).
The visitors have done well under the tutelage of Gus Poyet (W8, D2, L4), yet the thought of facing Koeman for the first time since a club record-equalling 8-0 defeat against his Southampton side as Sunderland head coach back in 2014/15 will surely be at the back of his mind. Combine that with the fact Greece have only beaten sides currently ranked #90 or worse in ECQ away action since the start of 2014, and they will foreseeably be right up against it here.
Players to watch: Dutch defender Nathan Aké can do the business at both ends of the pitch as he proved by scoring for Manchester City last weekend as well as netting twice in his last two ECQ appearances. He’ll do his best to shackle Greece’s captain Anastasios Bakasetas, the midfield man who has scored twice and assisted another to help them achieve their favourable position after three games.
Hot streak: The Netherlands have scored 11 consecutive goals without reply in ECQ home action ahead of this.