Greece vs Gibraltar prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-09-09 18:45.
Greece already have a ticket to the UEFA European Championship qualifying (ECQ) play-offs via the Nations League, but will be concerned if that ends up being their only path in pursuit of a first Euro finals appearance in 12 years. Having started their Group B campaign with consecutive wins, Gus Poyet’s men have lost two in a row, the latest being a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands on Thursday which leaves them outside the top two.
A home game against group minnows Gibraltar offers a chance to end their ECQ losing streak, which came after a run of five straight wins. That sequence included three straight 2-1 victories in home ECQs, another indicator that the hosts are likely to get back to winning ways.
Another 2-1 win for the Greeks would be a surprise though, given Gibraltar’s own form of five straight defeats without scoring, a run that has included four 3-0 defeats in this qualifying campaign. Any hopes that the second-smallest UEFA member (in terms of population) will halt that run are perhaps miniscule, considering they have lost all three H2Hs, conceding at least three goals each time. It would in fact be a huge achievement if they concede fewer than three goals here – something which has happened only twice across 22 ECQs.
While a defeat looks a near-certainty, another stubborn performance will captivate the visiting fans, as Gibraltar kept the Republic of Ireland quiet for more than 50 minutes in their last qualifying match. That still leaves the issue of scoring goals though, and given the visitors have lost their last seven away ECQs without finding the back of the net, the Greece goal looks likely to remain unbreached.
Players to watch: Petros Mantalos could keep the referee busy, as the Greece midfielder has been carded in his last three matches for club and country (YC2, RC1). One player from the visiting camp who could also catch the eye of the whistleblower is Tjay De Barr, who was booked in both of his last two matches. Interestingly, in two of his three scoring games for Gibraltar, he picked up yellow cards.
Hot stat: Gibraltar have conceded in both halves in seven of their last ten competitive matches.