Scotland face Greece over the March international break in a two-game shoot-out to remain in the top UEFA Nations League pot.
Steve Clarke’s side finished third in Group A behind group winners Portugal and one point off Croatia in second. Poland, who were defeated 2-1 in dramatic fashion in the final game of the group stage after a late Andy Robertson header, propped up the four-team group.
Scotland first travel to Piraeus for the first leg of the play-off tie on Thursday before the return fixture at Hampden on Sunday.
What should Scotland expect over the two ties from the team who narrowly missed last summer’s European Championship in Germany? Here’s a closer look.
How did they get here?
Greece were one of the surprising, and standout, performers in the most recent UEFA Nations League campaign. Having fallen at the last hurdle in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers, losing on penalties to Georgia in the play-off round, new appointment Ivan Jovanovic has quickly established an almost perfect record since arriving at the start of 2024.
Indeed, it was only against England that Greece conceded at all as they amassed five wins in Group 1 of pot B, a 3-0 defeat at home to the side then managed by Lee Carsley. However, away at Wembley last October Jovanovic’s side managed an impressive 2-1 win on a day where they saw three goals ruled out for offside. All to say, this was no smash-and-grab or fluke result - Greece are a team on the up with a real sense of playing identity.
How do they play?
Nominally lining up in a 4-2-3-1 with two wingers, a support striker and flexible full-backs, Greece are part of a growing trend of international teams who are modelling the homogenous tactical approach seen at club level. Demonstrating a desire to create a ‘line of 5’ in their attack, build attacks with ‘numerical superiority’, and progress patiently up the pitch.
Here’s an example of their structure in possession which attempts to stagger the position of players horizontally and laterally. Tsimikas has pushed up to provide width from left-back while opposite full-back, Rota, tucks inside. The knock-on effect is that left-winger Tzolis can roll infield alongside the support striker Bakasetas, with right-winger Masouras (out of picture) stretching Finland on the right.
This is a common feature of Greece’s game, as a technical team who look to progress by passing but have the very real threat of pace on the last line to pull defences in both directions. Look at these two images from their first goal against Ireland in a 2-0 home win. Creating numbers in the first line and pushing one full-back high as the other moves infield, while fashioning a ‘box’ midfield to present multiple passing options.
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Who are their standout players?
Vanngelis Pavlidis, who moved to Benfica in a deal worth up to €20m this summer, is a standout up top. With two goals against England in that famous win, he’s a striker who can fashion his own chances and will require close marshaling by the Scottish defence.
Elsewhere, while Kostas Tsimikas isn’t a household name, his Liverpool teammate, and fellow left-back Andy Robertson, will know all about the defender’s final ball quality. Konstantinos Mavropanos also plays in the Premier League with West Ham.
Fotis Ioannidis is hardly prolific in domestic competition but has three goals in the group stage and can be an effective substitute. Konstantinos Koulierakis, a centre-back is already playing for Wolfsburg in the Bundlesgia aged 21 while Olympiacos star Charalampos Kostoulas is very much the Greek football future today aged 17. Elsewhere keep an eye out for speedy left-winger Christos Tzolis. His runs will pose a proper threat in behind from narrow positions as the Greek left-back rolls forward.
Steve Clarke was under severe pressure after an underwhelming EURO 2024 campaign in which Scotland infamously created the lowest chance quality right across the tournament. In a tight 1-1 draw with Switzerland - with both teams pressing and space appearing as a result - Clarke’s men looked like a team able to compete in a major championship but when presented with a golden chance to progress against Hungary in Stuttgart their weaknesses in possession were glaring. It took Scotland over 70 minutes to even attempt a shot and Clarke’s back five shape screamed of protectionism.
To the 61-year-old’s credit there’s been a degree of change since, and not only in terms of results. Two wins and a draw in their final three Nations League group stage games coincided with a shift to a back-four formation across the group stage. With no Kieran Tierney to shoehorn in next to Andy Robertson, as the Arsenal defender recovered from injury, and Ben Doak emerging on the right wing, the balance of this side has changed.
Albeit, Clarke has difficult decisions on his hands with Doak missing this camp due to injury and a returning Tierney to find a place for. It is not unlikely that in lack of a true left-winger the Scotland boss fields Tierney a line ahead of Andy Robertson, where he’s played for Mikel Arteta as of late.
