Preview: Greece vs Denmark – prediction, team news, lineups

Denmark will be bidding to post their first victory of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign when they make the trip to Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis on Monday night to tackle Greece.

The visitors opened their Group C campaign with a goalless draw against Scotland, while the hosts recorded a 5-1 victory over Belarus in their first match in the section on Friday night. 

Match preview

Greece put on a show in their Group C opener, with the hosts 4-0 ahead at the interval, and they scored a fifth just past the hour, with Belarus then netting once in in the 72nd minute to make it a 5-1 match.

Ivan Jovanovic‘s side sit at the top of the section, and a victory over Denmark on Monday would leave them in an excellent spot in the group ahead of their next fixture away to Scotland on October 9.

Greece have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, and they are aiming to make the finals of a World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they managed to reach the round of 16.

The National failed to qualify for the tournament in 2018 and 2022, but they will fancy their chances of making a strong push for top spot in Group C, with Denmark likely to prove their biggest competition.

Greece have only won three and lost eight of their 15 previous games against Denmark, but it was 1-1 when the two teams last locked horns in a friendly in February 2009.

Denmark, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw by Scotland in their section opener on Friday night, so the visitors will be bidding to record their first win in Group C on Monday evening.

Brian Riemer‘s side won their two June friendlies against Northern Ireland and Lithuania, but they were beaten 5-2 by Portugal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League back in March.

Denmark’s best-ever performance at a World Cup came in 1998, when they managed to advance to the quarter-finals, but they have not been past the first knockout round since.

The Red and Whites were eliminated in the group stage of the last World Cup in Qatar, but they did manage to make the last-16 stage of Euro 2024 despite failing to win a single match at the tournament.

Denmark’s last victory over Greece was a 1-0 success during qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

Greece World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:

W

Greece form (all competitions):

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Denmark World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:

D

Denmark form (all competitions):

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Team News

Greece could be unchanged from the win over Belarus considering the nature of the performance.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored his 10th goal for the national side in the success last time out, and there will once again be a spot in the final third of the field for the 26-year-old Benfica striker.

Christos Tzolis has seven goals for his country, and he is another expected to feature in a forward area, while Anastasios Bakasetas will again captain the hosts from the number 10 spot.

As for Denmark, Rasmus Hojlund is an option to feature in the final third of the field, but it is expected that the now Napoli striker will start on the bench, with Kasper Dolberg retaining his spot alongside Mika Biereth.

Morten Hjulmand is set to feature in the middle of the Danish midfield, while there should be another start in an attacking midfield area for Mikkel Damsgaard.

Head coach Riemer will be looking for more attacking intent on Monday, and Newcastle United forward William Osula is also in contention to make his debut for the national side here.

Greece possible starting lineup:

Tzolakis; Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Zafeiris, Kourbelis; Karetsas, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis

Denmark possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Kristensen, Andersen, Christensen; Dreyer, Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, Maehle; Damsgaard; Dolberg, Biereth

We say: Greece 1-1 Denmark

Denmark will be looking to post their first victory of this qualification campaign, but Greece were excellent last time out, and we are expecting the home side to be good enough for at least a point on Monday.

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