Greece welcome Slovakia to the island of Crete for an international friendly on Saturday night. Ivan Jovanovic's men will be flying high after winning promotion to League A of the Nations League in March, following a strong showing in the group stage.
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Greece vs Slovakia prediction: Home team to continue excellent form
Key stats
- Greece have won seven of their last nine matches across all competitions.
- Slovakia have only scored two goals in their last four matches, failing to find the net at all over 210 minutes of action against Slovenia in March.
- The hosts have won both of their previous two friendly matches on home soil by a 2-0 scoreline.
Correct score prediction: Greece 2-0 Slovakia
Much of Europe stood up an took notice when Greece recorded a win away to England last autumn, and they did so again when Jovanovic's men won 3-0 away to Scotland in March, and this young team are a force to be reckoned with, given their impressive recent form.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Plenty of value in backing the hosts
- HOME: 10/11 (1.91) – 52.4%
- DRAW: 12/5 (3.40) – 29.4%
- AWAY: 3/1 (4.00) – 25.0%
Despite Greece's excellent recent form, they are only given a slightly-above-half chance of winning this fixture on Saturday, and there is great value in backing the hosts at 10/11.
Slovakia are a solid outfit, but have flattered to deceive slightly since Euro 2024, and with some important players only just coming back from injury, this could be a difficult fixture.
For more predictions on the weekend’s football, take a look at our football betting tips page.
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Most recent H2Hs: Greece have the upper hand
Greece have been the dominant force in this fixture, winning the last three head-to-heads, including both home and away matches when the two were drawn together in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Greece preview: Many young talents set to catch the eye
Many will be keeping a close eye on Greece's two talented teenagers, as Kostas Karetsas and Christos Mouzakitis played a starring role in the 3-0 win at Hampden Park in March.
The youthful exuberance of the squad is illustrated by the fact that only captain Tasos Bakasetas has over 50 caps, but Giorgios Masouras could hit that landmark if he features here.
Predicted lineup: Tzolakis (GK), Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Zafeiris, Mouzakitis; Karetsas, Konstantelias, Tzolis & Pavlidis
UEFA Nations League 23/03/25
W
Scotland
0
Greece
3
UEFA Nations League 20/03/25
L
Scotland
1
Greece
0
UEFA Nations League B 17/11/24
W
Finland
0
Greece
2
UEFA Nations League B 14/11/24
L
England
3
Greece
0
UEFA Nations League B 13/10/24
W
Rep of Ireland
0
Greece
2
Slovakia preview: Fitness doubts around a number of starters
Slovakia lost Denis Vavro, Adam Obert and David Strelec to injury during the previous international break, but all three have been back playing at club level, and should feature in some capacity here.
Napoli star Stanislav Lobotka struggled with a muscle problem late in the campaign though, and it would be no surprise if his minutes are managed this week.
Predicted lineups: Dubravka (GK), Gyomber, Skriniar, Vavro, Hancko, Bero, Lobotka, Duda, Schranz, Bozenik & Suslov
UEFA Nations League 23/03/25
L
Slovenia
1
Slovakia
0
UEFA Nations League 20/03/25
D
Slovenia
0
Slovakia
0
UEFA Nations League C 19/11/24
W
Estonia
0
Slovakia
1
UEFA Nations League C 16/11/24
L
Sweden
2
Slovakia
1
UEFA Nations League C 14/10/24
W
Azerbaijan
1
Slovakia
3
Player to watch: Kostas Karetsas
There were numerous players to pick out from Greece's 3-0 win over Scotland, including Giannis Konstantelias and Christos Mouzakitis, but 17-year-old Karetsas took most of the headlines.
A stunning first-half strike paid back his manager's faith, and the Genk youngster looks set to nail down a regular place in the national team, following a fine season in Belgium.