Euro 2024 Group B - Greece - Netherlands (16 Oct. 2023 21:45 EET, Opap Arena, Athens)

[Ellada2004]

Dutch look like a silly CONCACAF nation 

[nick]

I’m struggling to understand some fans.. we have in form players in Konstantelias, Tzolis, giakoumakis and on giakoumakis saw field after playing great vs Ireland. Fortounis is out lost talented player and the coach picked a fight with him by not selecting him because he doesn’t fit his team??? Yet he plays pelkas, mantalos, Bouchoulakis, Rota, and fountas who are all either totally out of form or not NT quality…..we have another coach who is keeping us from big tournaments because of his F***in ego…. we need a new coach asap

[J1078]

3 minutes ago, nick said:

I’m struggling to understand some fans.. we have in form players in Konstantelias, Tzolis, giakoumakis and on giakoumakis saw field after playing great vs Ireland. Fortounis is out lost talented player and the coach picked a fight with him by not selecting him because he doesn’t fit his team??? Yet he plays pelkas, mantalos, Bouchoulakis, Rota, and fountas who are all either totally out of form or not NT quality…..we have another coach who is keeping us from big tournaments because of his F***in ego…. we need a new coach asap

I don’t disagree with you at all but we’ve had like seven coaches man and it’s the same s%$#! over and over again.. 

[Omonoia9]

GROUP B STANDINGS

 

France-18

Netherlands-12

Greece-12

Ireland-6

Gibraltar-0

[HellasLEAF]

I'm not even that bothered really (mainly because of the playoff mind you).  To be honest I always expected to come 3rd here.  Greece have been steadily improving.  I think a draw would have been the more correct result today but when you try to beat a big nation like Holland you can't leave it to referee and VAR good luck.  Needs to be decisive.  

It was always a long shot in this group and they made a decent account of themselves overall having us believing once again.  They just need to get in any way they can.  Look at the playoff path it's amazing for us.  Hopefully play decent and raise the rank for WC qualifying pots.  Hard to qualify coming from where Greece was.   

[J1078]

I just looked at the nations league standings.

 Group winners 

Georgia 16

Greece 15

Kazakhstan 13

Luxembourg 11 (replaces Turkey)

 

1st Georgia vs 4th Luxembourg

2nd Greece vs 3rd Kazakhstan

 

 

[paokarag4]

While I back us to beat all three of those teams, I will say we shouldn't underestimate based on name.

Kazakhstan has 4 wins in these qualifiers (same as us) and Luxembourg has managed to collect 11 points in a group which contains Portugal, Slovakia, Bosnia and Iceland. 

[Greek Style]

For me Pavlidis is the biggest disppointment. Seems to excell at club football but continuously lets us down at National Team level. Such a stupid penalty to give away as soft as it was and butchers his chances time and time again.

 

Ioannidis gives us something we never really have (a forward who can turn his opponent) but fark me he should have squared that ball to Masouras for an easy tap in. Playing against the Dutch we needed to take whatever chances we got, especially after we saved the penalty and escaped unsacathed from some awful blunders.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Greek Style

[Greek Style]

5 hours ago, Tahma said:

we waited way too long to actually apply any pressure or attack, this was a weak Dutch side.

This. How dangerous did we look in the final minutes actually playing with some urgency? It's our home game, we needed to win, had to put more pressure on the Dutch but instead sat back and let them boss the game.

[Ellada2004]

18 hours ago, J1078 said:

I just looked at the nations league standings.

 Group winners 

Georgia 16

Greece 15

Kazakhstan 13

Luxembourg 11 (replaces Turkey)

 

1st Georgia vs 4th Luxembourg

2nd Greece vs 3rd Kazakhstan

 

 

I would say Greece should beat Kazakhstan especially in Athens but they won today in Finland which is a tough place to get a result and they have beaten Denmark too. They are currently 3rd in their group but Slovenia & Denmark should get top 2. 
I think playing Georgia or Luxembourg would be easier matches. 

[Greekoz]

Where will these playoffs be played?
 

In the event of Kazakhstan finishing 2nd who would replace them?
 

Ive read about the comical scenario that Ireland actually has to LOSE against the Netherlands to have a shot at the playoffs, a win would see them miss out lol.

[Greek Style]

2 hours ago, Ellada2004 said:

I would say Greece should beat Kazakhstan especially in Athens but they won today in Finland which is a tough place to get a result and they have beaten Denmark too. They are currently 3rd in their group but Slovenia & Denmark should get top 2. 
I think playing Georgia or Luxembourg would be easier matches. 

I think if we cant win a playoff against any of those teams we really don't deserve to be there anyway.

[Brklyngrk]

If we can't progress through the playoff route, we are not ready.  In these qualifiers, the only game we looked like we didn't belong was the first Dutch game.  The games against France and the Netherlands (at home) we lost on penalties. That says something. 

One concerning aspect, against those teams, we did sit back too much (outside of the last 15 minutes yesterday) and it led to too much contact in the box.  Against France, we could have easily been called for at least one more. 

[PaokCT]

22 hours ago, Greekoz said:

Where will these playoffs be played?
 

In the event of Kazakhstan finishing 2nd who would replace them?
 

Ive read about the comical scenario that Ireland actually has to LOSE against the Netherlands to have a shot at the playoffs, a win would see them miss out lol.

We host the semi final. Final location based on draw

[Ellada2004]

23 hours ago, Greekoz said:

Where will these playoffs be played?
 

In the event of Kazakhstan finishing 2nd who would replace them?
 

Ive read about the comical scenario that Ireland actually has to LOSE against the Netherlands to have a shot at the playoffs, a win would see them miss out lol.

March 21 semi finals

March 26 finals 

 

[Alphonse]

Both penalties were penalties ti UEFA Mafia excuses... Poyet got the midfield totally wrong again vs the Dutch and they slaughterted us through the middle.

Bakasetas for all the good he does vs lower to mid teams, cant match the big teams and this is where Fortounis or a warmed up Konstantelias can make a difference for us.

Poyet then puts 4 strikers on there with not 1 CAM... Go figure and as someone said, Pavlidis goes full retard with the Ethniki colours on... 

Wanna see what Poyet does in the friendly vs New Zealand and if he has figured out he cant just expect the same guys to get the jobs done

[Brklyngrk]

Pavlidis or any of the other strikers wouldn't be able to do much. No service and they were all played out of position. How is it possible to have 4 strikers on??

[paokarag4]

11 hours ago, Alphonse said:

Both penalties were penalties ti UEFA Mafia excuses... Poyet got the midfield totally wrong again vs the Dutch and they slaughterted us through the middle.

Bakasetas for all the good he does vs lower to mid teams, cant match the big teams and this is where Fortounis or a warmed up Konstantelias can make a difference for us.

Poyet then puts 4 strikers on there with not 1 CAM... Go figure and as someone said, Pavlidis goes full retard with the Ethniki colours on... 

Wanna see what Poyet does in the friendly vs New Zealand and if he has figured out he cant just expect the same guys to get the jobs done

 

Good post, agree with most of this! All the pens are there (even the third that wasn't given probably was). 

On Bakasetas I do agree that he has struggled against the bigger footballing nations but tbf they are games where as you note our whole midfield has been overrun. The fact that he can boss games against mid-lower ranked teams is important, as in recent qualifying campaigns that is where we have blown our chances. 

Konstantelias clearly had a role to play in this game, as you note how is the ball supposed to get to the 3 strikers waiting in the box with Bouchalakis and Siopis in midfield. I feel like we are living another version of when Fetfa was playing for the Ethniki, when we would need a goal and various managers would refuse to throw him on😂

Edited October 19, 2023 by paokarag4

[Ellada2004]

On 10/19/2023 at 6:31 PM, paokarag4 said:

 

Good post, agree with most of this! All the pens are there (even the third that wasn't given probably was). 

On Bakasetas I do agree that he has struggled against the bigger footballing nations but tbf they are games where as you note our whole midfield has been overrun. The fact that he can boss games against mid-lower ranked teams is important, as in recent qualifying campaigns that is where we have blown our chances. 

Konstantelias clearly had a role to play in this game, as you note how is the ball supposed to get to the 3 strikers waiting in the box with Bouchalakis and Siopis in midfield. I feel like we are living another version of when Fetfa was playing for the Ethniki, when we would need a goal and various managers would refuse to throw him on😂

The game was calling for Konsantellias especially in the last 20 minutes when the Dutch were under pressure. Poyet didn’t play him and even Alexandropoulos but he puts ion Bouchalakis? 
Overall Poyet has definitely improved the NT by winning the Nations League and beating the country’s we are suppose to unlike under other managers. All that said he has fallen short in the matches vs Holland. If we got 3pts from them we would have qualified for the Euros directly. A Holland team which was there for the taking especially in Greece where they missed seven starters. Now Poyet has to get the job done in the playoffs. I hope he calls up Fortounis and begs him to comeback!