Greece vs Netherlands – News and Probable Lineups

Grécia will host Países Baixos at Stadio Toumbas on Thursday evening in League A Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League.

The home side is currently at the top of the table with two victories from their opening two fixtures, while the visitors sit second with four points from one win and one draw.

Match overview

Grécia earned promotion from League B of the Nations League in the 2024-25 season, securing a 3-0 victory in the second leg of their promotion/relegation playoff against Escócia, overcoming a 1-0 defeat in the first leg.

Grécia initially followed that triumph with three straight wins, including their first World Cup qualifying match against Bielorrússia (5-1), but their form soon deteriorated.

Following this, Grécia suffered defeats in three consecutive World Cup qualifying matches, and although they managed to win one and draw one in their remaining two games, finishing third meant they failed to qualify for the summer tournament.

The beginning of 2026 saw Grécia’s uninspired form persist, with two losses and two draws in four friendly outings, but Ivan Jovanovic’s squad has bounced back impressively in the Nations League this month.

Grécia turned the tables to win dramatically against Sérvia on matchday one, with Anastasios Douvikas netting a last-minute winner, followed by an excellent 1-0 victory over Alemanha thanks to a goal from Dimitris Kourbelis.

As a result, Grécia currently leads the League A Group 2 standings with a perfect record after two matches, and they will be keen to continue their unbeaten streak against Países Baixos at home.

On the other hand, Países Baixos comes into Thursday’s match with an impressive record of seven consecutive matches without defeat in regular time, achieving four wins and three draws – though they did exit the World Cup to Marrocos on penalties in the round of 32.

In fact, Países Baixos has only lost one of their last 22 matches across all competitions in regular time, with new head coach Xavi maintaining this record in his initial two fixtures.

Xavi was brought in following Países Baixos’ World Cup elimination, and he has overseen one draw and one win in his first two matches in charge.

In their opening Nations League game, Países Baixos secured a 92nd-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 with Alemanha, despite being unlucky not to claim victory as they produced 3.18xG compared to Alemanha’s 1.45xG.

Xavi’s squad capitalised on their dominance in matchday two, with Mexx Meerdink scoring twice to lead Países Baixos to a 2-1 victory over Sérvia.

Consequently, Países Baixos now hold second place in League A Group 2 with four points, meaning a win on Thursday could see them leapfrog their hosts into first position.

Alongside Países Baixos’ recent unbeaten streak, they will be bolstered by their historical edge over Grécia, winning nine of their eleven encounters.

Team News

Grécia has relied on a consistent group of players in their initial two victories in the Nations League, and Jovanovic is likely to stick with the same lineup on Thursday.

Alterations may see Charalampos Kostoulas and Dimitris Kourbelis, the latter who scored against Alemanha, return to the starting XI.

For Países Baixos, Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey are sidelined due to injuries, which may lead to Ruben van Bommel and Meerdink starting alongside Crysencio Summerville in attack.

In defence, an unchanged backline of Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, and Micky van de Ven is expected to remain intact.

Grécia probable starting XI:

Tzolakis? Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Retsos, Tsimikas? Karetsas, Kourbelis, Zafeiris, Tzolis? Kostoulas, Pavlidis

Netherlands probable starting XI:

Bridge; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, Veerman, Reijnders; Summerville, Meerdink, Van Bommel

While Grécia has made an excellent start in the group, Países Baixos has also shown impressive form in their opening matches and should possess the quality to take control of this encounter and achieve a favorable result.