Lee Carsley’s reign as interim boss of England got off to a strong start with back-to-back 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland but he will face his biggest test yet when Greece arrive at Wembley for a Nations League clash on Thursday night.
Ivan Jovanovic’s side are top of Group 2 in League B having won their opening two matches 3-0 and 2-0 and Greece will be looking to build on that in London.
- ENGLAND TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
- HARRY KANE TO SCORE TWO OR MORE GOALS
- MANOLIS SIOPSIS TO BE BOOKED
Bet On The Nations League
England To Extend Winning Streak
Although the opposition was not of the highest level, Carsley appeased plenty of sceptical fans with two opening wins and some exciting football, with that form likely to carry into this clash with Greece.
The interim boss’s willingness to play plenty of attack-minded players paid dividends and his side racked up a total of 38 shots in the two fixtures. And considering Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins’s impressive starts to the season, it would be no surprise to see England put a few past Greece at Wembley.
With Jude Bellingham back in the squad and some extra training sessions under Carsley, the Three Lions could be even stronger during this international break and may net a few while beating the section leaders, who themselves could help to bring up the goals tally given their strong start to this Nations League campaign.
ENGLAND TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
Kane Can Light Up Wembley
With options of Palmer, Bellingham, Saka, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon and Phil Foden in the squad, guessing who Carsley will pick for three of the four attacking spots in his 4-2-3-1 system is a tough task.
However, one guarantee is that three of those six will be playing behind captain Harry Kane, who has scored nine goals and provided five assists in eight matches for Bayern Munich to start the season.
The Three Lions skipper loves playing at Wembley, netting 10 goals in his last eight appearances at England’s home ground. And after scoring twice against Finland in his last international appearance, Kane should be backed to bag at least two against Greece.
HARRY KANE TO SCORE TWO OR MORE GOALS
Siopsis Set To Struggle
Cardiff’s Manolis Siopsis has endured a difficult season, with the Bluebirds rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, and a clash against one of the world’s best sides is unlikely to provide the respite the combative midfielder would have desired over this international break.
Siopsis has been carded three times in seven Championship games this season and his tendency to mistime tackles could see his name land in the referee’s book once more.
The tenacious midfielder will have the unenviable task of keeping tabs on world-class stars such as Declan Rice, Bellingham and Foden and given that he has been carded in three of his last five starts for Greece, he looks a prime suspect for a booking on Thursday.
MANOLIS SIOPSIS TO BE BOOKED
