Everything You Need To Know About This Month’s Greek National Team Squad

Everything You Need To Know About This Month’s Greek National Team Squad

By Konstantinos Massaras

Although the top spot in Group 2 was secured back in June, these are two very important matches for our Ethniki Omada. This month, Greece has a great opportunity to climb the UEFA rankings and make a final tournament bid much more probable. In this blog we look at each player in Gus Poyet’s squad and what they have done to earn a national team spot.

GK: Odysseas Vlachodimos (S.L. Benfica)

Vlachodimos has helped Benfica to a stunning 13 wins out of 13 matches to start the season, including a massive upset away to Juventus. Not missing a single minute of season, Vlachodimos has picked up eight clean sheets so far. He was heavily linked to join Manchester United in the summer but ended up staying in Lisbon. 

GK: Vasilis Barkas (FC Utrecht)

After picking up 24 caps at Celtic, Barkas was loaned out to Utrecht this summer where he joined Anastasios Douvikas. He certainly is not the worst backup keeper you can have but his value has depleted in recent years.

GK: Alexandros Paschalakis (Unattached)

This one was surprising to many. Paschalakis has not played a match since the Greek Cup Final in May and is currently a free agent. It is possible that Poyet likes the energy Paschalakis brings to the squad and understands he is a good guy to have in the locker room.

CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos (VfB Stuttgart)

Easily one of the best Greek players in recent years, Dinos secured a contract with Stuttgart this summer until 2025. He has played in all but seven minutes of the season for Stuttgart and just recently picked up a crucial assist against Bayern Munich. At only 24 years of age, the future is very bright for Mavropanos. 

CB: Pantelis Hatzidiakos (AZ Alkmaar)

Playing all of his minutes at the right back position, Hatzidiakos entered his eighth season with AZ Alkmaar. Although he has not played as a centre back this season, the Mavropanos/Hatzidiakos partnership has been the best pairing the Ethinki has seen in quite a while and I for one couldn’t see Gus Poyet breaking that up.

CB: Dimitrios Goutas (Sivasspor)

Goutas had a great 21/22 season with Sivasspor last season and has remained a regular in their starting eleven. There were a few names Poyet could have gone with here but chose to stick with Goutas who he has already selected a few times. There is clearly an attempt by Poyet to establish a consistent 26 man squad.

CB: Konstantinos Koulierakis (PAOK)

Due to the injury of Georgios Tzavellas, Gus Poyet was forced to look in another direction at centre back. Koulierakis has succeeded at every level of football that he has played and earned a very early promotion to the senior team this summer. The 18 year old defender has played every minute of PAOK’s five league matches this season. This is an exciting prospect that could prove to be a diamond in the rough.

LB: Konstantinos Tsimikas (Liverpool)

Tsimikas has just recorded his third assist of the season with Liverpool in a Champions League match against Ajax. He has made the most of his limited minutes for Liverpool this season and is making a strong case to Jurgen Klopp for an increased role in the squad. As for the Ethniki, Tsimikas has solidified himself at the left back position and is arguably the most talented player in the squad.

LB: Georgios Kyriakopoulos (Sassuolo)

With Dimitris Giannoulis picking up a devastating knee injury, Poyet was forced to look for alternative options to back up Tsimikas. Still, Kyriakopoulos is a player getting consistent minutes in the Serie A and brings versatility on the wing. In fact, all of his minutes this season have come from the left-wing position. Charalampos Lykogiannis of Bologna was also an option here.

RB: George Baldock (Sheffield United)

We have been hearing Baldock’s name mentioned with the Ethniki for quite some time but it was nice to finally see him get his first caps and help the team to their great start in the Nations League. In the Championship, Baldock has played all but a few minutes for first place side Sheffield United. Most fans agree he is the best option for the Ethniki at the right back position.

RB: Lazaros Rota (AEK Athens)

I can comfortably say that Rota has never been described as a “fan favorite” by Ethniki fans, but nonetheless he has been selected to the squad once again. Giannis Kotsiras and Lefteris Lyratzis were the other options at right back.

CM: Andreas Bouchalakis (Olympiakos)

The Olympiakos captain remains a safe option in the midfield for the Ethniki Omada. Although frustrating fans at times, his solid defending skills have been enough to keep him as a sure fire selection in every Ethniki squad.

CM: Manolis Siopis (Trabzonspor)

Siopis played a key role for Trabzonspor last season in their league title campaign and has been a breath of fresh air for the Ethniki. The defensive minded midfielder can guarantee he will give you his maximum effort every time he is on the pitch.

CM: Sotiris Alexandropoulos (Sporting Lisbon)

The 20 year old Panathinaikos product secured a move to Sporting Lisbon just a few weeks ago. It’s a fantastic club to go to for a young talent and it is clear that the ceiling is infinite for Alexandropoulos. 

CM: Dimitris Kourbelis (Panathinaikos)

The Panathinaikos captain has always been a solid player in his time with the Ethniki and it should come as no surprise that he is back in the squad once again. After missing most of last season with an injury, Kourbelis has played in all of Panathinaikos matches this season, helping them to a fantastic start in the Super League.

CM: Giannis Papanikolaou (Raków Częstochowa)

After being called up for the first time this summer, Papanikolaou makes his return to the national side. He is a consistent starter for Rakow in Poland and the 23 year old defensive midfielder has potential to gain an increased role in the future. The 34 year old Zeca was the alternative option in this position.

CAM: Anastasios Bakasetas (Trabzonspor)

The captain of the squad has had an unlikely turnaround in his national team career. The most recent Nations League campaign has earned Bakasetas the respect from almost all Ethniki fans and at the least we can all agree that he is the clear leader of the squad. Bakasetas was a major factor in Trabzonspor’s shocking league title last season. He is currently the most capped player in the squad.

CAM: Petros Mantalos (AEK Athens)

Mantalos is another player who has seen his fair share of criticism from Ethniki fans, and rightly so, but his great performances in June solidified him a spot in the squad once again.

CAM: Dimitris Pelkas (Hull City)

Pelkas makes his return to the squad missing the first four Nations League matches due to a long injury that he suffered last season. He recently began his loan stint with Hull City.

LW: Christos Tzolis (FC Twente)

The 20 year old winger was loaned out to Holland last season after a relatively unsuccessful first season in the premier league. The PAOK academy product remains one of the most promising players in the squad.

LW: Georgios Masouras (Olympiakos)

The biggest problem for the Ethniki in recent years has been a lack of quality in the final third. Masouras is a player that has shown a ton of quality with the Ethniki but has lacked the finishing product. He remains a key player in the attack.

RW: Anastasios Chatzigiovanis (Ankaragucu)

Chatzigiovanis ended a six year stint with Panathinaikos this summer in a transfer to newly promoted Turkish side Ankaragucu. He has picked up a few caps with the Ethniki but is yet to make a real impact on the international stage.

ST: Georgios Giakoumakis (Celtic)

In the Ethniki’s last match against Kosovo, Giakoumakis scored a vital header to take a late 1-0 lead. He has had a good start to career with Celtic, who are currently in Group F in the Champions League. With the injury to Pavlidis, we can expect to see a good amount of Giakoumakis in these two matches. 

ST: Anastasios Douvikas (FC Utrecht)

Douvikas had a bizarre hat trick in the Eredivisie this season. In just 27 minutes, Douvikas scored 3 goals in a 4-3 win against Fortuna Sittard. He has been relatively solid for the Ethniki in his few caps and is a solid backup to Giakoumakis.

ST: Taxiarchis Fountas (D.C. United)

Fountas has had a tremendous start in America despite playing for the worst team in the MLS. He has picked up 12 goals in 21 matches and has been by far the best player on his team. He is a fairly versatile forward that can be used in a few different ways. Unfortunately, Fountas has recently been mixed into controversy. An opposing player claimed Fountas directed a racial slur at him, a claim he has profusely denied. 

ST: Fotis Ioannidis (Panathinaikos)

The 22 year old forward gets his first call up to the senior side. Ioannidis has been used solely as a substitute for Panathianikos this season and likely won’t see too many minutes. 

Hellas Football 

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