Georgia vs Greece Preview | It Is Time For The Drought To End

Georgia vs Greece Preview | It Is Time For The Drought To End

By Konstantinos Massaras,

Happy Independence Day to all Greeks around the world.

March 26, 2024, the day after we celebrate our independence, could be the day the tortuous ten year major-tournament drought finally ends. 

The ten years following Gekas’ missed penalty against Costa Rica have contained the most agonizing results a fan of any team, of any sport, can endure The Ethniki have ripped through six managers, with Poyet being the seventh, they have had internal conflicts, heartbreakers, and downright embarrassments. 

Following the disastrous tenure of Angelos Anastasiadis, EPO hired John Van’t Schip, who laid a foundation for the next generation of Greek talent. While I still believe JVS parting from the Ethniki was the best decision for both parties, he does deserve some credit for pulling the national team back up from the dirt. Although, some may say that most of the credit belongs to the rising talent itself, and I would not try and dispute that.

Then came Gustavo Poyet. Everything that has needed to be said about Poyet has already been said. I believe he is a poor evaluator of talent, and he often refuses to make any changes. However, he has been the first manager since Fernando Santos to achieve actual results. That cannot be understated. Have they been massive results? Well, not yet. But if we finish the job against Georgia, absolutely. Of course, that is a big if.

Preview:

I for one am extremely nervous for this match, and there are a few reasons why. Of course, most of that has to do with how important of a match this is for the Ethniki. Losing would devastate the entire country, as it would mean 12 years without a major tournament. At that point, I would not fault you if you said we will never make it to another major tournament. It cannot be understated: A loss would be an absolute catastrophe. 

Another reason is the opponent, because Georgia is definitely not Kazakhstan. While Georgia is not a top-level opponent by any means, it is undoubtedly their golden generation. They topped their League C Nations League Group in the last edition of the tournament, joining Greece in League B. Their core has gained experience since then, although they were somewhat disappointing in the Euro qualifiers. We will also be playing in front of a sold out Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, which can hold around 54,000. That is possibly the most challenging aspect of this match, as Georgians are starving for a major-tournament berth as well, having never played in one. That, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

There is not much that needs to be said about Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He already burned Greece a few years ago, back when he was just 20 years old and playing for Rubin Kazan in Russia. He has now become an international superstar, starting for Napoli while being valued at 80 Million Euros according to TransferMarkt. Poyet will undoubtedly focus the defensive strategy on keeping him hemmed in at all times.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to believe Greece will win this match. Overall, Greece is far more talented than Georgia. They have been building this team since 2019, and it is easily the most talented since the 2014 World Cup squad. Georgia on the other hand are totally unfamiliar with this stage. They have never come close to qualifying for a major tournament before, while Greece have been knocking on the door for quite some time now. 

I do not think looking at the last match for either side has much merit. Greece was playing an opponent that was not only way inferior to them, but to Georgia as well. The same goes for Georgia, and they played without Kvaratskhelia, who was suspended. It should not take away from the fact that Greece showed up in a big way in their most important match in a long time. It just proves that this is the best form the team has been in since 2014, but all of that means nothing without a qualification.

Now to the much discussed lineup decisions. I anticipate we will see an extremely similar, if not completely identical lineup against Georgia that we saw against Kazakhstan. Personally, I did not like the lineup that was chosen against Kazakhstan, but recognize that any player on our squad can perform well against that kind of opponent. I can appreciate the idea of not changing what works, but you cannot look past the quality of the opponent. The selection will undoubtedly be more crucial in this match, but we will still be more talented no matter what.

I would personally prefer Giannis Konstantelias start on the left wing. I think he is far more talented, in great form, and will constantly push Georgia deeper into their own end. However, I expect to see Dimitris Pelkas in that position, who had a great match against Kazakhstan. If the attack stalls out, as it so often has, I can only hope Poyet will be able to recognize where the fault is and make a change.

Choosing Ioannidis over Pavlidis and Giakoumakis is definitely a bold decision, but has been one that has paid off for Poyet almost every time. Poyet just likes what he likes, and there is no doubt that Pavlidis has been pretty disappointing in his international career, even though he is one of Greece’s best talents. There is a chance that Poyet was resting players in the Kazakhstan match, but I can’t imagine he was looking past the semi-final, even if he saw it as an “easy” match. 

Prediction:

If I have to give a prediction, I will say Greece advances 2-1 in regular time with Bakasetas and Masouras scoring. I really do not want to go to Extra-time or beyond with this team. At that point there is no saying what could happen, as neither side has any experience in those situations. We should be able to score twice, which should be enough to advance. I think, worst case scenario, we are looking at a 1-1 scoreboard after 90 minutes.

This has to be the time. We have all waited far too long. We have all had our problems with Poyet, but now we put our trust in him. I say to him: Do it μεγάλε. Do it for yourself. Do it for Greece. I couldn't care less. Finish the job, take us back to the international spotlight, and you are in with all of us. 

Ζήτω η Ελλάδα.

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