Greece – Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has a chance against Greece

It starts the drawing of the last tickets to the Euros in the continental playoffs. In the semi-finals of the third division of the Nations League will play Greece and Kazakhstan. Both teams have been drawn as champions of their respective groups. Bookmakers give very low odds on Greece, although the national team has not recorded much progress in recent years. The Greeks played the qualifying tournament to their strengths. There were some chances to beat the Netherlands in the fight for second place, but still the opponents had a huge advantage. Gustao Poyet's side can take home draw with France and confident matches with the Irish into their favour. The Greeks got the right to play in the knockout matches for winning the Nations League quartet. At the same time, there is nothing to admire there either. The team beat a modest Kosovo team in the fight for the first position. The Greeks now have a rather modest generation. The team has no stars of European level. The most famous player of the national team is Liverpool reserve Tzimikas. The backbone consists strictly of players from the local championship. The league in Greece is not weak, but very far from the top tournaments. Greeks with Gustavo Poyet have not moved away from the favourite defensive style. The team operates in the second number, a great emphasis on standards. A total of more than three is an anomaly for the team. Kazakhstan has experienced a historic football period. Firstly, the national team under Magomed Adiyev managed to win a tough group in the Nations League. In particular, it beat Slovakia, which would later qualify for the European Cup. Secondly, in qualifying, Kazakhstan kept its chances for a direct qualification until the last match. The team managed to beat Denmark, Finland twice and put up a desperate fight against Slovenia. All these teams are definitely not weaker than Greece. At the moment, the squad is 90 per cent composed of players who play in the championship of Kazakhstan. There are only a few exceptions: Zainutdinov, Alip, Zuev and Aymbetov. The team at the same time seeks to play bold football. This is by no means a typical defensive bus. Greece have the advantage of their own stands and a higher average class of performers, but the match will definitely not be an easy one for the home team. It looks more like a battle than a football game. Such opponents are almost always difficult for the Greeks. The positional attack is not built. For example, a year ago in a friendly match Greece could not crack the defence of a very weak Lithuania. At the moment the odds on the guests are approaching 9.00. At the same time, even one goal from Kazakhstan can be decisive. The team knows how to act on the counterattack and defend deep.