Our prediction for this Nations League match:
All eyes will be on Panthessaliko Stadium when Greece and Kosovo face each other in the Group 2 derby. Greece aim to keep their 100% record in Nations League intact, and you should know that they are eyeing their fourth consecutive clean sheet of the process. Even though AZ Alkmaar defender Pantelis Chatzidiakos is likely to miss the game with injury, home win should be considered as Gustavo Poyet is doing an amazing job with the Greece national team.
Chatzidiakos’ teammate Vangelis Pavlidis will be the man to keep an eye on in the home team. The Kosovars, on the other hand, defeated Northern Ireland 3-2 at home in their last group game, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry against Greece. Earlier in the process Greece defeated Kosovo 1-0 in Pristina, and we predict that the history is going to repeat itself. Vedad Muriqi will be the man to watch in the away side.
Highlighted Player (Andreas Samaris):
Greece international midfielder Andreas Samaris began his career playing for Panachaiki before his spells with Panionios and Olympiakos. SL Benfica is the first international experience for the 27-year-old player who arrived in Portugal in 2014.
A full international since 2013, Samaris represented Greece at the 2014 FIFA World Cup during which he managed to make his presence known and earn a move abroad. Andreas Samaris operates as a central midfield but is capable of filling in defensive midfielder role. Greek international was the mainstay for Benfica during his first two seasons at the club managing 46 Primeira Liga appearances during the period. He also added 12 Champions League appearances.
Andreas Samaras helped Benfica win two Primeira Liga titles, two Taca da Liga trophies and one Super Cup. Greek international was the regular performer for his national team during the unsuccessful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with ten games to his name.
Highlighted Team (Kosovo):
Despite the fact that a number of countries have yet to recognize Kosovo, they have been participating in the World Cup qualifiers September 5, 2016. Kosovo did well to hold Finland to a 1-1 draw in their opener, but they were outclassed by Croatia (0-6) in their second group game.
Albert Bunjaki’s men have slim chances of qualifying for the showpiece tournament in Russia, but, no doubt, they will use qualifying matches to gain a much-needed experience. Kosovo recorded their biggest win over Monaco on April 22, 2006, but they were not a member of FIFA back then. The Kosovo national football team played their first ever international friendly against Haiti in March 2014 and the match ended in a goalless draw.
Kosovo footballers wear blue shirts and black shorts when playing at home, while they play in yellow shirts and yellow shorts when facing their rivals on the road. Albert Bunjaku, who played for the likes of Nurnberg and Kaiserslautern in the past, is the team’s most notable player.