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Greece vs Spain Odds & Prediction – UEFA World Cup Qualifying Group Stage Matchday 9

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated Nov 10, 2021 · 8:01 AM PST

Greece vs Spain
Spain's Ferran Torres leaves at the end of the UEFA Nations League final soccer match between France and Spain at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
  • It is Greece vs Spain in Round 9 of UEFA World Cup qualifying on Thursday, November 11 at 3:45 pm ET
  • Spain is currently second in Group B with Greece just four points behind them in third place
  • We preview the game, look at the odds, and offer some picks below

Spain will look to pile the pressure on group leaders Sweden when they go to Greece in World Cup 2022 Qualifying Group B on November 11 at 3:45 pm ET. It is very much all still to play for in this group after Spain beat Kosovo 2-0 last time out while Greece was losing 2-0 to the Swedes.

We list the odds, preview Greece vs Spain, and offer below the best picks for this World Cup qualifying Matchday 9 clash.

Greece vs Spain World Cup Odds

Matchup Spread Moneyline Total
Greece vs Spain GRE +1 (+110) | SPA -1 (+120) GRE +650 | DRAW +350 | SPA -225 Ov 2.5 (+110) | Un 2.5 (-135)

Odds as of November 10 at DraftKings

Last Chance Saloon for Greece

Greece’s 2-0 defeat in Sweden on Matchday 9 signaled the end of their dream of automatic qualification from Group B, but their hopes of earning second place and a place in qualifiers are still alive… just. They do however face the unenviable task of needing to beat Spain to keep alive that opportunity, albeit will believe this is still possible after drawing 1-1 in Spain on Matchday 1.

It was the defeat in Stockholm that has proved fatal to their automatic chances and was especially painful as the Greeks had gone there off the back of an excellent win in Georgia just three days earlier. In the end, goals from Emil Forsberg and Alexander Isak for Sweden were the difference between the two sides.

Good Home Form for Greece

The Greeks have now reached the last-chance saloon and with only two games left have to realistically win both of them and hope that other results go in their favor. Even a win here would leave them a point adrift of Spain, but with La Roja playing Sweden in their final game and Greece playing Kosovo, there remains an outside chance.

John van ‘t Schip’s men do however have some good form in their favor and the defeat by Sweden was only their second in their last 15 games in all competitions. They also have a reputation as a nation that is strong in front of a noisy home crowd.

Greece vs Spain Head-to-Head Stats

Greece
VS
Spain
2-3-1 WC Qualifiers – Record to Date 4-1-1
7 Goals For 13
6 Goals Against 5
46 Average Possession (%) 72
80 Passing Accuracy (%) 92

So Close in Nations League

Spain’s recent bid to win the 2021 UEFA Nations League ended at the final hurdle, when they were beaten by France in the final, but will be remembered most for some semifinal heroics that saw them beat the hosts Italy.  Two goals from Manchester City’s Ferran Torres gave them a fairly comfortable win in Milan, spoilt only by an Italian consolation on 83  minutes that led to a few nervous minutes late on.

They also took the lead in the final against France through Mikel Oyarzabal and looked on course for victory, but an equalizer from Karim Benzema and a late winner from Kylian Mbappe denied them what would have been their first major trophy since 2012.

Fine Record for Spain in World Cup Qualifiers

But while the Spanish have been without a trophy since 2012, in that time they have been consistently near the top of the FIFA and UEFA rankings, even with the squad in transition, as the old guard made way for a younger, more energetic group. And while they now find themselves in the unusual position of being second in a qualifying group, they are guaranteed a playoff place, regardless of their finishing position, thanks to their Nations League performances.

This will not hinder, however, their desire to get the job done at the first time of asking and manager Luis Enrique will be demanding a win in Athens and another in Seville three days, which would negate the potential jeopardy of a playoff. Incredibly, the defeat in Sweden on Matchday 4 of this qualification was Spain’s only loss in a World Cup qualifier away from home since 1993.

Greece vs Spain Prediction

While Spain has been hit hard by injuries, they have a fine record of delivering when the pressure is on, and this game definitely falls into that category. Also worth noting is that, for all their injury problems, Enrique does have his first-choice defense available.

Greece has a few selection problems of their own, due to suspensions rather than injuries, but have some decent home form to fall back on. As a result, I expect a good performance from the Greeks but it may not be enough to avoid a narrow defeat.

Pick: Spain to win (-225) / Spain to win 2-1 (+900)

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