Thursday night in Thessaloniki is not a routine Nations League away day for the Dutch. Greece sit top of Group A2 with six points from two games. The Netherlands have four. Kick-off at Toumba is 20.45 Dutch time, and the ground is already sold out. Greek media are calling it the biggest football fever since Euro 2004. More than 100,000 people sat in a digital queue for a stadium that holds about 29,000. Oranje are walking into a cauldron.
That is not hype invented for television. On Sunday Greece beat Germany 1-0 in Augsburg — their first win against the Nationalmannschaft in history. Four days earlier they came from behind to win 2-1 in Belgrade, Christos Tzolis equalising and Anastasios Douvikas heading the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Two away wins against Serbia and Jürgen Klopp’s Germany. League A. Group leaders. Ivan Jovanović’s side have earned the noise.
Some new exciting football heroes…
The Greek surge
This is not the Greece of 2004, packed behind a wall and waiting for a set piece. It is still organised, still stubborn, but the personnel have changed. Vangelis Pavlidis leads the line. Tzolis, now at Arsenal, is the wide threat who created the Germany winner. Kostas Tsimikas bombs from left-back. Konstantinos Mavropanos and the rest of the back line sit deep and dare you to play through them. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis kept Greece alive while Germany had 75 percent of the ball and 16 shots. Dimitrios Kourbelis then scored the only shot on target that mattered. That is the method: absorb, stay compact in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, then break. Against Germany they had 24 percent possession. Against a Xavi team that wants the ball on the opponent’s half, they will try the same trick at home.
The club game in Greece has helped the mood. PAOK’s Toumba is already one of the loudest club grounds in Europe. Give that crowd a national team that has just beaten Germany and you get a night that will try to drag Oranje into a fight rather than a possession exercise.
Where Xavi has to be smarter
Xavi’s week started with a 1-1 against Germany — Gakpo’s late equaliser — and a first win in Belgrade, 2-1, Mexx Meerdink scoring twice. The Spaniard was not satisfied. “We need to play better, especially in the first half.” Cody Gakpo is out. Ruben van Bommel is the likely starter on the left. Veerman, Gravenberch and Reijnders might keep the midfield, although the two mainstay players looked a bit leggy. Xavi might opt for dynamic Quiten Timber. The plan does not change: protagonists, opponent’s half, press when the ball is lost. Greece will not offer the spaces Serbia did.
That is the test of the game model. If Oranje circulate in front of a low block and start floating hopeful balls into the box, they play Greece’s game. Xavi does not want that English-style launch. Which is why there is no Weghorst. And why Zirkzee is added to the mix. Xavi wants third-man runs, half-spaces, full-backs who are not twins, and a press that wins the ball high enough that Pavlidis never gets a clean counter. Van de Ven and Dumfries have to be brave without leaving Tzolis one-v-one in transition. Meerdink has to occupy centre-backs so Summerville and Van Bommel can receive between the lines, not on the touchline with their back to goal.
Historically this fixture belongs to the Netherlands: nine wins in eleven meetings, including 1-0 in Athens and 3-0 in De Kuip in 2023. That history will not hush Toumba for a minute. A win would put Oranje top. A draw leaves Greece in control of the group. A loss, after all the talk about passion and initiative, would make the Xavi project look like theory against a side that simply refuses to open up.
Greece have earned the right to be awkward. The Dutch have the better squad. Thursday is about whether Xavi’s Oranje can impose the football they promised when the stadium is against them and the opponent is happy with 30 percent of the ball. Win it the hard way, and Thessaloniki becomes the night the new era stops being a press conference.
Interestingly enough, there is quite some Orange in the Greek squad. Not only was former NT manager John Van ‘t Schip their NT manager and potentially the coach who got them to really believe in themselves. Their draw against majestic Spain managed by Luis Enrique put them back on the map. But the Greece squad also has a couple of players who – one could argue – were developed in the Netherlands. Striker Pavlidis made his way to Benfica via Willem II and AZ. Douvikas became top scorer in Holland for FC Utrecht. Tsimikas got his first senior minutes at Willem II, while Tzolis was part of the FC Twente squad before he made his way to Arsenal.
And don’t forget Giakoumakis (former top scorer), 2004 hero Charisteas (who played for Ajax and Feyenoord), goalie Barkas at FC Utrecht (considered one of the top goalies in the Netherlands) and Hatzidiakos, who came through the AZ academy.
Interesting connections and I think we’ll see a heated match, probably a couple of cards in different colours?
Still I believe we’ll see a Dutch win: 1-3. Van Bommel will get his first goal, and Meerdink will add one too. I think typically we’ll see a captains goal too, a Virgil header from a set piece. I also believe we’ll see Zirkzee subbed in, and Noa Lang as well I believe.
Greece certainly a potential banana skin for the team, slipped up and i believe the critics will have a field day against Xavi.
Jan rightfully called out the good players Greece actually possesses, Pavlidis, Tzolis, Tsimikas and Mavropanos. These players can just surprised Us.
Still, with all due respect, I would still think we should demand for a Win, anything lesser will be a disappointment.
I would think the front three picks itself based on current players available, Bommel, Meerdink and Summerville. Likewise for the defence, Van de Ven, Van Dijk, Timber and Dumfries. Midfield is where I feel is open.
Agree. This could be a tricky game for us. Greece is not a traditional big team but they do have quality players at key positions, they’re playing home, and doing well in the group so far with good momentum. It is a game that needs full focus. It will make it difficult if we concede a goal first because they know how to lock things down and grind out a win.
Although I have been critical at times of Gapko and Brobbey in the past, both were playing well for club and country so far, so it is a loss not to have them. Just hope the injury is not too serious. On the plus side, it is a great opportunity for Van Bommel and Meerdink to show what they can do. Do well, and both will be have good prospects to raise their transfer market profile. It will also provide depth and competition within the team.
I also agree the midfield is somewhat of a question mark. I’m still not convinced of Quentin Timber. If Reijnders is doing well, I would have him start than Quentin. I’m glad to see Veerman performing well so far. He does bring a new progressive and forward/diagonal passing that was lacking in the past. Another nail in the coffin for Koeman to write him off. Gravenberch is still playing in spurts. He has done fine so far but needs to raise his effort and consistency.
My only concern in defense is Van Dijk in one v one foot race. Van De Ven or a midfielder would have to cover for him and stay close.
With Timber back in the team, Xavi will have options at RB. Timber can play RCB but he is undersized. Van Hecke is doing fine so I wouldn’t experiment in this game. I do however like to see Timber in a defensive midfielder role against tougher opponents. Maybe give Hato a chance on the left if Van de Ven needs to be rested. I don’t expect any changes in goal in this game.
Hope it’s a great game and we leave with a win to top the group.
So, its Timber replacing Van Hecke on the backline; Q. Timber and Til replacing Gravenberch and Reijnders in the mf; and van Bommel for Gakpo in the forward line; all others remain the same.
Wow, that was a bad 1st half in a long time. No fluidity in the passes, lackluster defending, no real scoring chances created and down 2-0. Most of the attack is flowing to the right thru Summerville, Dumfries, and Jurrien. Not much thru the center or the left. Not enough service for Meerdink. Very isolated up top. Van Bommel/Van de Ven not really connecting well.
And the Greeks aren’t really dominating in terms of possession or attack. They’re just breaking up passes, playing good man-marking, and taking their chances.
Xavi needs lots of changes in the 2nd half.
Much better response after 3 changes in the 2nd half. Van Dijk had a beautiful header from a corner. Another bad decision waving off a goal. Reijnders with a nice one to at least salvage a hard fought point
Lang came on for Van Bommel and was lively on the left side. Lots of dangerous crosses from him into the box.
Jurien Timber came on after Van Hecke was injured. He was ok in defense. 2nd half was almost all Oranje. The Greeks retreated into a shell.
Could have still gotten a winner if a few good chances were scored. Overall, it was a tale of two halves. Need to keep up the energy and initiative from the start. A draw still feels bad but Xavi still has a lot of work to do with this team.