UEFA Nations League matchday five brings the supremely mixed bag of international football to your Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week and England are on a retrieval mission after Greece beat them at Wembley to take command of Group C2 in October.
The odds may suggest otherwise, but it’s far from certain that Lee Carsley’s men will get the job done in Athens. Elsewhere a glorious streak for a veteran tactician can continue, while tension + lack of quality is expected to = under 1.5 goals in San Marino.
UEFA Nations League Matchday 5 best bets
Greece double chance (draw or win) vs England @ 6/5
Romania to beat Kosovo @ 5/6
San Marino vs Gibraltar – under 1.5 goals @ 6/5
Bet on the latest international football odds at Betzone
England far from certain to avenge Wembley humbling in Athens
It will be hard to fathom how Greece can be 4/1 to beat England at the Olympic Stadium for anyone who observed their 2-1 win over Lee Carsley’s side at Wembley in October.
But for indiscipline in terms of delaying attacking runs to remain onside, they could have scored at least twice more against a strong home XI that featured Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and John Stones.
The return of captain Harry Kane is far from certain to prove the glue to bond the disparate parts Carsley fielded against the Greeks in London back together in the penultimate game of his unsuccessful audition for the England job.
Ivan Jovanovic’s hosts are 6/5 double chance and that has to be a spot of value given they’ve won all four of their games in Nations League Group B2, conceded just one goal and already beaten the Three Lions away.
Tip: Greece double chance (draw or win) vs England @ 6/5
Romania decent value to continue perfect record under Lucescu
The Romania job always had to be on the agenda for 79-year-old tactician Mircea Lucescu after a decorated managerial career that’s included a win in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup during a glory-packed 12-year spell in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk.
Lucescu’s time in charge of the land of his birth has gone swimmingly since he heeded the call after the Euros and they look a strong bet at 5/6 to register their fifth successive Nations League Group C2 win against a Kosovo side they beat 3-0 in Prishtina.
Preference for the Romanians is underlined by their scoring form – they’ve bagged at least twice in every game in the section and three times in three of their four ties to date.
Tip: Romania to beat Kosovo @ 5/6
San Marino vs Gibraltar D1 destiny date sure to be short on goals
UEFA Nations League Group D1 hangs in the balance when Gibraltar travel to San Marino, with the visitors needing victory to nail down top spot in the section and a historic promotion to League C.
For the San Marinese, 23/10 underdogs on their own turf, a draw will be sufficient for them to go into their last game of this season’s competition knowing a victory over Lichtenstein could see them promoted instead.
A tense affair seems certain and under 1.5 goals feels like a distinct possibility despite a generous price of 6/5. Both the hosts’ group D1 games to date paid out the wager, including their 0-1 loss in the reverse fixture, while two of the Gibraltarians’ three outings to date have followed suit.
