Greece vs Denmark – 2026 World Cup Qualifying: Odds, Lineups, Prediction & Best Bets (Monday, September 8, 2:45 PM)
Group C of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers continues on Monday night with a thrilling clash in Piraeus, as Greece take on Denmark at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
Both teams started their campaigns in contrasting fashion: Greece hammered Belarus 5-1, while Denmark were frustrated in a 0-0 draw against Scotland in Copenhagen. With only the group winner guaranteed a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, every point is crucial, and this matchup could shape the race at the top.
H2H History: Greece vs Denmark
The two nations share a rich head-to-head (h2h) history over the decades, though it hasn’t been kind to Greece. In 15 past meetings, Denmark have won eight times, while Greece have just three victories. The most recent clash, a friendly on the same ground in February 2009, ended 1-1 between Otto Rehhagel’s Greece and Morten Olsen’s Denmark – two of the nations’ iconic coaches over the years.
Interestingly, their most recent competitive victories against one another both came in 2006 World Cup qualifying – Greece winning 2-1 and Denmark 1-0 (both at home).
Greece’s last win over Denmark came at the Karaiskakis Stadium, when they were reigning European champions, in February 2005 – courtesy of first-half goals from Theo Zagorakis and Angelos Basinas – two of the legendary names in Greek football folklore.
Yet, both sides failed to snatch one of the top two spots in their qualifying group back then, finishing third and fourth, closely behind group winners Ukraine and runners-up Turkey. This scenario seems to be quite unlikely under these circumstances, as at least one of the two nations has potential to finish on one of the top two spots and secure at least a play-off spot.
That said, Greece’s recent resurgence under Jovanovic suggests this could be one of their best opportunities in years to turn the tables.
Greece: Building Momentum Under Ivan Jovanovic
Greece could hardly have wished for a better start. In their opener against Belarus, the Ethniki raced into a 4-0 half-time lead before adding a fifth, showcasing a fluid attacking approach rarely associated with the national side, especially in recent years. Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis scored his 10th international goal, while Christos Tzolis and captain Anastasios Bakasetas provided further quality in the final third.
Ivan Jovanovic has quietly transformed Greece into a team on the rise. After years in the wilderness, they have not only earned promotion to UEFA Nations League League A but also claimed a famous 2-1 win over England at Wembley last year. Even more impressive is their current scoring form: since losing to Scotland in the Nations League play-off, they’ve netted 16 goals in four matches across all competitions – against Scotland (to overturn their first-leg deficit in that play-off), Slovakia, Bulgaria (both friendlies) and now Belarus.
That momentum, combined with home advantage in Piraeus, makes Greece a dangerous opposition for any visitor.
Denmark will take on Greece in the reverse leg next month, while the Greeks will also have a tough trip to Scotland before that, so a favorable outcome on Monday night (not losing, at minimum) would be a morale-boosting end of their late summer campaign.
Denmark: Danish Dynamite Searching for a Spark
Denmark, meanwhile, will be disappointed with their goalless draw against Scotland at Parken on Friday. Despite dominating spells of possession, the Red and Whites struggled to break down a compact defense, underlining their need for sharper attacking play.
Coach Brian Riemer has plenty of talent at his disposal. Kasper Dolberg and young forward Mika Biereth started in attack, with Rasmus Hojlund surprisingly left on the bench. In midfield, Morten Hjulmand and skipper Pierre-Emile Højbjerg bring steel and composure, while Mikkel Damsgaard provides creativity in an advanced role. However, the lack of a clinical edge remains a concern and it remains to be seen whether Riemer can squeeze the best out of this arguably talented group of attackers Denmark have.
Denmark’s recent record is mixed: they were thrashed 5-3 on aggregate by Portugal in the Nations League quarter-finals earlier this year, but bounced back with friendly wins over Northern Ireland (2-1) and Lithuania (5-0). Still, after their group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup and an unconvincing Euro 2024 campaign (they failed to win a match over these two tournaments, despite progressing to the last 16 at last summer’s Euros), 46-year-old Riemer is under pressure to re-establish Denmark as a force on the international stage.
But can he? Riemer’s first head coach role came at former club Anderlecht, after previously serving as Thomas Frank’s assistant at Brentford between 2018 and 2022. Before his spell in England, he spent nearly a decade as an assistant and youth coach with Danish giants FC Copenhagen.
Possible Starting Lineups of Greece and Denmark
Greece: Konstantinos Tzolakis – Kostas Tsimikas, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Georgios Vagiannidis – Dimitrios Kourbelis, Christos Zafeiris – Christos Tzolis, Anastasios Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas – Vangelis Pavlidis. (4-2-3-1)
Denmark: Kasper Schmeichel – Rasmus Kristensen, Joachim Andersen, Andreas Christensen – Anders Dreyer, Morten Hjulmand, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joakim Maehle – Mikkel Damsgaard – Kasper Dolberg, Rasmus Hojlund. (3-4-1-2
Betting Prediction and Odds
Greece are +130 favorites according to EveryGame‘s latest betting odds, while the odds on a draw or a Denmark win are almost equal at +205 and +200, respectively.
This is a World Cup qualifier between two sides with very different trajectories. Greece are brimming with confidence after their prolific performances lately, not just the five-star show against Belarus last time out, while Denmark looked short of ideas in their opener with Scotland. Of course, we can hardly compare Belarus and Scotland in terms of quality and defensive resilience, but still…. Greece have been enjoying a new wave of talented forwards.
The Greeks have attacking weapons in Pavlidis, Tzolis, and teenager Karetsas, with experienced skipper Bakasetas pulling the strings, they should create chances against a Danish defense that has shown vulnerabilities in recent months. On the other hand, Denmark possesses enough quality in the final third – particularly if Hojlund is unleashed – to trouble Greece’s backline.
The value here lies in backing goals. Both sides have the tools to score, and Greece’s recent high-scoring trend combined with Denmark’s need to be more adventurous points toward an entertaining clash in Piraeus on Monday night (European time).