Greece-Romania Statistical Preview

Probable Lineups

Team News

Greece

• Greece are expected to play with their usual 4-5-1 lineup, and the team could be unchanged from the 2-0 win over Lichtenstein last month.
• That will mean in-form Olympiakos striker Konstantinos Mitroglu leads the line, having scored 11 goals in his last 8 appearances for his club.
• Samaras and Salpingidis will provide attacking threat from the wings.

Romania

• Adrian Mutu has been left out of the squad after complaining at being left on the bench for the recent match against Holland.
• Vlad Chiriches misses out after breaking his nose against Newcastle at the weekend.
• Bogdan Stancu and Ciprian Marica will play up front.

Prediction

• Greece and Romania meet for only the second time since 2002 in this World Cup Playoff. Two games here will decide who makes it to Brazil next summer and the Romanians will be hoping for a repeat of the 3-1 scoreline they enjoyed when they faced off almost exactly 2 years ago.
• Cristian Tanase was amongst the goalscorers that day, and he will provide much of the creative threat for the visitors here. Their head coach, Victor Piturca has stated that he wants his team to attack and score in Athens, taking an away goal back for the second leg.
• However, Greece only conceded 4 goals in 10 qualifiers during this campaign, and shipped none in their 5 home matches, so Romania have a tough task on their hands. Greece won 4 of those 5 games, all by narrow margins, and could do so again here.

Greece 1 - 0 Romania