Game Preview: Greece vs. Romania - World Cup Qualifications Playoff - 15/11/2013

Greece meet Romania in the first leg of the World Cup qualification playoffs on Friday, November 15th, 2013 at the Karaiskaki Stadium in Piraeus.

Greece had an outstanding campaign in Group G, where they finished second behind Bosnia and Herzegovina on goal differential. They finished the group with 25 points, more than any other second place nation in Europe. Greece are playing defensive football and have let in only four goals in their last ten qualifying matches. This strategy has famously earned them their first Euro title back in 2004. Greece are looking to book their third World Cup ticket.

Romania finished second in Group D, nine points behind Netherland and ahead of Hungary, Turkey, Estonia and Andorra. Romania have made several appearances at the World Cup with their most recent visit being in 1998.

The odds for the upcoming game in Piraeus are:

Greece: 1/1
Draw: 2/1
Romania: 10/3

Greece are the favourites to win. A 100 € bet on the hosts could return 100 € in profit, while the same bet on Romania could return 333 € in profit.

The most likely score, according to the odds, is a 1-0 victory for Greece, offered at 9/2.

Kostas Mitroglou, the Olympiacos striker, is the favourite to score for Greece at 2/1. Dimitris Salpingidis and Georgios Samaras are next in line, valued at 12/5 each. Getafe forward, Ciprian Marica, is the favourite to score for Romania at 7/2.

The Manchester City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has been called up to the Romanian squad in place of Ciprian Tatarusanu who is injured. Greece will be without the Schalke defender, Kyriakos Papadopoulous, due to a knee problem.

Greece are the slight favourites to qualify over a two leg tie.

Let's see how things play out!