Serbia vs Greece: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

Serbia and Greece are set to kick off their Nations League campaigns with a direct clash in Belgrade. The hosts managed to hold onto their place in the top tier, but they arrive at this tournament on the back of a rough patch and are immediately missing several key figures. The visitors, by contrast, only just earned promotion to Division A after an impressive previous edition. Now they must prove that success was no fluke.

Serbia’s Start Without Several Leaders

The last Nations League campaign was a fairly solid one for the Balkan side. Across six group‑stage matches, they conceded only six goals. At home they held Spain and Denmark to 0‑0 draws and beat Switzerland 2‑0. That third‑place finish sent them into play‑offs, where Serbia got past Austria – a 1‑1 draw away and a 2‑0 victory in Belgrade. It was those home performances that ultimately kept the team in the elite division.

Since then, however, results have taken a clear downturn. The national team failed to qualify for the World Cup, and in 2026 they played two friendly camps. In March, when Veljko Paunović had a far more familiar squad at his disposal, the side lost 0‑3 to Spain and then beat Saudi Arabia 2‑1. The situation was completely different in early summer. For the matches against Cape Verde and Mexico the coach left out a whole string of key players to give young talents a chance. So the defeats to Cape Verde (0‑3) and Mexico (1‑5) should be taken with a grain of salt – those results do not fully reflect the squad’s real level.

Serbia head into this fixture with serious personnel losses and missing several leaders. Injuries have ruled out Aleksandar Mitrović – the nation’s all‑time top scorer – and Nikola Milenković, the key centre‑back. Also absent is Predrag Rajković, who competes with Vanja Milinković‑Savić for the number‑one shirt. The team has also lost Dušan Vlahović: the forward picked up an injury in his last club match and will not be able to help the national team. On the positive side, Dušan Tadić returns to the squad after a two‑year absence.

Greece Has Assembled a Generation of Big Talents

The previous Nations League represented a major step forward for Greece. Ivan Jovanović’s side won five of six matches in Division B, including a 2‑1 victory over England at Wembley, and then defeated Scotland in the play‑offs. After a 0‑1 home loss, the Greeks thrashed their opponents 3‑0 in Glasgow and reached Division A for the first time. That makes the meeting with Serbia a historic occasion for the team.

What’s more, Greece is currently shaping what could be one of its most promising generations in years. The main young star is Christos Tzolis, who moved to Arsenal this summer after racking up 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 league games for Club Brugge. Alongside him are proven marksmen: Vangelis Pavlidis has scored at least 20 goals in all competitions for five consecutive seasons, while Tasos Douvikas bagged 14 in last season’s Serie A for a Como side that sensationally qualified for the Champions League. Youth is complemented by experienced players like Kostas Tsimikas and Dinos Mavropanos, who have several seasons of Premier League football behind them. In short, Jovanović now has a rare combination of bright young talent and footballers with vast top‑level experience.

Even so, there have been losses. Giannis Konstantelias is out with a knee injury. A knock prevented right‑back Giannis Rota from being called up – Manolis Saliakas has come in instead. Experienced midfielder Tasos Bakasetas is also missing. Still, the core of the squad remains intact, so Jovanović approaches the start of the Nations League with plenty of options in virtually every area.

Predicted Lineups for Serbia vs Greece

Serbia (3‑4‑2‑1): V. Milinković‑Savić – Eraković, Pavlović, Babić – Živković, S. Milinković‑Savić, Lukić, Kostić – Tadić, Samardžić – Jović Out: Mitrović, Milenković, Rajković, Vlahović (all injured) Head coach: Veljko Paunović

Greece (3‑4‑2‑1): Vlachodimos – Retsos, Mavropanos, Koulierakis – Vagiannidis, Mouzakitis, Zafeiris, Tsimikas – Karetsas, Tzolis – Pavlidis Out: Konstantelias, Rota, Chatzidiakos, Giannoulis (all injured), Bakasetas (not in squad) Head coach: Ivan Jovanović

Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Glenn Nyberg is a high‑calibre official who regularly takes charge of Champions League fixtures and major international tournaments. In 2026 the Swede oversaw four World Cup qualifying matches, averaging around four yellow cards and 22.5 fouls per game. At the World Cup itself he worked three matches with averages of 2.33 bookings and 20 fouls, issuing no red cards and awarding no penalties. In big tournaments Nyberg tends to allow teams to compete physically without overusing cautions.

Prediction and Bet on Serbia vs Greece

Main prediction: Greece to win at odds of 2.77

On paper, Greece arrive at the tournament start in a more convincing state. Over the summer Jovanović’s side looked solid against strong opponents: they drew 2‑2 with Sweden and lost narrowly 0‑1 to Italy. Meanwhile, many of their key men have hit good form at club level. Tzolis, after a remarkable season in Belgium, is gradually settling in at Arsenal; Pavlidis has started the Portuguese championship productively for Benfica; and youngsters like Kostoulas and Karetsas are getting regular minutes at a high standard. Serbia, by contrast, won only one of their four friendlies in 2026 – a 2‑1 victory over Saudi Arabia. Given the visitors’ current momentum and the hosts’ serious injury list, the bold call is to back Greece to claim all three points at 2.77.

Prediction on totals: Greece now have plenty of players capable of making the difference in attack on their own. Pavlidis began the season with Benfica, contributing 8 goals and 2 assists in just 7 league matches; Tzolis has established himself at Arsenal; and Kostoulas scored in three consecutive games for Brighton. Add Douvikas and Karetsas to that mix – Jovanović really does have a wealth of forward options. Meanwhile, Serbia conceded 12 goals in their four 2026 friendlies. Two of those summer matches were played with an experimental line‑up, but even the first‑choice defence let in three against Spain (0‑3) and one against modest Saudi Arabia (2‑1) back in spring. Now the Serbs are also without their key centre‑back Milenković. A bet on Greece’s individual total over 1.5 goals at odds of 2.77 looks attractive.