Levi Rothermund
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Greece welcome Germany to Athens for a UEFA Nations League meeting on Sunday 4 October 2026, and the predicted lineups for this one highlight a sharp contrast in how settled each camp looks right now. Ivan Jovanovic’s Greece have barely changed their starting group across recent matches, while Jürgen Klopp’s Germany have rotated heavily by comparison. That gap in continuity is the real story behind both expected XIs below.
Greece Predicted XI
Greece are projected in a 4-2-3-1, which lines up with Ivan Jovanovic’s preferred shape. This is a settled side – 10 of the projected XI started their last match, underlining how little tinkering the group has seen across the matches used here. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis has started all three of the matches used in this projection, as have several of his teammates in front of him, while full-back Manolis Saliakas is the outlier with only one start in that span despite starting most recently – a reminder that even a settled side has at least one contested slot.
Greece predicted XI: Konstantinos Tzolakis; Konstantinos Mavropanos, Panagiotis Retsos, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Manolis Saliakas; Christos Tzolis, Konstantinos Karetsas, Athanasios Androutsos, Dimitrios Kourbelis, Christos Zafeiris; Vangelis Pavlidis
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 3 | Last 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 12 | Konstantinos Tzolakis | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| D | 4 | Konstantinos Mavropanos | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| D | 5 | Panagiotis Retsos | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| D | 21 | Konstantinos Tsimikas | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| D | 17 | Manolis Saliakas | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| M | 10 | Christos Tzolis | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| M | 19 | Konstantinos Karetsas | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| M | 15 | Athanasios Androutsos | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 6 | Dimitrios Kourbelis | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 20 | Christos Zafeiris | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| F | 14 | Vangelis Pavlidis | 3/3 | 3/3 |
Predicted Germany Line-up
Germany’s expected XI also fits a 4-2-3-1, the system Jürgen Klopp tends to favour. By contrast with their hosts, this is a rotating side – only 5 of the projected XI started their last match, so this line-up carries more uncertainty than Greece’s. Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig has just one start in the matches used despite being the man between the posts most recently, and right-back Philipp Treu’s two starts make him one of the more regular picks in an otherwise shuffled group.
Germany predicted XI: Jonas Urbig; Philipp Treu, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown, Malick Thiaw; Joshua Kimmich, Felix Nmecha, Kevin Schade, Karim Adeyemi, Serge Gnabry; Florian Wirtz
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 3 | Last 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Jonas Urbig | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| D | 13 | Philipp Treu | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| D | 4 | Jonathan Tah | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| D | 18 | Nathaniel Brown | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| D | 2 | Malick Thiaw | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| M | 6 | Joshua Kimmich | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 8 | Felix Nmecha | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 9 | Kevin Schade | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 19 | Karim Adeyemi | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| M | 20 | Serge Gnabry | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| F | 17 | Florian Wirtz | 1/3 | 1/3 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Georgios Vagiannidis is out injured, which thins Greece’s defensive options given he is listed as a defender. From the bench, Fotis Ioannidis arrives with a start already logged in the matches used here and looks the likeliest option to step in if changes are needed at the back or further forward.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgios Vagiannidis | D | injured | Unknown Injury |
Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala are out injured, a blow that removes options from both the forward line and central midfield for Germany. Several bench players, including Waldemar Anton, Aleksandar Pavlović and Nick Woltemade, each have a start to their name in the matches used, so any of them could be the man Jürgen Klopp turns to in their absence.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Havertz | F | injured | Muscle bruise |
| Jamal Musiala | M | injured | Torn muscle fiber |
How We Predict These XIs
Each predicted line-up here is built from the last three matches used for that side, with more recent matches weighted more heavily than older ones. Any player confirmed as injured or suspended is removed from contention before the projection is built. This is not an official team announcement – it is our best read of who starts based on recent patterns, and it can change once the real team news lands.
Read also: Greece vs Germany Head-to-Head: Record, Stats & Form as of 2 Oct 2026
Read also: Greece vs Germany Prediction: 04.10.2026 UEFA Nations League
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Greece vs Germany?
Konstantinos Tzolakis is projected in goal for Greece, having started all three matches used in this projection, while Jonas Urbig is the expected choice for Germany.
What formation will Greece and Germany line up in?
Both sides are projected to use a 4-2-3-1 – Greece under Ivan Jovanovic and Germany under Jürgen Klopp.
Who is unavailable for Greece vs Germany?
Georgios Vagiannidis is out injured for Greece, while Germany are without Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala, both out injured.
When do Greece and Germany kick off?
The UEFA Nations League fixture kicks off on Sunday 4 October 2026.