Olympiacos has had a tumultuous season that has seen the club have two managers even before the season hits midway. Takis Lemonis left the club at the end of last season after winning the Greek championship thus giving space for Besnik Hasi whose tenure only went for a few months. Poor form culminated in the sacking of Besnik Hasi in September and the reappointing of Takis Lemonis.
The Greek club is currently occupying the last position in Group D after losing all its opening three group matches. The Greek champions have only managed to score three goals while conceding a massive eight goals in their poor Europian run.
Olympiacos lost 1-0 to their city rivals, Panathinaikos over the weekend, a result that takes the Legends of Greece to the fourth spot in the Greek Super League. Takis Lemonis' team is up against Spanish giant, Barcelona at Karaiskaki Stadium on Tuesday night.
Talking points
- Olympiacos has been impressive in their last seven participations in group stages of the Champions League after accumulating at least nine points in each attempt. Olympiacos garnered nine points in the group stage of 2015/16 Champions League and qualified for the Round of 16 only to be eliminated by Besiktas on a 5-2 aggregate.
- The best finish Olympiacos has ever had in the Champions League was in 1998/99. The Legends of Greece were on the brink of qualifying for the first ever Champions League semi-finals only to lose 2-1 to Juventus in Turin.
- Even though the club hasn't won a Champions League, Olympiacos still brags of beating European giants like; Arsenal, Juventus, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, AS Monaco and Benfica in Champions League. However, the Greek giants have never defeated Barcelona.
- After beating Atletico Bilbao 2-0 over the weekend, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde will be meeting two clubs he coached, in consecutive matches. Valverde coached Olympiacos and won three Super Leagues before returning to Spain and coach Valencia and Atletico Bilbao.
- Only Real Madrid and AC Milan have won Champions League more than Barcelona. Barca, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool have each won the title. Interestingly, Barcelona has lost in two finals including the 4-0 thumping at the hands of AC Milan in 1993/94 in Athens.
Team news
Given that Olympiacos was playing against Panathinaikos at the weekend, the manager never had the freedom to rest his key players for the contest against Barcelona.
Takis Lemonis is expected to field a strong team as his side tries to at least secure a berth to Europa League. Felipe Pardo who scored a brace against Sporting CP after coming in as a substitute will most likely partner with Marko Marin and Emanuel Emenike.
The visitors will be missing Gerrard Pique who is banned for the match after receiving two yellow cards in the 3-1 victory over Olympiacos at Camp Nou a fortnight ago.
The Spanish league will travel to Greece without Thomas Vermaelen, Rafinha, Ousmane Dembele, Aleix Vidal, Arda Turan, and Andres Iniesta who are all nursing injuries. Valverde knows too well that a win is all he his side needs to guarantee a qualification to knockout stages of Champions League.
Full-time prediction: Olympiacos 0-4 Barcelona
