Olympiacos desperate for fifth triumph over Arsenal  

This week, Olympiacos will be hoping to achieve their fifth victory in nine games against Arsenal, with the two teams locking horns in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32.

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Initially, Olympiacos did begin their continental campaign in the UEFA Champions League, however they finished behind Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur, and ahead of Red Star Belgrade, to qualify for the Round of 32 of the Europa League. Arsenal, for their part, started the season in the Europa League, claiming first place of Group F with 11 points from six games.

Familiar foes, these two teams have previously met on eight occasions (all in the Champions League), with Olympiacos and Arsenal earning four victories each. The first leg of the Europa League knockout tie will take place at the Karaiskakis Stadium this Thursday.

Let’s take a closer look at all previous competitive meetings between Olympiacos and Arsenal:

29.09.2009, Arsenal - Olympiacos - 2-0 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

Dominant for long spells, Arsenal struggled to break down the stubborn Olympiacos defence, however two late goals from Robin van Persie and Russian magician Andrei Arshavin made sure that the Londoners earned a 2-0 triumph. With only 12 minutes remaining on the clock, Van Persie finally broke the Olympiacos resistance as he connected with a pinpoint cross, and Arshavin then did the same to secure the win.

09.12.2009, Olympiacos - Arsenal - 1-0 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

Arsenal, fielding a young, inexperienced team at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, were beaten by an Olympiacos team full of motivation. The Erythrolefki, securing their qualification to the Round of 16 with this slender victory, scored the only goal of the game in the second half, as Leonardo smartly beat Lukasz Fabianski. Olympiacos subsequently had to rely on a series of solid stops from Antonis Nikopolidis to keep the winning scoreline intact.

28.09.2011, Arsenal - Olympiacos - 2-1 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

On matchday one, Olympiacos came unstuck at the Emirates Stadium, as two quick-fire goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos were enough to make sure that Arsenal emerged victorious. Not long after conceding the second goal, Olympiacos did halve the deficit as David Fuster got his name on the scoreboard, but their English opponents held on to the three points.

06.12.2011, Olympiacos - Arsenal - 3-1 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

In the concluding game of the group phase, Olympiacos caught the eye against Arsenal in Piraeus, powering to an impressive 3-1 triumph. Requiring a positive result to challenge for qualification, the Erythrolefki immediately took charge of proceedings, dominating with their aggressive play. Rafik Djebbour, Fuster and Francois Modesto all scored for the hosts, while Yossi Benayoun grabbed an Arsenal consolation from the penalty spot. Olympiacos, however, didn’t qualify for the Last 16 as a result of Marseille’s win at Borussia Dortmund.

03.10.2012, Arsenal - Olympiacos - 3-1 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

In truth, Arsenal were rather unconvincing in London, and the Gunners were lucky to be ahead at the break after Gervinho hit the target. Nevertheless, at the start of the second half, Olympiacos did notch their deserved equaliser as Konstantinos Mitroglou found the net. Olympiacos seemed on course for a positive result but, just as the Greeks were gaining momentum, Lukas Podolski gave Arsenal a second lead. Aaron Ramsey later completed the scoring.

04.12.2012, Olympiacos - Arsenal - 2-1 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

In the first half of the meeting in Piraeus, Tomas Rosicky put Arsenal into the lead, slotting a low attempt into the left corner at point blank range. Olympiacos, however, conjured up a response in the second stanza, equalising through Giannis Maniatis after a corner caused havoc before Mitroglou curled a delightful shot beyond the opposing goalkeeper. This result prevented Arsenal from finishing in first position of Group B.

29.09.2015, Arsenal - Olympiacos - 2-3 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

Olympiacos finally won a Champions League match on English soil, defeating Arsenal 3-2 in what can only be described as a chaotic encounter. Felipe Pardo’s deflected attempt gifted Olympiacos a lead in the 32nd minute, and after Theo Walcott registered an instant equaliser for Arsenal, home goalkeeper David Ospina carried Kostas Fortounis’ corner over the line to allow the Thrylos to move ahead again.

Alexis Sanchez eventually headed Arsenal level in the second half, but 60 seconds later, Alfred Finnbogason delicately nudged the ball into the left corner to hand Olympiacos a famous victory in London.

09.12.2015, Olympiacos - Arsenal - 0-3 (UEFA Champions League group stage)

The task couldn’t be simpler for Olympiacos - avoid losing by two goals and they would be granted a spot in the Last 16 of the Champions League. Considering that it was a home match for Olympiacos in Greece, a 3-0 defeat was unlikely, however an inspired Arsenal team had other plans as the Thrylos fell short on their big night.

Olivier Giroud was the Arsenal hero for the evening, beating Olympiacos goalkeeper Roberto three times to sink the Erythrolefkoi in their own backyard.

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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