Olympiacos with mountain to climb in London
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - ROUND OF 32 (LEG 2)
AGONAsport previews the Europa League Round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal and Olympiacos.
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Olympiacos have it all to do on Thursday night at the Emirates Stadium in London versus Arsenal if they are to advance to the last 16 of the 2019/20 Europa League. Pedro Martins’ men went down to a 1-0 first-leg defeat at home last week and now have a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture. The Erythrolefki might be given hope by the fact that the last time they went to the same stadium some four years ago they came away with an improbable 3-2 victory in the Champions’ League Group Stage. The same result would offer progression to the next phase of this competition, but no one is under any illusion of how tall a task that is.
The Greek giants were the better side for long stretches of the first leg, but an inability to convert chances meant they were ultimately punished by Alexander Lacazette’s late goal. Arsenal will be the huge favorites now to go on and finish the job at their home ground.
Mikel Arteta’s side warmed up for this return leg with a topsy-turvy home win against Everton on Sunday. After conceding a goal inside the first minute, Arsenal came back impressively with goals from Eddie Nketiah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to give the Gunners a 2-1 lead. A late first-half strike by Richarlison saw Everton pull level just before the interval. Aubameyang’s second goal of the game just after halftime was enough to give Arsenal the three points. The win saw Arsenal climb to ninth in the English Premier League table, just four points behind fifth place (a position that will likely ensure a Champions’ League spot pending Manchester City’s appeal to their European ban).
While Olympiacos’ European journey may end this week, there is much more optimism about the club’s domestic chances for success. Sunday’s 1-0 win over PAOK away in Thessaloniki looks like a decisive moment in this season’s Greek Super League 1 title race. Dimitris Giannoulis’ own goal was all Thrylos needed to win the big derby and go five points clear in the standings just ahead of the playoffs. With a semi-final date also with PAOK in the Greek Cup, supporters are in high hopes of celebrating a domestic double come May.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
The good news for Arsenal is that most of their recently injured players are on the mend. There are the long-term absentees in the form of Callum Chambers, Kieran Tierney, and Cedric Soares. Sokratis Papastathopoulos should return to the side after picking up a knock in the first leg, while Reiss Nelson is back from a hamstring injury. Sead Kolasinac is out after going off against Everton on Sunday with a shoulder injury while new signing Pedro Mari should make the matchday squad.
Possible line-up: Leno, Bellerin, Saka, Mustafi, Luiz, Torreira, Guendouzi, Ozil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Olympiacos
The Greeks bring a somewhat depleted side to England, shorn of some of their best players. Kostas Fortounis will not make the trip to London after a recent dispute with coach Pedro Martins. That is a blow to the Piraeus side as is the absence of center-back Ruben Semedo, who will miss out due to suspension. Semedo’s place is likely to be taken by Pape Abou Cisse. Hilal Soudani won’t return this season, while the club’s European squad does not feature the attacking duo of Ahmed Hassan and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos. There is a place in the roster however for 18-year-old striker Emiliano Bullari.
Possible line-up: Sa, Elabdellaoui, Tsimikas, Ba, Cisse, Bouchalakis, Guilherme, Camara, Valbuena, Randjelovic, El-Arabi
REFEREE: Davide Massa (Italy)
Olympiacos are hoping that Massa’s appointment to this match is a good omen. The one Olympiacos match that the 38-year-old Italian referee has overseen was an away victory against Partizan Belgrade in July 2017 in a Champions’ League qualifier.
This will be the fourth Europa League match that Massa has refereed this season. His first involved Arsenal as they defeated Eintracht Frankfurt away from home 3-0.
VAR referee Michael Fabbri most recently was the man in the middle for the Greek Cup second leg match earlier this month between Panathinaikos and PAOK (0-1).
Referee: Davide Massa (ITA)
Assistant referees: Fillipo Melli (ITA), Alberto Tegoni (ITA)
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Stefano Alessio (ITA)
Fourth official: Piero Giacomelli (ITA)
