Portuguese duel between Olympiacos and Wolves 

In the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, Greek representatives Olympiacos and English side Wolverhampton Wanderers will do battle against each other, two clubs with a heavy Portuguese influence.

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This duel is surely one of the most fascinating and unpredictable in the Last 16. On the face of it, it’s a tie between a Greek and English club, but when taking a closer look you can see the unquestionable Portuguese influences. Interestingly, both Olympiacos and Wolves are managed by coaches by Portugal, and several key players of the two clubs are all Portuguese.

Let’s start with Olympiacos. Their head coach, Pedro Martins, is widely liked by the fan base having brought required stability to the organisation since becoming the head coach in the summer of 2018. Portuguese goalkeeper Jose Sa, initially signed from FC Porto before he penned a permanent contract, is a vital figure of this Olympiacos team, and in front of him Ruben Semedo is the most reliable centre-back the team has. Right-back Bruno Gaspar, currently on loan from Sporting Lisbon, may hold Angolan citizenship, but the 26-year-old was born in Portugal. In addition, Portuguese midfielder Cafu is also on the Olympiacos books, however he hasn’t featured since signing in the January transfer window.

As for Wolves, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, they boast a grand total of eight Portuguese players in their first team! One of them, of course, is former Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence. In truth, it’s been somewhat of an underwhelming start to life in Wolverhampton for the diminutive Portuguese winger, as he’s largely been used as an impact substitute. However, there is no doubting the talent and potential which the 24-year-old has, and he has made one assist for Wolves in the Europa League. It remains to be seen if he will come back to haunt his former employers Olympiacos in this tie.

In the midfield, Joao Moutinho, now 33 years of age, provides a vital link between defence and attack with his direct, positive approach. An excellent passer of the ball, Moutinho is a dominant figure in the midfield, always looking to pick the opposing defence apart and find an onrushing teammate. In the 2019/2020 season, Moutinho has participated in 45 Wolves games, popping up with 12 assists and one league goal.

Incidentally, an important factor to remember is that in the past, Santo worked as the goalkeeping coach at Panathinaikos, meaning he is familiar with the characteristics of Greek football. He worked with the Athenians from 2010 to 2012 when Jesualdo Ferreira was the boss.

Previously as coaches, Martins and Santo met in the Liga NOS in Portugal on seven occasions, with the latter picking up three victories. Two of those matches ended level. 

The first leg at an empty Karaiskakis Stadium, with no fans allowed into the arena due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, will naturally be crucial in the tie. Wolves, enjoying a strong domestic season as they occupy sixth position of the English Premier League, will be confident of securing progression on home turf if they score an away goal. Olympiacos, for their part, will have gained plenty of confidence after famously defeating Arsenal in the Round of 32, however they are hungry for a more positive result - albeit without their passionate supporters - in Piraeus this time.

The second leg will be held in Wolverhampton next Thursday. Initially, there was the possibility of UEFA postponing the first game after Olympiacos supremo Evangelos Marinakis contracted the coronavirus, but the organisation ruled that the match must be played as scheduled.

By: Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sport-fm.gr

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