Three matches separating Olympiacos and Europa League final
Olympiacos, who began their continental campaign in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, are now incredibly just three matches away from the UEFA Europa League final.
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It’s not often you can say that a Greek club has a chance to win the treble. Yes, Olympiacos would certainly have expected to taste glory in the Super League and Greek Cup, but no one thought that the club would make a realistic challenge for European silverware. Nevertheless, after UEFA confirmed that a Final Eight format will be used for the Europa League, only three games now separate Olympiacos and the grand final of the competition. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be decided by single games as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic which put the season on hold in March.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the Europa League will be staged on German territory in August. The remaining Last 16 ties will take place at the start of the same month.
Olympiacos sent shockwaves across Europe by even reaching the Round of 16 of the Europa League. In the previous phase of the competition, the Erythrolefki looked down and out after losing the first leg against Arsenal in Piraeus, but they had a trick up their sleeve. In the return fixture, Olympiacos displayed remarkable tactical awareness and composure at the Emirates Stadium, famously slaying Arsenal 2-1 in extra time with Youssef El Arabi grabbing a late winner. Pape Abou Cisse had kept the tie going by scoring during the second half.
Such a memorable victory against a big side immediately pumped even more belief into an already confident group. However, before they can start thinking about the quarter-finals, the runaway Super League leaders have a tough task against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Last 16. In the first leg inside an empty Karaiskakis Stadium in March, El Arabi initially gave the hosts an important lead, but Pedro Neto’s deflected free kick subsequently gifted Wolves a potentially crucial away goal. The decisive second game will take place in either England or Germany on August 5-6.
Olympiacos began their 2019/2020 continental journey in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, beating Viktoria Plzen, Basaksehir and FC Krasnodar to make the coveted group stages. They then dropped into the Europa League by finishing in third place of Group B behind Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur.
If they do manage to progress to the quarter-finals, Olympiacos are likely to find themselves in the company of the likes of Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayer Leverkusen. Interestingly, the first legs of the Sevilla - Roma and Internazionale - Getafe ties weren’t played in March, so one game will decide the outcome of those particular match-ups. Manchester United, Basel, Basaksehir, Shakhtar and Leverkusen all hold advantages in their respective battles after the first matches in March.
It’s worth noting that Olympiacos will be able to add three players to their UEFA squad for the remaining Europa League games.
Of course, Olympiacos aren’t among the favourites for the trophy, but the fact that the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be decided in one match does increase their chances of creating history. First of all, however, the challenge of a strong Wolves team must be dealt with, something which is easier said than done.
