Olympiacos (A) 17.45 Thursday 26 October. On TNT

IronHerbIronHerb
edited October 2023 in Match Threads
OK I'll get this one underway.

The Europa saga continues away in Piraeus in what will be a hostile stadium. The away support is being bused in and out under police escort, sounds like fun.

They are still undefeated at top of their league following the abandonment of their derby with Panathinaikos. In the Europa they drew at Backa Topola in the Week 2 after a Week 1 home defeat to Freiburg, so it's not easy to workout how good they are.

We need an improvement on the Villa performance, and I think we'll get that. A few changes to that starring XI will happen but I think we'll still be too strong for Olympiacos.

COYI
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Comments

  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    We beat them 6-2 on aggregate in the 65/66 cup winners cup. I’ve still got photos of our trip around athens on the day of the away game.
  • nychammer66nychammer66
    thornburyiron said:

    We beat them 6-2 on aggregate in the 65/66 cup winners cup. I’ve still got photos of our trip around athens on the day of the away game.

    And how many of that team are still with us?
    😀
  • alderzalderz
    Fabianski, Mavropanos, Kehrer, Ward-Prowse, Fornals, Paqueta and Kudus have started both of our Europa League games so far, so I reckon we'll probably see most of those guys again.

    I reckon it'll be something like:
    Fabianski; Kehrer Mavropanos Aguerd Emerson; Alvarez Ward-Prowse; Kudus Paqueta Benrahma; Bowen
  • LukerzLukerz
    edited October 2023
    Fabianski
    Kehrer - Mavropanos - Aguerd - Emerson
    Soucek - Paqueta
    Bowen - Kudus - Benrahma
    Mubama
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Love this from some Herbert at the Evening Standard
    The hosts have been plagued by injuries of late. Shaquielle McKissic will not be back in action before mid-November, while Ignas Brazdeikis, Moustapha Fall, Nigel Williams-Goss and Luke Sikma are all out.
    They all play for Olympiacos basketball team...

    https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/olympiacos-vs-west-ham-prediction-kick-off-time-tv-live-stream-team-news-latest-h2h-results-odds-europa-league-2023-preview-b1115564.html

    I'll do a bit more about the opposition when I get home from work tonight
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited October 2023
    If Frieburg were a model of stability with the same manager for 11 years and virtually the same team as last season then Olympiacos are a cauldron of chaos.

    They went through four managers last season which might explain why they only finished 3rd behind arch rivals Panathnaikos and AEK Athens.

    Diego Martinez (ex-Granada and Espanyol) took over in July but only five first team regulars are left after the summer with 18 new signings and a squad of 32. If their recruitment reminds you of Nottingham Forest last season then it will be no surprise that they share the same owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

    Key player will be 31yo captain AM/LW/EW Konstantinos Fortounis, 5th most appearances for the club (306), 56 caps. He started out as a Olympiacos youth and had three seasons with Kaiserslautern before returning to his boyhood club in 2014.

    Top scorer this season is 30yo Moroccan CF Ayoub El Kaabi with 9 goals in all competitions, joined from Saudi club Al Sadd on a free. 36 caps although he was left out of the 2022 World Cup squad despite being Morocco's top scorer in the qualifying rounds. Maybe Moyes can ask Aguerd what his problem is

    One familiar face will be Portuguese LW Daniel Podence, currently on a season long loan from Wolves, scored the winner in our 1-0 loss at Molineux in January.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Olympiacos might have a problem at centre back

    20yo Albanian CB Andreas Ndoj got sent off against TSC while 29yo Argentinian Nicolas Friere (on loan from UNAM of Mexico) was injured at the weekend

    That leaves 25yo Panagiotis Retsos, 10 caps for Greece, and 23yo Ecuadorean Jackson Porozo (on loan from French Ligue 2 Troyes) who hasn't had a start so far

    Olympiacos do have Nottingham Forest CB Giulian Biancone on loan but he isn't in their Europa League squad
  • stevesteve
    Respect the point
  • nychammer66nychammer66
    steve said:

    Respect the point

    Respect the win. The sooner we clinch top spot in group the sooner the young ones (eg. mubama) get to show what they can do .
  • stevesteve
    This is a tough place to go ,See what your saying a win would be great but would be happy with a point
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited October 2023
    steve said:

    This is a tough place to go ,See what your saying a win would be great but would be happy with a point

    They lost 2-3 at home to Freiberg so not that tough.

    A hostile atmosphere from the home fans but we should have enough to get a win
  • EXETERHAMMEREXETERHAMMER
    edited October 2023
    I will take a draw right now. But a win, and I will be over the moon.
  • LukerzLukerz
    We’re very well suited to playing in Europe. I expect a win today.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Martinez was asked if Porozo would start but didn't give a clear answer

    Moyes says Coufal hasn't travelled but Cresswell and Johnson have

    Moyes has been to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium before, 25 February 2014, Olympiacos vs Man Utd, 1st leg last 16 of the Champions League, lost 2-0 (won 2nd leg 3-0)

    Went to Athens once before that, 2 December 2009 AEK vs Everton, Europa League Group Stage, won 1.0

    PS Georgios Karaiskakis was a hero of the Greek War of Independence, killed leading a charge against the Turks at the siege of the Acropolis, 1827
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    We need to find you a train to drive. 😂
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    I know it's in the thread title, but just a reminder that this is an early game, 17.45 KO.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Areola, Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna ©, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Souček, Kudus, Fornals, Benrahma, Ings
    Subs: Anang (GK), Cresswell, Johnson, Aguerd, Zouma, Álvarez, Paquetá, Cornet, Bowen, Antonio, Mubama
  • stevesteve
    Ings ,starts not sure about that
  • nychammer66nychammer66
    Where is fab?
  • alderzalderz
    buffybegood said:

    I know it's in the thread title, but just a reminder that this is an early game, 17.45 KO.

    Ah. My plan to leave some leaving drinks and get home for kick off is compromised by the fact I haven't even gone to the pub yet...
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited October 2023
    alderz said:

    buffybegood said:

    I know it's in the thread title, but just a reminder that this is an early game, 17.45 KO.

    Ah. My plan to leave some leaving drinks and get home for kick off is compromised by the fact I haven't even gone to the pub yet...
    Watch it in the pub then, simples.
  • PengemanPengeman
    Ings has had so many chances but has not delivered. He was a panic buy and isn't really Moyes type player. Mubama must be so frustrated, waiting and waiting and waiting.
  • PengemanPengeman
    nychammer66 said:

    Where is fab?

    He is "is absent from the squad due to illness".
    https://www.whufc.com/news/team-news-kudus-mavropanos-fornals-and-benrahma-start-olympiacos
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited October 2023
    Pengeman said:

    Ings has had so many chances but has not delivered. He was a panic buy and isn't really Moyes type player. Mubama must be so frustrated, waiting and waiting and waiting.

    Mubama surely should have gone out on loan so he'd be playing regularly, but the lack of a new summer CF signing meant he couldn't.

    Just think, come the summer we probably still won't know if he's good enough yet, and we could have no recognised CFs at the club (Antonio already seems worse this season than last and is heading in only one direction, and Ings might just as well not be here).
  • stevesteve
    Hard to get use to us playing in blue
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Steven Jovetic on the bench, Montenegrin CF played for Man City 2013-16

    3 games against us, no goals
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    Don’t tempt fate
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    steve said:

    Hard to get use to us playing in blue

    Love it...
    Just as hard as white/orange.....black.......Just saying.....COYI
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    edited October 2023
    Why have we not got sponsors on our European shirts?
    Edit.
    Apart from JB sports on the sleeve.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    edited October 2023
    25 mins gone, at best we look somewhat disjointed, Benrahma, Fornals, Ings hardly done a thing worthy......IMO
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