Olympiacos vs Arsenal
20th February 2000hrs
Football – Europe – UEFA Europa League
Pick Away Win to Nil
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 10/3 odds taken 1020 GMT, Wednesday 19 February
Mikel Arteta takes his Arsenal troops to Greece on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 32 tie. The Gunners take on Super League 1 leaders Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Will Arsenal bring home a positive result for the second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week?
Table of Contents
Olympiacos Preview – Will the hosts make life difficult for the Gunners?
Pedro Martins’ Olympiacos lead the way in the Greek Super League 1 at present. The Red-Whites have had a superb domestic season so far, winning 18 and drawing six of 24 league games. They are the only team in Greece with an unbeaten record.
Olympiacos have been almost perfect at home in the Super League, winning 11 and drawing one of 12. Along the way, Martins’ men have scored a staggering 31 home league goals and shipped just six. In fact, only Bayern Munich have won on their patch this season.
Olympiacos dropped out of the Champions League at the group stage. In a tough group with the likes of Bayern and Tottenham Hotspur, the Greeks finished on four points. However, they booked their spot in the Round of 32 of the Europa League by beating Red Star Belgrade 1-0 at home in their final group matchup.
Arsenal Preview – Will Arteta’s men stretch unbeaten run to nine?
Since inheriting the managerial reigns at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has been beaten just once. After narrowly losing at home to London rivals Chelsea in Premier League action, the Gunners are undefeated in eight league and cup games, winning four and drawing four.
Arsenal warmed up for this European match by thumping Newcastle United in league action last Sunday. It was a goalless first half in the English capital, but the Gunners turned on the heat in the second period, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette all scoring in the 4-0 rout.
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The Londoners have unfinished business with the Europa League, as they were heavily beaten in the final by Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea at the end of last season. Arsenal are one of the favourites to lift the trophy, with bet365 offering 8/1 at the time of writing.
The Premier League outfit have been very hard to beat under Arteta, as the Gunners have lost only one of ten in all competitions since the Spaniard took over from the sacked Unai Emery. Arsenal head to Piraeus as the bookies’ favourites, and they would love to take a lead into next Thursday’s second leg on home soil.
Olympiacos vs Arsenal Betting Advice
This will be the first meeting between the two since they locked horns in the group stages of the Champions League back in 2015. The Gunners were shocked by the Greeks at the Emirates, with Olympiacos running out 3-2 winners in September 2015. Several weeks later, though, three goals from Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium.
Key Facts – Olympiacos vs Arsenal Betting Tip
- Only Bayern Munich have won at the Karaiskakis Stadium this season
- Arsenal have lost just once under Arteta
- The Gunners were beaten Europa League finalists last season
Arsenal’s defence has really tightened up since Arteta took over. The Gunners have kept clean sheets in each of their last two, and I can see them stopping their hosts from scoring in this first leg. Take a punt on the away team to win to nil at 10/3.
The best betting odds for Olympiacos vs Arsenal
Olympiacos to win: 15/8 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Arsenal to win: 11/8 at Bet365
