After a break of almost five months, the return between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Olympiacos Piraeus is finally played. In Greece, it became 1-1 in March, which team will advance to the quarterfinals?
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Wolverhampton Wanderers had an excellent season and spent most of the sub-top in a place that entitles them to participate in the Europa League. Prior to the last round, the team of Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo was still in sixth place, but everything went wrong in the final week. On the last round, the Wolves lost to Chelsea, meaning Tottenham overtook the team on goal difference. However, seventh place would still be enough for the qualifying round of the Europa League, provided the cup winner also qualified for European football through the league. This did not happen, as number eight Arsenal confiscated the FA Cup.
Winning the Europa League is therefore the only remaining option for the Wolves to be active on the European stage next year. The first step has been taken, because the 1-1 draw in Greece in March gives the team an excellent starting position. Because the quarterfinals, the semi-finals and the final consist of only one game, we should certainly not smooth out Wolves for the win.
Olympiacos: Olympiacos:
Olympiakos has managed to win its 45th league title after two dry years this season. Pedro Martins’ team finished with 91 points from 38 games at the top with a street length lead of 18 points over runner-up PAOK Saloniki. After 26 games, the Greek league was divided into a championship pool and a relegation pool, with the six best teams competing twice. In the 10 mutual meetings with the top-six, Olympiakos achieved no less than 25 points.
The team also performs strongly in Europe. In the Champions League, a group with Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Red Star Belgrade ended in third place, after which the team stunted against Arsenal in the sixteenth final of the Europa League. After a 0-1 home defeat, the European season seemed to be over, but in London Olympiakos surprised friend and enemy by winning 1-2 after extra time. The winning goal came in the 120th minute from the foot of Yousef El Arabi, who also scored 20 times in the league.
The stunt against Arsenal will give Martin’s team confidence for the return against the Wolves, because with a 1-1 draw at home in the first game, the starting position is not fantastic. Also here the fighting spirit of the team came to the fore, because a red card from Ruben Semedo after half an hour, Olympiacos played the majority of the game with 10 men.
PREDICTION: Wolves to win @ 1,70
