Olympiacos vs Arsenal preview: How to watch, predicted lineups, score prediction & injury updates

Arsenal return to Athens on Thursday to face Olympiacos in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium. Here is the match preview.

All was well post-round of 32 as Arsenal dramatically turned around a 2-1 scoreline on the night to secure their place in the next phase of the Europa League courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s last-minute winner.

Taking that victory in their stride and heading to Leicester at the King Power Stadium with changes aplenty, a superb performance resulted in another comeback victory, this time much more comfortable as the Gunners ran out deserved winners in the Premier League.

With ‘little ol’ Burnley’ up next before European ventures, confidence was at a season-high and few fixtures have enjoyed a build-up not dominated by nerves and fear.

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Olympiacos vs Arsenal preview: Thursday’s Europa League last-16 tie in Athens

Aubameyang’s sixth minute goal set the tone for what should have been a comfortable three points, only for Arsenal to resort to old ways – which is unfair terminology as ‘old’ indicates shooting themselves in the foot hasn’t happened multiple times in recent weeks – with a dreadful error gifting Burnley an undeserved point.

Still with the chances to not only win the game but do so handsomely, everything that’s gone wrong this season manifested itself into a 94-minute long dentist appointment. It hurt then and it still has a numbing effect now.

Unless one felt a rousing surge for a top four/five/six/whatever spot was genuinely on the cards and Arsenal were going to go on an unbeaten run to coincide with inadequacies from those above, it doesn’t alter the season’s goals too much; if Arsenal want to play in Europe next season they need to win the Europa League.

Starting with a two-legged affair against Olympiacos, the road ahead is tough.

Will it be individual mistakes or a lack of ruthlessness that costs Mikel Arteta’s side this time? If neither are the culprits, then victory is a more than achievable result. Arsenal can beat Olympiacos, but Arsenal can also beat Arsenal. It’s huge.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Thursday 11 March
What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Daniel Siebert

Arsenal Team News vs Olympiacos

Frustration remains. As with other results this season, Arsenal were the victims of their own downfall at Turf Moor and even when you take the game at face value in that they created numerous chances to score, hit the woodwork twice, were the better side and had a stonewall penalty turned down, nobody can argue the result was a surprise.

Arteta made changes to his side by bringing in Calum Chambers at right-back for his first Premier League start since December 2019. Chambers was one of the Gunners’ better players on the day but despite that will be replaced by one of Hector Bellerin or Cedric Soares. Both are fit an available.

At centre-back all of his options are in line for a start, with David Luiz, Rob Holding, Pablo Mari and Gabriel set to battle it out for a starting berth. Based on previous Europa League outings, it could be a Brazilian duo.

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Emile Smith Rowe is the only concern having suffered a muscle problem against Leicester and not making the journey to Lancashire on the weekend. He mustn’t be rushed back and a spot on the bench is the most logical.

Up front, it looks like a straight battle between Willian and Nicolas Pepe for the left-wing slot. Arteta opted for the 32-year-old against the Clarets as he is deemed the better choice when there is less space in behind, but at what point do you play the more threatening of the two? The one who has a ‘moment’ in him? An interesting choice awaits.

As for the hosts, they find themselves in a central defensive crisis at the wrong time. Pedro Martins’ side are without Ruben Semedo, Ousseynou Ba and Avraam Papadopoulos, their three first-choice centre-backs. That leaves only Sokratis(!) as their fit option, and he has barely played this season.

Marios Vrousai is the other absentee with the winger missing out through a torn meniscus.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup

Arsenal: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Aubameyang, Willian

Olympiacos: Sa; Lala, Sokratis, Silva, Reabciuk; M’Vila, Bouchalakis, Valbuena, Fortounis, Bruma; El-Arabi

Olympiacos vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Arsenal can’t look at Olympiacos’ league form as a indicator of what is to come. Not really. They’re breezing their way to another Greek Super League title with just one defeat in 25 games, conceding a lowly 12 goals in the division this campaign.

Looking solely at that and the Gunners will arrive with their tails in between their legs. So, as a fairer reflection, how have they fared in the Europa League?

Coincidentally, Arsenal and Olympiacos were both two minutes from not even being in this round. Much like Aubameyang, Ahmed Mahgoub saved his side’s skin with an 88th minute strike at the far-post to send them into the last-16 at the expense of PSV Eindhoven. In the Champions League they were humbled in their group with two goals scored and just one win, but Arsenal aren’t Champions League quality, so that needn’t matter.

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The centre-back situation is a worrying one for the hosts, who only have Sokratis fit and even he has barely featured in top-flight football this campaign. However, the rest of the side is littered with danger men. Their 34-year-old striker Youssef El-Arabi is in electric form while the hugely experienced Mathieu Valbuena is joined by underrated central midfielder Andreas Bouchalakis in knowing how to control matches. Kostas Fortounis is their creator and biggest threat of all.

Olympiacos are a better side than Benfica, simply put. They like to get their opposing full-backs isolated and switch play quickly, favouring early crosses and swift attacking moves up the pitch. And they do so well.

Most…annoying, shall we say, of all is that Arsenal will create goalscoring opportunities, it’s just whether they take them. But, with a fully fit squad, Olympiacos’ defensive issues and familiarity with a stadium that’s their away venue, this may be the best time to face the Greek outfit.

Arsenal are progressing on the pitch, but there is only so far we can claim that to be so if they’re knocked out by the same opposition from last season. At least in some eyes, anyway. Which is why it’s a good thing they’ll get their away goal and keep the tie alive.

Score Prediction: Olympiacos 1-1 Arsenal