Aiming to climb into the automatic qualification places, Olympiacos seek success in their final league phase fixture of the Europa League against eliminated Qarabag FK at Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis on Thursday.
Jose Luis Mendilibar's men, unbeaten in all competitions since October, are undoubted favourites heading into this week's match, but the Piraeus-based club will be cautious against an opponent without defeat in four previous match-ups against Greek teams.
Match preview
© Imago
Olympiacos head into the final round of games in the inaugural league phase of the Europa League in the unique position of scoring and conceding the fewest goals among the clubs in the top 24 places.
Despite netting six in seven matches, Mendilibar's team have let in three at the other end to leave the 12th-placed side with a positive goal difference entering the eighth and final match-ups this week, which could decide their final standing if several teams end on equal points.
While the Greek outfit are undefeated on the continent since losing to Lyon 2-0 in September, no club has outwitted the Piraeus club since Asteras Tripolis in late October, and the Red-Whites' sequence without losing stands at 18 before facing eliminated Qarabag.
Although Thrylos' 12 points mean they cannot end lower than 24th, success against Qarabag and results elsewhere going in their favour could result in Olympiacos ending in the automatic qualification spots if the quartet of four clubs on 14 points — Lyon, Tottenham Hotspur, Anderlecht and FCSB — slip up, and they outdo ninth-placed Galatasaray and 10th-placed Bodo/Glimt on 13 points.
Despite never defeating the club from Azerbaijan, last year's Conference League winners aim to be third-time lucky to boost their hopes of progressing automatically.
![Coach Gurban Gurbanov of Qarabag FK looks on as his side face Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 - 14/03/2024 [on July 28, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/30/gurban-gurbanov.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Coach Gurban Gurbanov of Qarabag FK looks on as his side face Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 - 14/03/2024 [on July 28, 2024]")
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Many observers anticipate that outcome, owing to Qarabag's exit from the competition, with Gurban Gurbanov's men six points adrift of 24th place after seven matches.
The Horsemen battled for their continental survival last time out when they led 1-0 and 2-1 against eighth-placed FCSB, only to concede twice and fall to a 3-2 defeat.
The upshot of that result means that the Blue and Whites have nothing but pride and a higher standing to play for against Olympiacos, though avoiding defeat will see the Azerbaijan club extend their unbeaten run against the Greek outfit to three.
Both clubs faced off in the competition's group stage in 2022-23, with the encounter in Piraeus ending 3-0 to the away side, but a similar outcome will go down as a surprise for a side that have lost eight of nine European games heading into Thursday.
Qarabag's current form on the continent could see them finally lose a four-game unbeaten run against Greek sides, including two match-ups with Olympiacos, and it will be fascinating to see if the away side play with that consciousness and motivation to extend that undefeated sequence despite European elimination.
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Team News
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Yusuf Yazici is uninvolved for Olympiacos due to a severe knee injury, while new signing Bruno Onyemaechi is ineligible until the knockout rounds.
Ayoub El Kaabi's 19 goals in European competition since the start of last season outdoes every player and the Moroccan aims to add to his five Europa League goals for the Greek side this term — a staggering 83% of the Red-Whites' six goals.
Amin Ramazanov is absent for Qarabag due to a knee injury, and the goalkeeper is the away side's only reported absentee against Olympiacos.
With Juninho Vieira, scorer of 33% of the Horsemen's six goals, now at Flamengo, Nariman Akhundzade or Musa Qurbanli could lead the attack for the visiting club against the competition's stingiest backline.
Olympiacos possible starting lineup:
Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Carmo, Ortega; Garcia, Mouzakitis; Masouras, Kostoulas, Chiquinho; El Kaabi
Qarabag FK possible starting lineup:
Buntic; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Romao, Jankovic; Kashchuk, Andrade, Zoubir; Qurbanli
We say: Olympiacos 2-0 Qarabag FK
Given the low-scoring Olympiacos' motivation for a top-eight berth and Qarabag's elimination, the Greek side are backed to secure a slender win on Thursday.
However, much will depend on El Kaabi delivering the goods despite his side's overreliance on him for goalscoring contributions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
