Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that his side can help themselves continue their recent Champions League record by creating a "fear factor" for Olympiacos in front of the Greek club's fans.
The Gunners must win in Piraeus by two clear goals, or better Olympiacos's 3-2 win at the Emirates earlier this season, on Wednesday night if they are to preserve their run of having made the knockout stages of the competition in each of the last 15 campaigns.
Olympiacos have won every single match this season apart from two European games, but Wenger insists that his side must believe in their own quality and thrive on the pressure on both sides if they are to progress.
"We play against a side that is, at the moment, qualified but they can lose what they have very quickly and that can create a fear factor," he told The Guardian. "The best way for us to achieve the qualification is to believe in our quality.
"Our record [of 15 straight qualifications] is very important. We want to do well in Europe and the only way to do well is to do it tomorrow against Olympiacos. They are a good side but we know that we can do it. The team will be highly focused. It is a big significance for us.
"Of course, we can be dangerous if we go through. If you look at the numbers since the start of the Champions League group stage‚ we have played with 10 men in Zagreb, we scored an own goal at home to Olympiacos; every single game we were a bit unlucky. But if we get through, we will be dangerous, that is for sure."
The Gunners have not failed to get out of the group stage in Europe's premier club competition since 1999-2000, when they ultimately finished as UEFA Cup runners-up after dropping into the second-tier tournament.
Tom Nightingale
