Olympiacos - Real Madrid: Can Real overcome a challenging opponent?
On Wednesday, 26 November, Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League brings us a clash between Olympiacos and Real Madrid in Piraeus. Kick-off is set for 21:00 CET, and here is my betting pick for the encounter.
Olympiacos - Real Madrid: Match facts and head-to-head
- Olympiacos are unbeaten in six straight matches: five wins and a draw.
- Their scoring streak now stands at nine consecutive games.
- Real Madrid are winless in three outings in a row, recording two draws and a defeat.
- Olympiacos have yet to lose a single match this season.
- They have scored only two goals in the UEFA Champions League — the second-worst attacking record in the competition.
- Real Madrid score in both halves in 35% of their matches, while Olympiacos do so in 29%.
- Both teams have won the same percentage of games to nil — 41%.
- Olympiacos and Real have lost only 6% of their matches without scoring in return.
- Real Madrid have conceded in both halves in just 6% of their matches this season.
- The last time Olympiacos and Real Madrid drew 0–0 was back in 2007.
Olympiacos - Real Madrid: Match preview
Olympiacos opened their campaign with a 0–0 draw against Pafos and a 1–1 stalemate with PSV. However, they were then dismantled by Barcelona 1–6 and lost 0–2 to Arsenal. As a result, they sit on just two points after four rounds, occupying 31st place in the table. The Greek side trail the playoff zone by two points, so they need to start collecting wins if they hope to stay in the hunt for the knockout phase. Domestically, Olympiacos are leading the Greek championship with 28 points from 11 matches and sit at the top of the table.
Real Madrid have been performing strongly both in La Liga and in the Champions League. In the Spanish top flight, they have picked up 32 points from 13 matches to occupy first place, though their lead over second spot is only one point, keeping the title race very much alive. In the Champions League, Real beat Marseille 2–1, demolished Kairat Almaty 5–0, and edged Juventus 1–0. However, in the fourth round they fell 0–1 to Liverpool. They now have nine points from four matches and hold seventh place in the standings.
Probable lineups
- Olympiacos: Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Garcia, Mouzakitis; Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi
- Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Camavinga, Guler; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius
Prediction
Real Madrid will certainly not have an easy trip to Piraeus, but I still believe they have enough quality to overcome Olympiacos. My recommendation: a bet on a Real Madrid win.
