Olympiakos vs Rangers: UEFA Europa League Matchday 4 preview

By Stephen Kountourou

UEFA Europa League League Phase 

Matchday Four: 07/11/24

Kick-off Time: 19:45 Greek Time

Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium

Where to Watch: Cosmote Sport 3 HD

As the season takes shape, it’s been a mixed start for UEFA Conference League champions Olympiakos. An inconsistent run and a lack of concentration in key moments, whether finishing chances, coming back from a goal down or forfeiting a comfortable lead has cost time in matches, particularly in the league.

It has been a very different story on the international stage. Thrylos has played and performed as a champion of Europe should, with no fear or pressure regardless of the opponent.

Jose Luis Mendilibar has highlighted in press conferences recently that it partly is due to the space that his team has found on the counterattack in the Europa League compared to Greece, where smaller clubs play much more conservatively against Olympiakos, which in turn means less space to break and create chances.

The problems with consistency run deeper than just on the pitch for Olympiakos. It is clear that there is a psychological difference when the players approach matches in the league compared to Europe, with huge pressure put on winning the league title, not only as it has been two seasons now without one, but as it is the 100th anniversary in March 2025. Going three years without claiming the Super League could also be seen by some as a disaster.

There is still pressure to compete at a high level in Europe, higher than in Greece. But Thrylos does not have to be the favourite in the Europa League, there is not an expectation to win a trophy, but to see how much further this team under Mendilibar can go, especially after the success in the Conference League last season. 

That said, the match this Thursday against Rangers comes with its own set of expectations. For one, this is a tough opponent for Thrylos even in Karaiskaki, with the Scottish Premiership team only a place above them in the League Phase table, in 11th. 

Both sides will almost certainly secure a place in the playoffs with a victory, and Olympiakos need to make sure that they are on the positive side of the result after the final whistle.

Last time in the UEL

Olympiakos 

Olympiakos travelled to play Swedish champions Malmo, claiming a 0-1 win and their first-ever away victory in Sweden. It was Thrylos who set the tone early on and generally were the better side despite the hosts having more possession. 

On the half-hour mark, Gelson Martins skillfully found his way past several Malmo players to break on the counter and set up an oncoming Ayoub El Kaabi to make it 0-1 to Olympiakos. 

Malmo attempted to recover and find an equaliser but was limited to just two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes. The Piraeus side had chances of their own after going a goal up but were unable to convert, mounting further pressure on themselves to keep the scoreline in their favour. 

They were able to hold on however and secure an important win that puts them within touching distance of a guaranteed place in the Europa League playoff places.  

Rangers

The side from Glasgow played host to FCSB at Ibrox, where they smashed their Romanian opponents 4-0 in the process. Tom Laurence opened the scoring with a low shot from just outside the box to put the home side ahead. Vaclav Cerny capitalised on a mistake from the Romanian side's defences and finessed the ball past the keeper to double Rangers lead.

After the break, Philippe Clement’s team continued where they left off and searched for the goal that would kill the game. It was Cerny again, whose mazy run into the box resulted in him scoring his brace and Rangers going 3-0 up.

Substitute Hamza Igamane came on to score Rangers' fourth and final goal of the game and the hosts ran out as comfortable 4-0 winners.

Domestic results

Olympiakos

After a shock defeat to Asteras Tripolis in the league, Thrylos recovered with two important wins. Firstly in the Greek Cup round of 16 first leg game against Athens Kallithea, with Kristoffer Velde scoring the winner in the second half, and secondly in their latest fixture in a 2-1 win over Panserraikos. 

Mendilibar’s men started brightly in Karaiskaki against the Serres side as Velde scored for the second game in a row with a nice finish inside the box. As has been the case in their domestic fixtures the worrying trend of not taking chances continued. 

Eventually, the hosts started to set back and allowed Panserraikos too much of the ball, which led to the equaliser, as Juan Salazar capitalised on a mistake from Panos Retsos and scored past Kostas Tzolakis to make it 1-1. 

Unlike in previous games, Thrylos were able to recover and regain their lead moments later, as a cross from Rodinei found El Kaabi in the box who headed home to make it 2-1. 

In the dying embers, the Serres side had a late chance to steal a point in Piraeus but Olympiakos held on to get their first league win since the end of September. 

Rangers

Off the back of a 2-1 defeat to high-flying Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers travelled to play Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup Semi-Final over the weekend. 

The away side dominated proceedings but it was the hosts that struck first through Andy Halliday who made it 1-0 to Motherwell. Cyriel Dessers equalised just after the start of the second half for Rangers and Nedim Bajrami found the winner with nine minutes of normal time left to play.

Competitive Record

This will be the first encounter between the two sides with Olympiakos having only played against two Scottish clubs previously, that being Rangers' bitter rivals Celtic and Dunfermline Athletic. In four matches, Thrylos has a positive record with two wins, one draw and one defeat with both victories coming at home making them undefeated in Greece against Scottish sides.

By contrast, Rangers have faced Greek opposition on eight occasions including AEK, PAOK, and Panathinaikos. Their record however is poor with only one win, four draws and three losses. They have never won away in Greece. 

The Playoffs beckon

As said previously this is a huge opportunity for Olympiakos to secure themselves the at least the payoff places with a win at home this Thursday. 

Rangers haven't travelled well in Europe this season and their previous record in Greece should give Mendilibar and his players the confidence to continue playing and performing as they have in Europe ever since the Basque coach arrived in February. 

That is not to say that this will be a walk in the park. Rangers themselves were in a European final not long ago and they will have the same aims as Thrylos, to secure a playoff place after matchday four. 
If the Conference League champions wish to continue in Europe beyond the League Phase, and have qualification prospects in their own hands, they need to be winning games like this against the teams who will be in and around then. 

Most importantly they must be fully focused from start to finish in this game because Rangers are a better opponent than almost any team in Greece and they will punish lapses in concentration.

@SteveKountourou

Hellas Football