Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen – News and Probable Lineups

On Wednesday evening, Olympiacos will face Bayer Leverkusen at the Karaiskakis Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff tie.

The teams previously met in the league on matchday seven, where the Greek side secured a 2–0 victory at the same venue. They will aim to reproduce that outcome to establish early dominance.

Match overview

Olympiacos’ latest win over Leverkusen was part of a strong end to their league phase, as Jose Luis Mendilibar’s squad bounced back after a starting streak of five matches without a victory (D2, L3), achieving wins in their last three games.

This revival began with a narrow 1–0 victory against Kairat Almaty and concluded with a 2–1 win over Ajax on the final matchday, lifting the Red-Whites to 18th place in the 36-team standings and putting them two points above the elimination zone.

Consequently, Olympiacos has reached the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since 2013–14, with the chance of making history, as Thrylos could possibly record four consecutive victories at this level for the first time.

The Red-Whites’ strong record winning the home leg in six of their last seven European matches (L1) is a significant confidence booster, particularly as they have triumphed over Leverkusen in two of their last three encounters, both held in Piraeus, including a 6–2 win in 2002 prior to the league phase victory.

Nonetheless, recent form raises concerns, with Olympiacos securing just one win in their last four fixtures (D2, L1), and their latest match ending in a goalless draw against Levadiakos on Saturday, leaving Thrylos second in the Super League standings, just two points behind AEK Athens.

This draw also means the Greek champions have gone scoreless in consecutive outings, following a 1–0 defeat to Panathinaikos in their previous game, showcasing that the Piraeus club has lost two of their last four home matches across all competitions (W2).

Leverkusen arrive with high spirits following a 4–0 victory against St. Pauli on Saturday, propelling them to sixth in the Bundesliga table and just three points adrift of the top four, with a game in hand.

This win has extended Die Werkself’s unbeaten streak to six matches across competitions (W5, D1), having begun the year with three consecutive losses, a run that was halted by their Champions League defeat in Piraeus.

Additionally, a decisive 3–0 victory over Villarreal on the last matchday of the league phase secured a 16th-place finish for Kasper Hjulmand’s team, collecting 12 points through three wins, three draws, and two losses.

Leverkusen has advanced beyond the initial phase of Europe’s top competition for the ninth time in 15 appearances, although knockout matches have often posed challenges, with them losing 10 of their last 12 encounters at this stage (W1, D1).

Die Werkself has also faced setbacks in 23 of their last 42 away matches in the Champions League (W7, D12), but there is some optimism drawn from this season’s league phase, where they won two of four away matches—including victories against Manchester City and Benfica—with their only defeat on the road being against Olympiacos.

Team News

Missing for Olympiacos will be midfielder Theofanis Bakoulas, who is still recovering from a knee injury sustained prior to his January transfer from Rio Ave.

Additionally, defender Francisco Ortega and forward Mehdi Taremi are both doubtful after missing the recent match against Levadiakos, with Taremi also one booking away from suspension, just like Santiago Hezze and Dani Garcia.

Defender Panagiotis Retsos, who had a stint with Leverkusen from 2017 to 2022, will face extra motivation as he plays against his former club.

The visitors will continue to be without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir, who is still recovering from an ankle issue he picked up during the Africa Cup of Nations last month.

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken is also recuperating from a knee injury sustained in January, meaning Janis Blaswich will again be the starting goalkeeper, while Nathan Tella is sidelined due to a foot issue.

Furthermore, striker Christian Kofane is on the verge of disciplinary action, being just one booking away from suspension, although the 19-year-old is not expected to start, with Patrik Schick likely to spearhead the attack once again after scoring in the victory over St. Pauli.

Left wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo has proven to be a pivotal scoring threat on the continental stage, having netted in three of Leverkusen’s last four Champions League games.

Olympiacos probable starting XI:

Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; L Vasquez, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo; Tillman, Poku; Schick

Bayer Leverkusen probable starting XI:

Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Onyemaechi; Mouzakitis, Hezze; A Luiz, Chiquinho, G Martins, El Kaabi

As Olympiacos heads into the clash on Tuesday, they may not be at peak performance, yet the home crowd is expected to elevate their game significantly.

Leverkusen comes in with momentum; however, three defeats from their last six away games raise some doubts, especially given their difficulties on previous trips to the Karaiskakis. Thus, we are predicting a narrow win for the hosts in what promises to be a hard-fought encounter.