Arsenal return to UEFA Champions League action when they take on Olympiacos, who were previously considered their bogey side in Europe.

Arsenal return to home comforts to take on Olympiacos after an eventful trip to the north of the country, as Mikel Arteta’s side put in an accomplished display to down Newcastle United. The Magpies were on top for most of the game owing to a first-half lead through Nick Woltemade, but the Gunners roared back late in the game.

Substitute Mikel Merino silenced his critics with a brilliant equaliser in the 84th minute, before Gabriel Magalhaes scored a winner from a corner in the 96th minute to seal the win. Arteta will have been particularly pleased to close the gap on Liverpool to just two points, but the road is still long for them to win the title.

Now with the UEFA Champions League returning, Arsenal face a familiar team in Olympiacos, who were seen as a bogey team of sorts in the past. However, the Gunners opened their account in the competition with an accomplished victory over Athletic Club away from home, and Arteta will want another such comfortable result against the Greek giants.

Jose Luis Medilibar will have been disappointed with his side’s performance in the opening Champions League encounter at home. Back then, the Greek giants faced newcomers Pafos, but they failed to take advantage of having a man extra for over two-thirds of the game.

The Cypriot team saw right back Bruno Felipe collect quick yellow cards that saw him sent off, and hand the advantage to Olympiacos. However, Mendilibar’s side were unable to take advantage of the opportunity to register a win; instead, the game ended in a goalless draw.

Now, they face a big task in getting something out of their second clash, which would see them travel to Arsenal. The Greek giants have a favourable record against Arsenal, winning 50% of their 12 clashes, including their last three visits to the Emirates, with these numbers making it a spicy clash in North London.

Team News & Tactics

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta can potentially make some tweaks to his starting lineup following the weekend’s excursions at Newcastle United. However, he may have to make do without new signing Piero Hincapie, who has a minor groin problem, although, should he turn up fit, then the Ecuadorian could have a chance to feature in some capacity.

The game on Sunday did not cause any unwanted fitness-related issues, but rather showed that skipper Martin Odegaard is fit to start games. Given the depth of this Arsenal squad, there is a possibility that Arteta could shuffle a few key positions, such as bringing Ben White in for Jurrien Timber at right-back, as well as using Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

Declan Rice could also be an option off the bench with Martin Zubimendi and Merino equally capable of managing the midfield roles. Odegaard could start as the third midfielder, while Arteta could keep Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Viktor Gyokeres in the side.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze

Olympiacos

Jose Luis Mendilibar has a few injury concerns, such as experienced striker Roman Yaremchuk and midfielder Lorenzo Scipioni are out with problems. Olympiacos surprisingly did not include two notable playmakers, Remy Cabella and Yusuf Yazici, in their group-phase squad.

30-year-old Chiquinho is the man to help with the creative side the team needs, while former Wolves star Daniel Podence is also a mainstay in the attacking setup. Gabriel Strefezza will also feature in the attacking setup behind central striker Ayoub El Kaabi.

Dani Garcia and Santiago Hezze will marshal the midfield positions, while Panagiotis Retsos and Lorenzo Pirola will be in central defence for Olympiacos.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Paschalakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Hezze, Garcia; Strefezza, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi

Key Stats

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions.
• Arsenal have conceded only three goals in their eight games across all competitions.
• Olympiacos are unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions.
• Olympiacos have won in their last three visits to the Emirates.
• Among teams who have been involved in the last two editions of the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal have conceded fewer goals per game than any other team in the competition (0.72 – 18 in 25 games). Indeed, they also have the lowest expected goals conceded per game average (0.9) amongst that group.

Player to Watch

Viktor Gyokeres

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The Swede needs a goal to make his presence even more relevant, but in recent times, he has shown more than enough promise to determine he was the right choice for the club. Gyokeres has been improving in the different aspects of being the striker for Arsenal, and there is a firm belief that the goals will come in due time.

However, he also needs to kick-start the UEFA Champions League campaign with a strike or two, as this game against Olympiacos offers a fantastic opportunity to do so. Hence, this will be a crucial game to take himself to the next level, as well as elevate the team’s level in the competitions.

Prediction

Arsenal 3-0 Olympiacos

Olympiacos’s manager Jose Luis Mendilibar will have felt particularly aggrieved at the prospect of not breaking down Pafos in their UEFA Champions League opener despite the man advantage. They might struggle in terms of breaking down defences, particularly Arsenal, who barely concede chances, let alone goals.

Arsenal are eager to make a big mark in the Champions League, as Mikel Arteta knows the importance of winning games, but also in a big way. With home comfort back on the agenda, the Gunners are widely expected to breeze through this clash and get a win on board. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Arteta and his charges.