Olympiacos host Genk in one of the huge matchups of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Olympiacos will compete in their first match of the year. Genk has already been eliminated from the Champions League.
Preview (Olympiacos vs Genk)
Olympiacos has every opportunity to compete at the top level of European football because they’ve become accustomed to winning Greek championships in previous years. The Red Whites were only able to finish third in 2022–23. They had to win at least one qualification match in order to ensure group-stage play on the continent. Diego Martinez’s team has taken part in a number of friendlies. They shun in a recent 3-1 triumph against Rangers.
However, three days after that victory, Olympiacos suffered a 2-0 loss to English second-tier team Norwich City. This summer has seen a large number of new arrivals. Ecuador star Jackson Porozo and international Sotiris Alexandropoulos from Greece. Genk has been searching for a response after abruptly losing their hold on the Belgian championship on the final day of the previous campaign.
Instead, they have had a dismal 2023–24 season thus far, losing one of their first two league games and exiting the Champions League. Before losing to Servette on penalties, Wouter Vrancken saw his team play out two draws with the Swiss team. After that disappointing loss, Wouter Vrancken’s team suffered a shocking 1-0 home loss to Eupen. Although Genk appears to have made good purchases this summer, this team has not yet come together, and this might level a draw against rivals who are eager for competitive activity.
Team News
It is expected that Martinez would select a lineup that is very similar to the Olympiacos XI. The players who received the majority of the minutes appear likely to start here. This is despite the fact that six substitutions were made at either halftime or the hour mark. But if that’s the case, only seasoned midfielder Vicente Iborra would be eligible to make his Greek Super League debut.
Due to the three-day turnaround, Vrancken made numerous changes for Genk’s league match against Eupen; nevertheless, this decision did not prove successful as his club suffered a shock loss. With that in mind, he might go back to the lineup that played Servette last week, relegating youngsters like recent addition Christopher Bonsu Baah to the bench. Genk has the better match fitness in its legs, but we cannot overlook the fact that they have had inconsistent outcomes in their first four games. Olympiacos might do well enough to match their opponents and secure a share of the spoils thanks to home-field advantage.
Olympiacos 1 – 1 Genk
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