Norman Smith
Playing Olympiakos in the Champions League is becoming a regular habit for Arsenal, with the two clubs due to meet in the group stage for the fourth time since 2009.
Both sides lost their opening matches in Group F, but Arsenal remain odds-on in the Uefa competitions betting to make it through to the knockout rounds again.
Olympiakos, though, have proven to be tough opposition in the past and Arsene Wenger won’t be taking anything for granted ahead of the game at the Emirates Stadium.
There have been three previous meetings between the two clubs at the Emirates – all of which were also played on MatchDay 2 of the Champions League
SEPTEMBER 2009 – ARSENAL 2 OLYMPIAKOS 0
A game in which the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the control Arsenal had over their Greek opponents. Arsenal created chance after chance, but found Olympiakos goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis to be in fine form as he saved from the likes of Tomas Rosicky, Andrey Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal came close to opening the scoring when Fabregas struck the crossbar, while Thomas Vermaelen somehow missed when presented with a golden opportunity and there was also a handball appeal for a penalty. The breakthrough eventually came 12 minutes from time when Fabregas and Eduardo combined for Robin van Persie to score. Any late thoughts of a comeback from Zico’s Olympiakos side were snuffed out with four minutes to go when Fabregas’ low ball into the area was cleverly flicked home by Arshavin.
SEPTEMBER 2011 – ARSENAL 2 OLYMPIAKOS 1
Wenger was serving a touchline ban for this visit of Olympiakos, while Van Persie started the game on the bench as a precaution ahead of the upcoming North London derby. The match also featured Alex Song in a centre-back role and he created the opening goal after just eight minutes. Song’s ball picked out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and, after an initial stroke of good fortune, he fired his shot through the legs of Olof Mellberg and off the post to become Arsenal’s youngest English scorer in the Champions League. It was soon followed by another first Arsenal goal as Andre Santos doubled the lead on 20 minutes. After Santos’ cross came back to him, the left-back went for goal instead and fired home inside the near post. Olympiakos quickly pulled one back, though, as David Fuster headed home Ariel Ibagaza’s cross following a short corner and the Greeks came close to an equaliser when Vassilis Torosidis hit the crossbar.
OCTOBER 2012 – ARSENAL 3 OLYMPIAKOS 1
Wenger was in the stands once again for a home date with Olympiakos and he saw Arsenal overcome several scares before claiming the points. Gervinho had one of his better games for the club and opened the scoring three minutes before half-time. However, Olympiakos were deservedly level in stoppage time through Kostas Mitroglou’s fine header from Leandro Greco’s cross. Following the let-offs in the first half, Arsenal improved after the break and regained the lead on 56 minutes when Lukas Podolski hammered home a shot after Gervinho got his cross in at the second attempt. Olympiakos remained a constant source of danger, but Arsenal wrapped up the points in the fourth minute of added time when Aaron Ramsey scored after Olivier Giroud had helped the ball on.
