Olympiacos FC: Champions League Rival Analysis

He FC Barcelona will face Olympiacos FC On the third day of the League phase UEFA Champions League 2025/26. The set of Hansi Flick You will receive the visit of the Athens team next Tuesday, October 21 (6:45 p.m.), in a clash that will face Barcelona with the Greek League champion.

The rival

The Olympiacos returns to the maximum continental competition five seasons later. His last participation was in the 2020/21 campaign, in which they were eliminated in the group stage. This return from the cast of the capital Helena to the Champions League comes from the hand of a clear architect: José Luis Mendilibar. The Basque coach landed at the club of Pyreum In February 2024 and, since then, a winning team has built.

Since its arrival, the Greek team has added three titles, among which the Conference League 2023/24when I only had been on the Olympiac bench for three months. A historical milestone, since it became the first continental title in the history of the Athenian team. The other two are the Liga and the Copa Greeks, achieved during the last season. Precisely, the achievement of the domestic title certified, directly, the ticket for this year of the Champions League.

In a Barça code, Mendilibar is an old acquaintance for the Barcelona club. The Zaldibar coach has seen the faces with Barça 27 times And he has only been able to take the victory on one occasion. It should be noted, however, that it will be the first time that the Basque faces the Culer team at the continental level. All precedents have been in the Liga or in the Copa del Rey.

Players to follow

The team led by Mendilibar stands out for defensive solidity, high intensity and rapid transitions. That is, it is made up of a choral block, in which everyone contributes their grain of sand and sacrifice to the fullest. Even so, we can highlight a name per line.

We start with the goal, defended by the young man Tzolakis22 years. At his young age, the Greek goalkeeper has established himself as a holder both in Olympiacos and in the Greek absolute selection, with which he debuted in June 2024. In defense, the name of the Brazilian right side stands out Cordeiespecially for his contribution in attack: four goals and 13 assists during the last campaign.

In the center of the field, the figure of Chiquinho. The Portuguese midfielder added eight goals and five assists in the 2024/25 season. While in the front we find the maximum exponent: Ayobb El Cafabi. The Moroccan attacker is the largest threat of the Greek set, without any doubt. The ‘9’ of Olympiacos adds a total of 61 goals since he landed in Athens in 2023/24, 23 of those goals in European competition (Europa League and Conference League).

You have to emphasize other names such as those of Gelson Martins, Dani García, Mahdi Tarami, Strefezza o Daniel Podence. The first two already know what it is to play against Barça, while the last three are incorporations made during the summer market. Taremi has arrived in the Greek capital from Inter Milan, Strefezza of as 1907 and Podence del Al-Shabab Saudí. The most important loss has been Charalampos Kostoulas18, who has been transferred to the English Brighton.

Precedent

FC Barcelona and Olympiacos have only been found twice throughout history. It was in the group stage of the 2017/18 season, when two games against each rival were played, unlike the current League phase. The first clash was held on October 19, 2017 in the Spotify Camp Nouwhere Barça won (3-1) with goals from Messi, Worthy and nikolaou dimitrios (in their own door). On October 31, the Culers moved to the Piraeus, where they returned with a 0-0 score.

History

The Olympiacos FC, founded in 1925 – the centenary this 2025 – is historically the most dominant team of Greek football. In its 100 years of history, the Pireo Club has won a total of 48 diseases. A figure well above its most direct persecutor and rival, the Panathinaikos FC, which has 20 in its showcases.

In addition, white-reds can boast of being the only Greek club to have won a continental competition: the League Conference 2023/24. The UEFA Youth League achieved the same year by the Athenian youth team.

As for the maximum continental competition, the Greek cast has participated in 20 editions of the Champions League from the implementation of the format in the 1992/1993 season. In the 1998/99 campaign, they reached the quarterfinals, the farthest round they have arrived. Predrag Djordjevic He is the player with more games with the Olympiacos shirt in the Champions League (68), while Mitroglou He is the top scorer (13).