Olympiacos-Ferencvaros is a match valid for the first leg of the Conference League round of 16 play-offs and is played Thursday at 6:45 p.m.: TV, likely lineups, predictions.
Olympiacos in December relegated from the Europa League, where they never really managed to challenge West Ham and Freiburg, the two teams that finished in the top two places in Group A. Only seven points scored by the Greeks, five fewer than the Germans and even eight fewer than the English. In fact, the team from Piraeus is not enchanting even at home: after 22 days of the championship, the red and white are fourth in the standings, -6 from the leading PAOK.
The defeat suffered in the derby with Panathinaikos two weeks ago called for drastic decisions, which did not take long to arrive: away with Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal and in with Spaniard Jose Luis Mendilibar, in the fall exonerated by Sevilla after he led the Andalusians to their seventh Europa League triumph last May. Mendilibar will make his debut in the first leg of the Conference League round of 16 play-off against Hungarian side Ferencvaros. The green-and-whites in the group stage have shown that they are a team to be taken with a grain of salt: Vincenzo Italiano’s Fiorentina, who had to sweat to finish ahead of everyone in Group F, knows something about that.
Magiarians still undefeated
Dejan Stankovic’s men, on the strength of excellent tactical organization, are still undefeated in this competition, having managed to avoid defeat in both the first leg and the return leg with the Viola as well (2-2 and 1-1).
In the Magyar league, Ferencvaros is dueling with the surprising Paksi, which is currently at the top and has one point more than the Budapest club: with last Saturday’s success against Debreceni, meanwhile, Stankovic’s team’s consecutive victories in NB I have become four, and no one has scored as much as they have, a whopping 52 goals in just 20 games. Standard formation for the former Sampdoria coach, while in Olympiacos, two new signings, David Carmo and Chiquinho, will most likely start from 1′.
The prediction
Ferencvaros impressed during the group stage and could create more than one problem for Olympiacos, taking advantage of the Greeks’ moment of transition. Both are likely to score.
The likely lineups of Olympiacos-Ferencvaros
OLYMPIACOS (4-2-3-1): Paschalakis; Rodinei, Biancone, Carmo, Ortega; Chiquinho, Hezze; Masouras, Fortounis, Podence; El Kaabi.
FERENCVAROS (4-3-3): Dibusz; Wingo, Mmaee, Cissé, Ramirez; Loncar, Maiga, Abu Fani; Zachariassen, Varga, Marquinhos.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
