Date: December 9, 2014
Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki, Piraeus, Greece
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
The Champions League, Group A game between Olympiakos Piraeus and Malmo FF is the last of the group matches. The teams in contention have slim chances of progressing in the group stages, for Malmo it is very difficult, while Olympiakos can harbour dreams about going forward.
Olympiakos Piraeus form: W-L-W-L-D
Olympiakos, placed 3rd in Group A, are three points behind Juventus and with a depressing goal difference. To consider the permutations and combinations, if Juventus fail to win their match against Athletico Madrid without scoring a goal, Olympiakos has to win theirs by scoring eight or more without conceding. Too much a task for the Greeks against a wily Malmo side.
Olympiakos lost their last game against Malmo in Sweden and will be wary of the attacking threat that the Swedish side possess. Their league form is a bit patchy and they have struggled against lower oppositions in the league over the last few matches.
Malmo FF form: L-L-W-W-L
Malmo has nothing to lose and will be looking to inflict another defeat on the Greeks and will be confident having won their only match in the group stage against Olympiakos. At home, Malmo won thanks to a brace by the evergreen striker, Marcus Rosenberg. Olympiakos had better possession and good shots on target but were wasteful in converting their chances. Malmo was able to take advantage of the silly defensive mistakes to mark a determined win over their Greek counterparts.
Their Champions League form doesn’t inspire confidence and will be another test for them when they visit Greece.
Key Players
Olympiakos Piraeus: Konstantinos Mitroglou
The Greek forward has impressed after return to his homeland and will be the man to watch in the Olympiakos squad.
Malmo FF: Marcus Rosenberg
Rosenberg’s form guide against Olympiakos suggests that he likes to score against them and also, score in big matches.
Betting Advice:
Both teams to fight out a gritty game, Olympiakos (1.4) to win the match, but will still suffer heartbreak after not qualifying. Olympiakos will chase the goals however and -1 looks an excellent price at 2.1 with Paddy Power considering some bookies are 1.83 on this market.
Best Bet:
Olympiakos -1 at 2.1 with Paddy Power