The Matchday 8 clash in the Europa League 2024/25 between Olympiacos (Greece) and Qarabag (Azerbaijan) will take place on January 30 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. Olympiacos vs. Qarabag: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Olympiacos
In the previous round, José Luis Mendilibar's side secured a 1-0 away victory against Porto. As a result, Olympiacos extended their unbeaten run in the Europa League to six matches (3 wins, 3 draws). Moreover, the club has kept a clean sheet in three consecutive games in this European competition. In the standings, the Greeks have 12 points and are in 12th place. It is worth noting that their spot in the playoffs is secure, and with a win, Olympiacos can aim for a direct ticket to the Round of 16.
Midfielder Yusuf Yazıcı will not play due to injury.
- The club has not lost in regular time in 7 of their last 8 home matches in the Europa League (5 wins, 2 draws).
- The team scored at least two goals in 90 minutes in 5 of their last 7 home games in this European competition.
- The Greeks have not conceded more than one goal in regular time in 6 of their last 8 home Europa League matches.
Qarabag
In the previous round, Gurban Gurbanov's side failed against FCSB at home, losing 2-3. This defeat marked Qarabag's sixth loss in the group stage. Additionally, the club conceded at least three goals for the fourth time in this Europa League campaign. Having earned just three points and sitting in 34th place, the Azerbaijanis do not contend for a playoff spot.
- The team has not won in regular time in 5 of their last 7 away matches in the Europa League (1 draw, 4 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 90 minutes in 6 of the last 7 away games of the club in this European competition.
- Both opponents scored in regular time in 5 of Qarabag's last 6 away Europa League matches.
Predicted lineups for Olympiacos vs. Qarabag
Olympiacos (4-3-3): Konstantinos Tzolakis – Rodinei, Panagiotis Retsos, Francisco Ortega, David Carmo – Christos Mouzakitis, Chiquinho, Dani García – Charalampos Kostoulas, Georgios Masouras, Ayoub El Kaabi.
Qarabag (4-2-3-1): Fabian Buntic – Kevin Medina, Elvin Jafarguliyev, Mateus Silva, Behlul Mustafazade – Marko Jankovic, Julio Romao – Abdellah Zoubir, Leandro Andrade, Aleksey Kashchuk – Nariman Ahundzade.
Each team's starting lineup is based on their previous match in this tournament.
Referee: Radu Petrescu (Romania)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 36;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 29%.
Olympiacos vs. Qarabag: Match Prediction
In this Europa League campaign, the Greeks focus on reliability and do not boast high scoring. Over seven group stage matches, Olympiacos players have scored only six goals, including just one in the last three games. However, the team defends very well, allowing few chances for their opponents: José Luis Mendilibar's side has conceded only three goals in the current Europa League, achieving five clean sheets.
Qarabag has not fully succeeded in this European season. A noticeable decline was seen in their attacking play – the usually high-scoring club has netted only six goals in the current Europa League campaign, whereas last season, the Azerbaijanis scored 14 goals in seven away matches in this tournament. Furthermore, in the group stage, Gurban Gurbanov's side scored in only one of their three away matches – against Bodo/Glimt.
I do not expect this to be a high-scoring encounter, so my prediction: Total under 3.5 goals
