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Olympiacos host Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus on Thursday for the first leg of their round-of-16 clash in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Thrylos reached this stage after seeing off Ferencvaros in the knockout-round playoffs. A 1-0 win at home, courtesy of an 83rd-minute strike from Ayoub El Kaabi, was followed by another 1-0 victory in Hungary, with Kaabi dispatching a first-half penalty to secure the win.
In all competitions, Olympiacos are now on a seven-game winning run. Their most recent outing resulted in a 3-0 victory over Volos in the Super League Greece on Sunday. Jose Mendilibar's side will be hoping to continue that run here, as they aim to book their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv cantered into the knockout stages of the competition after winning Group B with five victories and 15 points from six games. A 2-0 loss to Gent on matchday two made for a jittery start to their campaign, but the Israeli side recovered to win their remaining games and cement their place in the last 16.
The Yellow are playing in the Europa League for the first time since the 2020-21 season, when they were knocked out in the first elimination round by Shakhtar Donetsk, who prevailed 3-0 on aggregate.
Olympiacos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first official meeting between Olympiacos and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Olympiacos have won their last seven games in a row, including home and away wins against Ferencvaros in the Europa League.
- Olympiacos star Ayoub El Kaabi has scored in their last seven games in all competitions, netting 10 times in total.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions.
Olympiacos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Prediction
Olympiacos are the favorites here, given their vast experience in European competitions and a solid run of form at the moment. Maccabi Tel Aviv have not been half-shabby in the competition this season either, and will no doubt give their Greek opponents a tough fight.
Nonetheless, we expect the hosts to edge them out narrowly, perhaps with a late goal.
Prediction: Olympiacos 2-1 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Olympiacos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Olympiacos to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
