Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Qarabag will look to retain their spot in top two when they face Olympiakos in the Europa League round 4. The Azeri are eyeing their third consecutive win in Group G, and the fact that they crushed the Thrylos in Athens is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of Thursday’s clash. Midfielder Leandro Andrade, who limped off with injury in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Gabala, is unlikely to feature against Olympiakos.
The visitors, on the other hand, have been underperforming in the Europa League group stages, with the team losing each of their first three group games. James Rodriguez is pushing for a start, while Pipa has joined the likes of Ba, El Arabi, Koutris, Retsos, and Vaclik in the recovery room. Cedric Bakambu, who found the net in a 2-1 win over OFI at the weekend, is widely expected to lead the line for the visiting side.
Highlighted Player (Maksim Medvedev):
Maksim Medvedev is an Azerbaijan international who plays for Qarabag as a right-back. Born in Baku, back then Soviet Union, on September 29, 1989, Medvedev is a first-team regular at the Azerbaijan national football team.
He played an important role in the national team during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, but he scored his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Norway on October 8, 2016. Speaking of his club career, Maksim Medvedev is a product of the Qarabag football academy, and he continued playing for the Azeri giants at senior level. His main position is right-back, but he is used as both right midfielder and centre-back as well.
Medvedev made his debut in the Champions League group stages in a 6-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 12, 2017. The 175-cm tall footballer wears the No. 5 jersey at Qarabag, and his preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (Olympiacos):
Olympiakos are regarded as one of the biggest club in Greece. The Thrylos were founded back in 1925 and they play their home games at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. The capacity of the stadium is 33 296. In 2016 Olympiakos won their 43rd Greek Superleague trophy and it has to be noted that they clinched their sixth consecutive domestic title.
However, the club’s biggest success came in 1999 as they participated in the Champions League quarter-finals. The Red and whites were beaten by Juventus in the two-legged tie. It is well known that Panathinaikos are considered the club’s bitterest rivals and the two teams share a great and long-standing rivalry.
The likes of AEK and PAOK are regarded as Olympiakos’ fierce opponents as well. The likes of Javier Saviola, Kevin Mirallas, Darko Kovacevic, Lomana LuaLua, Joel Campbell, Rivaldo and Marko Pantelic are notable footballers who played for the club in the past. Olympiakos fans are friends with Red Star Belgrade supporters.