Olympiacos Vs Real Madrid: Los Blancos Want To Get Rid Of Piraeus In Karaiskakis

JAKARTA - Real Madrid are back on the European stage with a fairly reckless mission: breaking the curse never wins at Karaiskakis Stadium, Olympiacos headquarters. The duel on Wednesday night November 26 comes with a strange statistical spice Los Blancos are always struggling when they set foot in Piraeus, and the hosts are in a more stable form than their start in the Champions League this season.

Olympiacos struggled in the Champions League league phase, only pocketing two points from four matches. Two draws against FC Pafos and PSV Eindhoven did show their resilience, but defeats to Arsenal and Barcelona made it difficult for Jose Luis Mendilibar's squad, who are now ranked 31st in the competition standings.

But their domestic performance tells the opposite. A 3-0 win over Atromitos in the Greek Super League shows increasing confidence. Olympiacos lead the league, two points over PAOK, and have not lost the last five games in all competitions. Real Madrid's record at home is also interesting: from four meetings, three ended in a draw and one they won, including a 2-1 win in December 2005.

On the other hand of the map, Real Madrid came in a less convincing condition. They haven't won since beating Valencia 4-0 in early November. The draw against Rayo Vallecano and Elche kept their position in La Liga safe "still leading the standings" but it's definitely not the best energy ahead of the tough game in Greece.

Their performance in the Champions League is actually solid: winning over Marseille, Kairat Almaty, and Juventus before being stopped by Liverpool. Nine points put them in seventh place overall, a position that still allows to rise. But hot winds began to circle Xabi Alonso's seat. Some players are reportedly uncomfortable, and another minor result could increase the pressure.

Olympiacos was not strengthened by Alexandros Pashalakis and Konstantinos Angelakis, but the rest of the team are ready to appear. Dani Garcia will return to filling the midfield, while Ayoub El Kaabi with 10 goals from 16 matches is projected to lead the front line with Daniel Podence from the wing.

The situation of Real Madrid's injury is more complicated. Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Franco Mastantuono were absent, while Antonio Rudiger, Aurelien Tchouameni, and David Alaba had to wait for the final minute evaluation. Alonso is expected to overhaul the starter's composition after a draw with Elche.

Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga are likely to return to appearance from the start. Formation 4-3-1-2 also has the potential to be used, with Jude Bellingham moving freely behind the duets of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius. Trent Alexander-Arnold is said to be keeping a place in XI.

This match easily provoked draw guesses. Olympiacos are hot, their homes always make Real Madrid cool, and Karaiskakis' atmosphere is known to have blown up. But Real Madrid are in need of an important victory to quell internal doubts. The thin moment is predicted to be enough to take them home with a win that finally lists them in the club's history book.

A duel like this indeed combines a stubborn past with future ambitions that always make the Champions League the most dramatic place on the football calendar.

Estimates of the line-up of Olympiacos: Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Garcia, Mouzakitis; Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi

Real Madrid:Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Camavinga, Guler; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius

Prediction: Olympiacos 1-2 Real Madrid.