Kickoff: Tuesday, August 4 — 7:00 p.m. local (Piraeus) / 5:00 p.m. UK / 12:00 p.m. ET Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus
Olympiacos host NEC Nijmegen in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie, a genuinely historic occasion for the Dutch visitors even as they arrive as clear underdogs against one of Greek football’s traditional powers.
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The Situation
Olympiacos finished as Greek Super League runners-up last season, six points behind champions AEK Athens, and enter this tie off the back of an extremely active summer that’s seen 11 new players arrive at a combined value north of €60 million. José Luis Mendilibar’s side have endured a rocky preseason, though, losing three straight friendlies to Ajax, Royal Antwerp and AZ Alkmaar after an encouraging start, with defensive consistency a recurring theme even during their earlier unbeaten run.
NEC Nijmegen arrive at the biggest occasion in the club’s 125-year history, having finished third in the Eredivisie last season for their best-ever league finish and securing Champions League qualification as a result. Dick Schreuder’s side have been active in the market too, though not without complication — winger BaÅŸar Önal departed for Lille in a €12.5 million deal, with veteran Serbian international DuÅ¡an Tadić arriving as a direct replacement. Striker Koki Ogawa, who scored nine goals last season, was left out of the travelling squad without an official explanation, fueling speculation over a further departure. NEC’s own preseason has been rocky too, with the club dropping their last two friendlies, including a defeat to Sevilla, and Schreuder openly acknowledging defensive frailties that have persisted even in matches against lower-caliber opposition.
Expected Lineups
Olympiacos are expected to lean on Ayoub El Kaabi to lead the line, with the Moroccan forward a heavily backed candidate to open the scoring given his proven record in front of goal. Mendilibar’s side will look to establish control through possession and aggressive pressing, an approach that’s generally served them well at Karaiskakis Stadium regardless of recent results elsewhere.
NEC will be without several key names, with Vito van Crooij, Perr Schuurs, Willum Þór Willumsson, Adam Tahaoui and Yassin Moslih all either injured or absent from the squad for the first leg, alongside Ogawa’s notable exclusion. Tadić is expected to slot straight into the side and provide the experience and composure NEC will need against significantly more experienced continental opposition.
Head-to-Head
The two clubs have met just once before, a 2024 friendly played in the Netherlands that Olympiacos won comfortably, 2-0. With no competitive history to draw on beyond that single meeting, Tuesday’s first leg effectively starts the rivalry from scratch, even as the broader gulf in European pedigree between the two clubs remains obvious.
Prediction
Olympiacos enter as clear favorites, with some bookmakers pricing their win probability as high as 67%, and their recent home form backs that up — their last 11 matches at Karaiskakis have all finished under 2.5 combined goals. Expect a cagey, controlled performance from the hosts to give them a first-leg advantage, with NEC’s defensive issues likely to be tested more severely once the tie shifts to a potentially more expansive second leg in the Netherlands.
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