Arsenal vs Olympiakos

Arsenal Vs Olympiakos
Emirates Stadium
19:45 BST Kick Off
Referee: S. Moen‎


A Quick Bouncer Required


We all know what happened on the weekend. It's not worth remembering and nor it's required. What actually is required is for the team to bounce back quickly, and this might be the perfect match for it. Arsenal face Olympiakos in the 2nd CL matchday where they will go in the game with 3 points already while Olympiakos will come in with none since they lost their last game against Schalke to a late Huntelaar goal. This match won't be easy, but We should be able to win it. It will be a typical European tie to say the least and the bonus thing is that playing olympiakos is fast becoming a routine, since we somehow get them nearly every year. On a similar note, Despite losing their opening Champions League game against Schalke – Olympiakos are in a good run of form themselves. Having a perfect start to the season with 15 points from 15– the defending Greek Champions have started their season emphatically.

Changes required ?

I would say we need to make few changes if not a lot. Arteta is struggling for fitness atm with an ankle injury while i am sure the likes of Gervinho could do with a breather. But then, a lot of changes can be bad as well with the lack of cohesion in the team. I would personally start Giroud and Walcott. Even if the future of Walcott is uncertain, it's better to start him than gervinho again. Oxlade perhaps can start over Podolski but won't mind either way. Thought Podolski was a bit poor in the last 2 games personally. Would start Coquelin in midfield as Arteta may be out. It's a long long shot but i would start Martinez in net... Although that sounds impossible knowing wenger.

Team News

On Arteta, wenger said "Arteta will have a test tomorrow morning. We will make the decision then whether we include him in the squad or not. He has an ankle injury" While rest of the injuries include Diaby and Szczesny who will both be out. Gnabry trained with the 18 man squad today and could be a surprise inclusion in the squad tomorrow.

According to this source Olympiakos' best player might be out with a thigh injury tomorrow. Not sure how reliable it is but he is their danger man. So good news perhaps

Arsenal Probable Team

-----------------------------------Mannone-----------------------------------------

Jenkinson-------------Koscielny----------------Vermaelen------------------Gibbs

----------------------Coquelin--------------Ramsey--------------------------------

Walcott-------------------------Cazorla-------------------------------Oxlade-----

-------------------------------Giroud---------------------------------------------

Olympiakos Probable team ( i have no clue )


------------------------------Carroll--------------------------------------------

Torosidis------------Papazoglou---------Modesto----------------------Holebas

----------------------Machado----------Orbaiz--------------------------------

-Abdoun------------------------Fuster--------------------------------ibigaza

--------------------------------Mitroglou -------------------------------------


Match background

• Arsenal, who finished third in the 2011/12 Premier League, are taking part in the group stage for the 15th season in a row. For only the second time in seven campaigns they did not have to negotiate a qualifying round.

• In 2011/12 Arsenal departed in the round of 16 for the second season in a row. It was the 12th successive time that they had made it through the group and only the second campaign since 2006/07 that they had failed to reach the quarter-finals or better.

• Wenger's side won four of their five home games in last season's competition, the exception a 0-0 draw with Olympique de Marseille on matchday four. Apart from the victory over Olympiacos they also saw off Udinese Calcio in the play-off round 1-0 and Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the group stage before beating AC Milan 3-0 in the round of 16 second leg, bowing out having lost 4-0 in Italy.

• Olympiacos are in their 14th participation in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the round of 16 in 2007/08 and 2009/10. They lost two away games in last season's group stage, going down 1-0 at Dortmund in addition to the Arsenal reverse, but won 1-0 at Marseille on matchday five to help them finish third in Group F.

Team ties


• Bacary Sagna and Djebbour were team-mates at AJ Auxerre from 2000 to 2003, Abou Diaby joining them in 2002.

• Ariel Ibagaza and Santi Cazorla played together at Villarreal CF from 2008 until 2010. Fuster joined them in 2009/10 after a one-season loan at Elche CF.

• Sébastien Squillaci and Modesto were team-mates at AS Monaco FC from 2004 to 2006.

• Roy Carroll recorded a win, a draw and a defeat in three games at Arsenal for Manchester United FC. He was also on the winning side in the 2003/04 FA Cup semi-final against the Gunners but in the following season's showpiece Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.

• Wenger's Monaco lost to Olympiacos 2-1 on aggregate in the 1992/93 European Cup Winners' Cup second round.

• Marouane Chamakh scored FC Girondins de Bordeaux's second goal in a 2-1 win at home to Olympiacos in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on 17 March 2010 to confirm progress.

• Per Mertesacker was part of the SV Werder Bremen team which lost 3-1 at home to Olympiacos on 3 October 2007, their first away win in the UEFA Champions League at the 32nd attempt. Vassilis Torossidis played for the visitors, whose third goal was scored by Darko Kovačević, now the club's technical director.

• Wojciech Szczęsny was sent off for co-hosts Poland in the 69th minute of UEFA EURO 2012's opening match against Greece. Giannis Maniatis, Torossidis and José Holebas all featured for Greece in a 1-1 draw.

Previous meetings

• This was also the fixture on matchday two last season, Arsenal winning 2-1. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his UEFA Champions League debut with an early goal and André Santos scored his first for the club to secure the points despite David Fuster's 27th-minute response.

Final Say

I'd say Arsenal will win this. But it will be a long hard match as Olympiakos are very very solid defensively. Might be something like 1-0 to us

Well who cares ! m8 ...i would agree 1-0...1-0 for Arsenal.. lol ..just let we WIN...n Giroud to score of course

Needless to say, anything less than three points from this game would be a failure. Even without Diaby and Arteta, we should be able to win reasonably comfortably.

I hope Ramsey and Coquelin get the nod in centre midfield and I hope Giroud gets another chance up top. I'm not too fussed who plays at the back, though we may see Andre Santos come in for Gibbs since he hasn't had much game time and Gibbs has played every game.

I don't want to underestimate Olympiakos too much and they have good creative players like Ibagaza and Fuster (I recall Ibagaza gave us a tough time last year, too) and Machado and Orbaiz make up a solid midfield pairing.

With any luck, we'll see a good, professional display and get a win under our belts after the disappointment last Saturday.

That's the team I'd play. Still not sure over Gervinho/Giroud but I would start Giroud and bring Gervinho later on. Give Podolski a rest, he had two not good enough games and Arshavin might surprise us after all and Wenger said he will get chances. Would rest Cazorla aswell but have no clue for who, Theo maybe?

Even with this team we should get atleast a scrappy win. This is our easiest game on paper so we should win it.

Excellent work RG
I also hope we give some players a breather and back fresh for West Ham game
that said of course we shouldn't underestimate any team
hoping for strong response

Go Gunners

Great work RG.

Like Jay said anything less than 3 point would be a big failure. After Saturdays game we must come out firing. Giroud has to make a statement here and get on score sheet.

We must win all our home games, no excuses.

Lex.




You so lucky to live close and go toe the games.

Nice work RG.

Lex

I also hope Walcott and Giroud start tonight. I think everyone would like to see them get starts too. At the back, it's interesting. Returning to the Mertesacker-Vermaelen partnership seems most likely, and understandable, but it would be like Wenger to keep Koscielny in the side to play that game against Chelsea out of his system. I also think Santos and Coquelin should get starts, though I guess the latter could depend on Arteta's fitness.

Whilst it's important not to take small sides at the Emriates likely - as Man Utd learned last season - it's also vital we rotate our squad, it's a long season.

I'd play this side Mannone; Jenkinson Mertesacker Vermaelen Santos; Coquelin Ramsey; Walcott Cazorla Podolski; Giroud // Bench:Shea Koscielny Gibbs Chamberlain Gervinho Arshavin Gnarby

I think Arteta if doubtful shouldn't play, he's so important it's vital we use him properly. Gnarby in the 18-man squad John Cross said yesterday so that's why he's on my bench. We'll see what AW does tonight anyhow.

Olympiacos' XI at the weekend was


Not sure how relevant this is. Like Jay said, I remember Ibagaza at the Emirates playing superbly last season. Without Mellberg and Miralles, they're certainly weaker, also notice they failed to sign any players this summer for "big-ish" money. Seems like they're affected by the Greek economic situation.

Anyhow, I'm confident we'll get a 2-0 win.

we must aim the top of the group , nothing less , so winning is a must. let's play walcott, we need to have this player in good form even his future is unsure. i'd also play Kos even if he had a bad game last time .


But if at 60' it's not working let's put the Ox, Gervinho and Podolski in . Verm doesn't want to play LB so i don't think he will start there.
Arsha, theo need playing time but as i said if it's not working let's just make early subs

Have fun lex

urbaNRoots wrote:

Mannone
Jenkinson Mertesacker Koscielny Santos
Ramsey Coquelin
Oxlade Arshavin Cazorla
Gervinho/Giroud

That's the team I'd play. Still not sure over Gervinho/Giroud but I would start Giroud and bring Gervinho later on. Give Podolski a rest, he had two not good enough games and Arshavin might surprise us after all and Wenger said he will get chances. Would rest Cazorla aswell but have no clue for who, Theo maybe?

Even with this team we should get atleast a scrappy win. This is our easiest game on paper so we should win it.

great preview RG..
and thats almost the perfect team with rest to key members.. Vermaelen and Arteta need a rest.. So does Cazorla after last weeks performance..
Play Walcott on right and Ox on the left.. And Giroud upfront.. We should be good enough to get a 2-0 win with this team..
And it will be an easy 3 points as Lex is watching the game..

Great preview RG! This is team i would like to see for this match.

We should be winning this match but anything can happen with Arsenal. I predict 3-1.

torosidis is injured,papazoglou is injured too along with djebour

probable line up is this:

diakite/maniatis-contreras-manolas-holebas
---------maniatis/modesto-siovas--------------
-----------------------ibagasa---------------------
fuster-------------------------------------abdun--
---------------------mitroglu----------------------

obviously defensive approach
their defense is way weaker than last years
plus they lost mirallas offensively, holebas is only good going forward whereas if diakite plays on the right back or dm it will be his first ever start for olympiakos

good luck

anything less than a 3-0 would be a failure guys.
trust me. our defense sucks so much that you could play scezznchnznscy up front and still win

billy_gr wrote:anything less than a 3-0 would be a failure guys.
trust me. our defense sucks so much that you could play scezznchnznscy up front and still win

if they play giroud though you shouldnt worry . jk

billy_gr wrote:anything less than a 3-0 would be a failure guys.
trust me. our defense sucks so much that you could play scezznchnznscy up front and still win

Well, there is saying; there is the easy way, there is the hard and there is the Arsenal way.

Mertesacker and Giroud both start tonight, according to @AFCAMDEN.

If no Verminator and Arteta.. Who is the captain ?
Interesting...
Koscielny, Metskr or Cazorla..? Or even Podolski...

GoonerJay29 wrote:Mertesacker and Giroud both start tonight, according to @AFCAMDEN.

They both have something prove, Giroud needs to score and Mert wants a starting place.

Vermaelen will start, since he's the captain. So I expect to see Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Santos at the back tonight.

GoonerJay29 wrote:Vermaelen will start, since he's the captain. So I expect to see Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Santos at the back tonight.

We could see.

Kos----Mert----Verm---Santos.

Hi friends! I'm new user, and an Arsenal supporter. Great preview in this thread

I think that Arsenal will play with:


This team looks great (I want to see Coquelin, Arshavin, Oxlade, etc). But we will wait typical Wenger surprises

On one hand, Jenkinson BADLY needs a rest. On the other hand, if he's fit and willing, he should start. He needs all the confidence he can get and this is the perfect environment for him to thrive in

Kurt_gunner wrote:Hi friends! I'm new user, and an Arsenal supporter. Great preview in this thread

bienvenido Senor!

Hope you have a good time in our forum