Barcelona vs Olympiacos Prediction: Back the Greeks to keep it close

Barcelona have had a tough couple of games so far in the Champions League. They beat Newcastle on the road but fell to reigning-champions PSG at home on Matchday 2. A slightly easier task on paper awaits as Olympiacos make the trip to the Catalan Capital looking to score their first goal and get their first win of the campaign.

We've asked our La Liga Betting expert to preview this one and he's put together his thoughts and top betting tips below. You can check out his Barcelona vs Olympiacos Predictions here on Betfred Insights...

*For all of our Football Odds then head on over to betfred.com

Match Preview: 

There is Champions League action at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday night. Barcelona are hoping to record their second win in this season's competition, with Olympiacos the visitors. 

It has been a challenging few weeks for Hansi Flick. Injuries have left the German with few options for rotation in several positions, and that has contributed to a significant drop in the performance levels of his team. 

Barça lost their final two fixtures before the international break, going down 2-1 against PSG in the Champions League, and 4-1 against Sevilla in La Liga. They didn't really deserve anything more from either match, with their defence looking particularly vulnerable at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. 

Flick would have been hoping for a reaction at home against Girona on Saturday, but he didn't really get it. After an assured start and an early goal from Pedri, the Barcelona offside trap was again breached on a number of occasions, with their Catalan neighbours missing several clear opportunities to score. 

Girona did equalise thanks to a spectacular overhead kick from Axel Witsel, but ultimately left without a point, after emergency striker Ronald Araújo steered in a dramatic 93rd-minute winner for the hosts. 

Lamine Yamal's return was one positive for Barça on Saturday, although the teenager wasn't at his best. Fermín López also featured off the bench after a lengthy lay-off, while 19-year-old Roony Bardghji made an impact when he came on. 

Flick will be hoping for a more convincing all-round display against Olympiacos, who are yet to score in this season's Champions League. 

The Greeks were always going to find it tough going at this level, having exited the Europa League at the round-of-16 stage last term. A home fixture against outsiders Pafos in theory offered them the chance to make the perfect start. However, they could only draw 0-0, despite the Cypriots being reduced to 10 men after only 26 minutes. 

A 2-0 defeat to Arsenal followed on matchday two. While they were second best on the night, Olympiacos did manage to have 11 attempts in that game, only three fewer than the Gunners, while they won two more corners than their Premier League opponents. That may serve as a warning to Barcelona that this won't necessarily be a walk in the park. 

Since their loss in North London, the 2024 Conference League winners have played two domestic matches. They lost a crucial top-of-the-table clash 2-1 to PAOK, before seeing off AEL 2-0 on the road on Saturday, with their star striker Ayoub El Kaabi grabbing a brace. 

The Moroccan should also lead the line in Barcelona, for a side that is still managed by José Luis Mendilibar. The Basque coach has developed a reputation as something of a specialist on the European stage, having guided Sevilla to the Europa League crown in 2023, before leading Olympiacos to their first ever continental trophy the following year. 

Team News: 

Barcelona are still missing Marc-André ter Stegen, Joan García, Gavi, and Dani Olmo due to injuries. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres are closer to fitness, but this game may also come too soon for all three. 

That will leave Flick short on attacking options once more. 17-year-old Toni Fernández led the line against Girona at the weekend, but was replaced at the break. Marcus Rashford could also potentially operate as the striker on Tuesday night, while Fermín may come into the advanced midfield role. 

As for Olympiacos, they're likely to have two absentees. Brazilian winger Gabriel Strefezza is yet to shake off a virus, while his fellow Brazilian Rodinei is dealing with an injury. Mendilibar favours a 4-2-3-1 system, with his teams known for moving the ball from back to front quickly. 

Match Odds: 

Barcelona are the 2/11 favourites to win this game, while you can back the Draw at 13/2. Olympiacos are available at a huge 16/1 to claim a famous victory in what will be only the third ever meeting between the clubs. 

If you're expecting the home team to take care of business without too many problems, you can back Barça to win and Over 3.5 goals at 23/20. The hosts are also priced at 7/4 to score over 3.5 goals, and 23/20 to win both halves. 

Alternatively, Olympiacos or Draw is available at 18/5 in the Double Chance market. The Greeks are priced at 9/2 to win either half, while Both teams to score is on offer at 1/1. 

With so many other attacking absentees, Rashford will again be in line for a major role, and the Englishman is priced at 7/2 to score first and 19/20 to score anytime. You can also back Yamal to get on the scoresheet at some point in this contest at odds of 1/1. 

*You can see all of our Barcelona vs Olympiacos Odds and betting markets over on betfred.com

Newcastle vs Barcelona TV:

Barcelona vs Olympiacos is an early-match on Tuesday evening and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1. Kick-off is set for 17:45 and you can also stream the match via Discovery+ or SkyGo.

Bet 1 - Olympiacos +2.00 Handicap @ 7/5 

Barcelona have not been convincing in recent weeks. They've created fewer expected goals than their opponents in each of their last three matches, with PSG, Sevilla and Girona all registering at least 1.7 xG in their outings against the Catalan giants. 

Defensively, they have been weaker than last term, when they also took many risks, but frequently perfected the offside trap. Meanwhile, their considerable selection issues are clearly hampering them at the other end of the pitch. 

Flick has the added problem of needing to keep key players fresh for Sunday's Clásico trip to the Bernabéu. That should make this a good time for the visitors to be taking on the Spanish champions, and I'm backing Olympiacos +2.00 Handicap at 7/5. 

Bet 2 - Ayoub El Kaabi to score anytime @ 3/1 

Ominously for Barcelona, their opponents have a striker with the perfect skillset for exploiting their high line. El Kaabi has the pace to get in behind their defence, and he has excelled on the big European stage in recent years, most notably when he scored five goals across the two legs of a Conference League semi-final against Aston Villa. 

Opposing strikers have frequently been presented with one-on-one opportunities against Barça in recent weeks. Isaac Romero could easily have scored a first-half hat-trick for Sevilla before the international break. If they are as open defensively in this game, the clinical Olympiacos striker will surely take advantage. 

El Kaabi has been in good form this season, with five goals in seven Greek Super League outings, while he's averaging 3.5 shots per game in the Champions League. I'm backing the 32-year-old to score anytime at 3/1. 

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Mark Sochon P/L 25/26 Season:

• Points Staked: 61
• Points Returned: 59.23
• P/L: -1.77

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Football writers on our Football home page...