Olympiacos and Pafos are playing their match for the 1st round of the Champions League’s League Phase, at Georgios Karaiskakis, home of Olympiacos.
Facts
- Olympiacos have a 5-4-3 record against Cypriot teams in European competitions.
- There’ve been nine instances of under 2.5 goals and three with over 2.5 goals in those games, as well as seven with BTTS and five with BTTS: No.
- The last three Olympiacos European games saw over 2.5 goals.
- Five of Pafos’s last six European games saw under 2.5 goals, while their last two ended with BTTS.
Betting Tip: Olympiacos – Pafos FC
Olympiacos is the bigger team on paper. They have the experience and talent advantage, while also playing at home, where they’ve been particularly strong. That being said, odds around 1.45-1.50 in a competition like the Champions League make little sense.
Pafos have already knocked out teams that were better on paper, and the absence of Olympiacos goalkeeper Tzolakis is important. It’s worth pursuing BTTS.
- Prediction: BTTS: Yes
- Odds: 2.00 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 5
Olympiacos
Olympiacos have been building steadily towards a return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2020/21 season. Following their remarkable Conference League win in 2024, the Greek side participated in the League Phase of the Europa League, reaching the round of 16 before falling to Bodo/Glimt.
Last season was a momentous one for the club, as it reached 100 years of existence and it appropriately combined it with the domestic double.
Spanish manager Jose Luis Medilibar took over in January 2024 and hasn’t looked back, producing impressive results. This time, they qualified directly for the Champions League’s League Phase and had the time and opportunity to plan their transfer policy without any rush.
Their biggest additions were Gabriel Strefezza (winger, Como), Daniel Podence (winger, Al Shabab), Mehdi Taremi (centre forward, Inter), and Remy Cambella (attacking midfield, LOSC Lille).
Starting goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis will be absent from the game against Pafos FC due to an injury, which is a significant blow to Olympiacos.
Pafos FC
The sky is the limit! The Cypriot team pulled off an incredible run in the qualifiers, accomplishing one historic upset after another in the process of securing a spot in the top European comps for the first time in their history.
That is coming in the aftermath of a magical season that saw the team win the first championship of their history, just a year after winning their first domestic cup ever. Simply put, Pafos FC is the new power of Cypriot football and appears to be here to stay.
Spanish manager Juan Carlos Carcedo naturally remains at the helm. He led the team through three rounds of qualifiers, all three against teams that were nominally superior.
Their first victim was Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv (1-1, 1-0), followed by Ukrainian Dynamo Kiev (1-0, 2-0), and finally by Serbian Red Star Belgrade. Pafos have been excellent tactically, displaying a unique ability to get out on the counter and finish clinically.
