Olympiacos vs. Arsenal Betting Preview – Europa League, March 11, 2021

Arsenal will be looking to gain revenge over Olympiacos when the two sides meet for the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie in Piraeus on Thursday, March 11.

The Greek champions knocked the Gunners out of the Europa League in the Round of 32 last season, although it feels like Mikel Arteta’s men have come a long way since way.

I share my Olympiacos vs. Arsenal prediction and betting pick below. But first, let’s take a look at the bookmakers’ odds.

10bet views Arsenal (1.90) as the favorite to win the first leg. But as you can see, the price for the away victory is by no means small here.

In my eyes, the odds for both the draw (3.40) and the home win seem fairly generous. After all, Olympiacos (4.00) has a reputation for producing shock results on home soil in European competition.

Olympiacos began the 2020/21 season in the Champions League and kicked off their campaign with a win over Marseille. But after losing their subsequent five games, Pedro Martins’ side ended up finishing ten points behind second-place Porto in Group C.

Having dropped down into the Europa League, Thrylos clinched a 5-4 aggregate victory against PSV Eindhoven in the Round of 32, before drawing Arsenal in the last 16.

As usual, Martins’ men are totally dominating that Greek Super League this term. In fact, they have only lost one of their 25 league matches, with 20 wins putting them 16 points clear at the top of the table.

It is also worth pointing out that Olympiacos has netted 61 goals along the way and has only conceded 12. Still, let’s not forget that the Greek Super League is nowhere near the level of the Europa League Round of 16.

The Greek champs can take confidence from the fact that they eliminated Arsenal in the Round of 32 last season, yet they aren’t likely to have it all their own way this time around.

? Manchester United meet Milan, Arsenal seek redemption, round of 16 debutants face off…

Europa League preview ?#UEL

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 8, 2021

It’s safe to say that Arsenal made light work of their Group B opponents earlier in the campaign. I mean, Molde, Rapid Vienna, and Dundalk were never going to cause the EPL side too many problems. But the Gunners still had to get the job done.

After scoring 20 goals and conceding just five, Arteta’s men qualified for the knockout phase with maximum points, netting over 2.5 goals in all but one of their six group games.

The Londoners were then faced with a serious test of their ability in the Round of 32, but they managed to edge out Portuguese giant Benfica, winning 4-3 on aggregate.

The Gunners’ domestic struggles have kept them battling in mid-table for much of the season. But having taken seven points from their previous four matches, the club could make a late charge for the European place.

Thankfully, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seems to have rediscovered his touch. The forward has bagged four goals in his last four EPL outings and will now be hoping to carry his new-found form onto the European stage.

It feels like Arteta’s men have grown as a team since the last time they faced Olympiacos. Yes, their current Premier League position may not reflect that. But there is no denying that Arsenal is in a better place this time around.

Olympiacos’ customary domestic domination rolls on this season, but the Greek side has always struggled to make an impact in Europe. For that reason, I’m backing Arsenal to win the first leg on Thursday.