Olympiakos vs Fenerbahce
UEFA Europa League Conference, KO: 17:45 Apr 11, 2024, Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki
A thrilling contest is expected as Olympiakos and Fenerbahce square off in their Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg on Thursday. Neither side has shown much defensive solidity lately and given the quality in both attacks, goals could be expected here.
Olympiakos reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League after an impressive comeback victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Having lost 4-1 at home in the first leg, they ran out 6-1 winners in the return fixture for a 7-5 aggregate triumph.
The Greeks have been a bit erratic lately with three wins and as many defeats from their last six matches. However, Jose Luis Mendilibar will head into Thursday’s clash off the back of a 5-1 victory over Lamia in a Super League fixture last weekend.
Goals have not been a problem for Olympiakos as evidenced by the wins over Maccabi Tel Aviv and Lamia. However, their open style of play often leaves them exposed at the back having kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches across all competitions.
Fenerbahce claimed 3-1 aggregate victory over Union St Gilloise to secure a berth in Thursday’s clash. A 3-0 victory in the first leg gave them a solid advantage and they were able to progress despite losing 1-0 in the return fixture.
The Turks have been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately following their clash with Trabzonspor fans and fielding their U19s against Galatasaray last weekend. Despite all of this, their form has been quite solid, winning five of their last six matches across all competitions.
Like Olympiakos, Fenerbahce have also impressed going forward, scoring three goals or more in four of their last five matches. However, Ismail Kartal’s men are often suspect at the back as evidenced by the 6-1 defeat at Nordsjælland in their penultimate away fixture in the Conference League.
How the bookies view it
Olympiakos have the edge among the bookies with a home win priced at 11/8 by Betfred. A victory for Fenerbahce is valued at 2/1 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by William Hill.
Head to head
Olympiakos have a 2-1 advantage from three previous matches against Fenerbahce. The Greeks did the double when both teams met in the 2021-22 Europa League, claiming a 3-0 victory in Turkey before earning a 1-0 win in the return fixture.
Players to watch
Ayoub El Kaabi has been the standout player for Olympiakos in this season's Conference League. The Moroccan forward has six goals in his last five matches in the competition and is priced at 2/1 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Fenerbahce also boast some attacking quality of their own, particularly Edin Dzeko, who has plenty of experience in European competition. The Bosnian striker has 23 goals across all competitions this season and is priced at 21/10 by William Hill to score anytime on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the attacking quality on display here, goals could be expected on Thursday. Over 3.5 goals is priced at 2/1 by BetVictor, over 2.5 goals is valued at 4/5 by bet365 while William Hill is offering odds of 7/10 on both teams to score.
There have been second half goals for both teams in Fenerbahce’s last two matches and a similar pattern is priced at 2/1 with William Hill.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Olympiakos and Fenerbahce will be played on Apr 11, 2024 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Olympiakos vs Fenerbahce prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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