TFT Issue 3278!

Olympique de Marseille vs Olympiakos Piraeus

KO: 20:00 (UK time)

Am I pushing the anti-Olympique de Marseille wagon a bit too far here? Hmm. I don’t believe so. It’s not a very frequent occurrence nowadays, for a team to lose all six UEFA Champions League games, especially not one from a big league like Ligue 1. If they lose today though, that’s what is awaiting them – there’s not a chance they’ll avoid defeat in Manchester. It’ll be fun to see if there’s any pride left in this group of mercenaries.

If Olympique de Marseille intend on even being in the UEFA Europa League, they’ve got to win tonight’s game by at least two goals – and hope that Olympiakos Piraeus don’t get anything against FC Porto, a team that will have nothing to play for if Olympique de Marseille do indeed get something from this game. To say that I think their motivation levels will be gone is an understatement. Their manager has made it abundantly clear to the French media that his team are not good enough for this level, and I don’t think that’s exactly a revelation – it’s just a bit unusual for a manager to say it quite as brazenly as he has. Perhaps he misses being a driver rather than a manager and wants a payout, huh?

Anyway – Olympique de Marseille do have access to players that Olympiakos Piraeus don’t, in general. Although he’s a lazy fuck, Payet can be that man. Thauvin is still a class act, of course – he can decide most games in their favour. I’ll always like Sanson and Strootman in midfield too. In general though, Olympique de Marseille do not function as a team. They look scared of attacking because they know what’ll come at them if they do, so they tend to sit off teams and try to counterattack. However, they forget the ‘attacking’ side of that, and that defence of theirs is not going to keep teams out at this level. Basically, Olympique de Marseille have gotten everything wrong in every UEFA Champions League game this season; I expect more of the same tonight.

My big concern here is that Olympiakos Piraeus will play for the draw, which will be enough for them to attain a UEFA Europa League place. It depends on how ambitious boss Martins is, really. If he believes that Manchester City can win in Portugal tonight, then he may as well go for the win, and see if FC Porto have the bottle for a feisty night in Athens to decide which team goes through in second place. I’d like to think it’d be the latter; that would certainly aid my tip. I don’t doubt that Olympiakos Piraeus can contain their hosts well enough to get the draw; I just want them to play with that bit more purpose because they can definitely win at an empty Stade Velodrome. It’s a shame classy playmaker Valbuena won’t be playing for the Greek heavyweights; he’d love to play a pivotal role against his former club!

Olympiakos Piraeus can do this though, seriously. It’s not a team that I trust away from home very often; they’ve always been an awful lot stronger at home than away from home. However, this is a good side with lots of experience. They’ve got a good target man El-Arabi, and both he and Koka have been amongst the goals this season. Rapid Portuguese winger Bruma is on the cusp of returning, and he’s one hell of a lethal weapon on his day. Soudani is a good dribbler – if in the mood – and club legend Fortounis will always give this team a chance whilst he’s on the pitch. It helps that M’Vila is playing as enforcer for them too – he knows this opposition very well.

They’re not rash, Olympiakos Piraeus – I like that about them. They’re very ‘European’ i.e. patient, measured, classy on the ball, and organised. They don’t have the quality of most teams at this level, understandably, but I would not underestimate them. They’re a far more convincing and effective European team than Olympique de Marseille are, and tonight’s trip to France might just be the perfect platform on which they can prove it.

For me, backing the visitors with draw no bet cover at 6/5 looks just peachy here.

Verdict: Olympiakos Piraeus to win with draw no bet at 6/5.