Olympiacos take a comfortable 3-1 lead into the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Partizan Belgrade, knowing that they just need to avoid conceding three goals to make it through to the next round.
UEFA Champions League – Third Qualifying Round (2nd Leg) Wednesday 2nd August – 19:45 UK Time
Olympiacos
The Greek Super League champions have had a solid pre-season, losing just once in seven warm-up games. They topped off that good run of form with a brilliant 3-1 victory in the first leg of this tie in Serbia last week.
Two goals from Ben Nabouhane and a stoppage time strike by Emenike have put Olympiacos in pole position in this tie.
Last season, they were knocked out at this stage of this competition before going on to reach the Last-16 of the Europa League. This time around, they have a solid lead to make them almost certain of advancing. If they avoid conceding three goals, they are through.
Partizan Belgrade
The Serbian champions have already gone one round better in this competition than they did last season, although it will require a minor miracle to go any further.
That home defeat last week means they have a mountain to climb in Greece, with them coming into the game knowing they must score at least three goals and prevent their opponents from scoring.
Despite the tough task ahead, they are in fantastic form domestically. They have won their opening Serbian SuperLiga matches, 6-1 and 2-1, to sit in their familiar position atop the table.
Head to Head
The first leg of this tie is the only head to head information available. So, Olympiacos have the edge over Partizan Belgrade with regards past meetings.
Betting Odds and Predictions
After Olympiacos’ convincing first leg victory, it’s impossible to bet against them winning again here. They are priced at 4/7 with Betway. Partizan Belgrade are priced at 19/4 to pull off a surprise victory, and the draw is 16/5.
As already said, it’s impossible for us to recommend betting on anything other than a home win here. The away team need to attack from the off, which may leave holes in their defence. Olympiacos have already shown they can find the net against the Serbian side, so any errors at the back will be jumped upon.
With how the match will probably be played out, it’s highly likely both teams will score. They both netted in the first leg and it’s 17/20 for Both teams to Score again here.
There is a fantastic price available in the Double Chance & BTTS market. Punters can back Olympiacos or Draw & BTTS for 6/5, which could be a licence to print money.
The 3/4 available for Over 2.5 Goals also looks too good to ignore.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip here must be Olympiacos or Draw & Both Teams to Score in the “Double Chance & BTTS” market, priced at 6/5 with Betway. It offers fantastic value for something we are extremely confident will happen.