20/12/2007 09:16, Report by Ben Hibbs
Profile: Olympiakos
Have we met before? United came up against Olympiakos in consecutive seasons at the start of the decade, winning on all four occasions. In fact, the Reds scored 12 goals in those matches, conceding just twice.
Where do they play? Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece. Holds 33,334 and is a 4-star rated stadium, along with the likes of Anfield, the City of Manchester Stadium and Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
How did they do in the group stages? Very well. The Greek side finished second, level on points with Group C winners Real Madrid. Unbeaten at home and surprisingly good on the road, two of Olympiakos' three victories were away to Lazio and Werder Bremen, while their 4-2 defeat in Madrid was skewed by the fact they played most of the game with 10 men.
Who’s the boss? Takis Lemonis. In his second spell as manager at the club, Lemonis has had to win over the Erythrolefki (Red-Whites) fans. However, their Champions League form and current second-place in the Greek Super League means he is now held in high regard.
Who’s their star man? Forwards Darko Kovacevic and Luciano Galletti got three goals each in the group games and will need to be watched.
Any European history? The furthest they have gone in the competition was in 1998-99 when they were knocked out at the quarter final stage by United's semi final opponents Juventus. |