On Thursday, Olympiacos take on Arsenal for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The match will take place at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece and will be the 11th time that these two sides have met over all European competitions, with both teams winning five times each.
This is a must-win game for Arsenal, who have been struggling in the Premier League all season. The best shot at a trophy this year for the Gunners would be to win the Europa League, but it will be a difficult task going up against Olympiacos, who knocked them out of the competition last season in the round of 32.
One player who will almost certainly start for Olympiacos is striker Youseff El Arabi, who is currently the top goalscorer in the Greek Super League. It would not be a surprise to also see an appearance from former Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who joined the club in the January transfer window.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal are likely to produce a starting XI involving some first-team regulars as well as some youngsters. One player that could be a doubt is 20 year-old Emile Smith-Rowe, who sustained a hip injury in Arsenal’s clash with Leicester City last month. The Gunners also have a North London derby to think about only three days after their Europa League fixture, which will undoubtedly give Mikel Arteta some things to consider when it comes to team selection.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis fixture kicks off at 8pm on Thursday 11th March and will be available to watch on BT Sport.
