Porto vs Olympiacos

A place in the UEFA Europa League playoffs is on the line as Porto and Olympiacos lock horns in a ‘make or break’ fixture at Estadio do Dragao.

A first group-stage elimination of a major European competition since 2005/06 is a distinct possibility for Porto as they start this penultimate league-phase round barely inside the top 24 after beating Midtjylland 2-0 on matchday six. Another victory is imperative for the home side after blowing hot and cold in the opening six rounds (W2, D2, L2). However, Porto’s pre-match form can’t inspire confidence, with Martin Anselmi’s side losing three competitive games on the trot, including a dismal 3-1 league defeat at Gil Vicente over the weekend. As a result, the club sacked manager Vitor Bruno, hoping to turn their fortunes around against Olympiacos. The Dragons have fared well against Greek opposition throughout history, only losing one of their previous six meetings (W4, D1), with the last two yielding identical 2-0 wins against none other than Olympiacos.

On the other hand, Olympiacos will be confident about avenging those defeats after thrashing Sporting Braga 3-0 in this season’s Europa League matchday two. Despite following that result with a slender 1-0 victory against Malmo, the visitors have since drawn three consecutive league-phase outings, including back-to-back scoreless encounters against FCSB and Twente in the build-up to this fixture. However, Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men head into proceedings in a buoyant mood after winning three of their four matches at the start of 2025 (D1), aiming to extend a remarkable 16-game unbeaten run in this competition (W10, D6). Yet, Olympiacos’ see-saw away record in the Europa League this term (W1, D1, L1) threatens to throw a spanner in the works.