Olympiacos looks to salvage season in Europe

By: Peter Katsiris | August 29th, 2008

I have never had to do this before, but here I am writing a UEFA Cup Draw Recap with Olympiacos being my main focus. A side that has featured in the Champions League group stage for eleven consecutive seasons sees themselves in a new environment; the UEFA Cup is Olympiacos’ final chance to salvage any hopes for a successful campaign in Europe.

The club fell 3-2 on aggregate to Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta, and the bruises of the defeat are still sore amongst the Olympiacos supporters. It was supposed to be Olympiacos’ coming out party, and the Greek Champions were scheduled to make a twelfth consecutive appearance. After the first leg, and a 3-0 loss, it was clear things weren’t going as they should — at least from a Greek perspective.

Facing an embarrassing early exit from the UEFA Champions League, the club vowed to improve ahead of the return leg; however, the odds were always against the Olympiacos — after all they needed to win by four clear goals. Despite the doubts, stubborn Thrylos supporters — myself included — believed the team would make up for their mistakes in Larnaca. Sadly they didn’t, and they weren’t even close. A slim 1-0 win at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium ended the impressive mainstay the club achieved for the past decade or so.

The loss felt somewhat like a relegation battle was lost, and Olympiacos were the ones going down. No disrespect to the UEFA Cup, or its field of quality sides; however, the atmosphere its sister competition possesses is far from the complex chain of matches each club endures in the UEFA Cup. The Champions League always seems to deliver. Who knows it could be the pre-game goosebumps the anthem brings, or the fact you are facing the best clubs from around the continent. With that being said, Olympiacos will have to make the most of the maze known as the UEFA Cup.

The draw was conducted earlier this morning and Olympiacos first task is an encounter to with Danish club FC Nordsjælland. The encounter will be two-legged tie and if Olympiacos do progress from the knockout round, the club will join fellow tie winners in Group 8.

Group 8:
SC Braga (POR) v FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK)
Feyenoord (NED) v Kalmar FF (SWE)
Hamburger SV (GER) v AFC Unirea Urziceni (ROU)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) v AS Saint-Etienne (FRA)
FC Nordsjælland (DEN) v Olympiacos CFP (GRE)

A relatively tough draw for the Greek Champions, despite the fortunate first knock out tie the club faces a possible stiff test if the club progresses. We won’t jinx anything, so I’ll just stop there. With that being said, Olympiacos are in for a bit of research ahead of their meeting with Nordsjælland. The two have never met in European competition, but after their Champions League exit, you can guarantee Olympiacos wont be taking their mysterious opponents lightly.

As for the rest of the field, it sure boasts some great sides. AC Milan is the headline of those clubs as well as a handful of former winners, including: Sevilla, Valencia, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, and CSKA Moskva. The first leg of matches is scheduled for 18/9, and the return will come a fortnight later on 2/10. Olympiacos opens its UEFA Cup campaign in Denmark in mid-September, ahead of their return to Greece two weeks later.

Group 1:
AC Milan (ITA) v FC Zürich (SUI)
FC Timişoara (ROU) v FK Partizan (SRB)
Hertha BSC Berlin (GER) v Saint Patrick’s Athletic FC (IRL)
FC Baník Ostrava (CZE) v FC Spartak Moskva (RUS)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR) v Beşiktaş JK (TUR)

Group 2:
Portsmouth FC (ENG) v Vitória SC (POR)
Kayserispor (TUR) v Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
Sevilla FC (ESP) v FC Salzburg (AUT)
VfL Wolfsburg (GER) v FC Rapid Bucureşti (ROU)
UC Sampdoria (ITA) v FBK Kaunas (LTU)

Group 3:
CS Marítimo (POR) v Valencia CF (ESP)
NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Manchester City FC (ENG) v AC Omonia (CYP)
BSC Young Boys (SUI) v Club Brugge KV (BEL)
AS Nancy-Lorraine (FRA) v Motherwell FC (SCO)

Group 4:
Everton FC (ENG) v R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
SSC Napoli (ITA) v SL Benfica (POR)
AC Bellinzona (SUI) v Galatasaray AŞ (TUR)
NEC Nijmegen (NED) v FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti (ROU)
Real Racing Club Santander (ESP) v FC Honka Espoo (FIN)

Group 5:
APOEL FC (CYP) v FC Schalke 04 (GER)
PFC Litex Lovech (BUL) v Aston Villa FC (ENG)
FK Austria Wien (AUT) v KKS Lech Poznań (POL)
Vitória FC (POR) v SC Heerenveen (NED)
SK Brann (NOR) v RC Deportivo La Coruña (ESP)

Group 6:
SK Slavia Praha (CZE) v SC Vaslui (ROU)
NK Slaven Koprivnica (CRO) v PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)
Brøndby IF (DEN) v Rosenborg BK (NOR)
PFC Cherno More Varna (BUL) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Stade Rennais FC (FRA) v FC Twente (NED)

Group 7:
AFC Ajax (NED) v FK Borac (SRB)
Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG) v Wisla Kraków (POL)
FC København (DEN) v FC Moskva (RUS)
MŠK Žilina (SVK) v PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)
BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) v Udinese Calcio (ITA)