Home strong Greeks host away weak Israelis
Twelve knockout clashes are on the agenda in the second round of UEFA Champions League qualifying. A look at the first-leg results promises enormous excitement, as in eleven of these twelve matches the winner had a maximum lead of one goal. There was no winner at all in the clash between Olympiakos Piraeus and Maccabi Haifa, who now face each other in the Greek port city on Wednesday evening.
The Greek title holders took an early lead in Israel but ultimately had to settle for a 1-1 draw. In the event of another draw, extra time is on the agenda on Wednesday. But according to the bookmakers, this will not be necessary, because between Olympiakos Piraeus and Maccabi Haifa the bet on the home win is clearly favoured. Odds around 1.70 are offered for the home side, while a win for the Israeli visitors attracts five times the betting odds.
The dream of the top flight remains alive for the winner of this knockout clash, with Apollon Limassol (champions of Cyprus) a feasible draw in the third of four qualifying rounds. The loser moves on to the Europa League qualifiers where they will face the loser between Ferencvaros Budapest and Slovan Bratislava.
Olympiakos Piraeus – Statistics & current form
Between 1997 and 2017, the Greek sector leaders claimed no less than 19 championships before the club had to wait three years for a title. But in the last three years, the traditional Greek club was once again the absolute measure of all things and won the Greek title in commanding fashion. They now have no fewer than 47 Greek championships and 28 cup wins to their name.
Imposing home record
In the final standings last season, Olympiakos had no less than a 19-point lead. With 65 points in the basic round (26 games), Martins’ eleven had already collected more points than runners-up PAOK Saloniki, including the ten play-off games. The dominance is overwhelming, but not surprising when you look at the squad. The team from the Greek port city is peppered with many renowned players.
Konstantinos Manolas and Mathieu Valbuena are familiar to every football fan, but players like newcomer Sime Vrsaljko (Croatian international, came from Atletico Madrid), Tiquinho Soares (former Porto), goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik (former FC Sevilla) or Sokratis (BVB, Arsenal) also have a lot of experience to show. Exactly this experience is the big advantage in this Champions League duel and underlines the role of the favourites.
Another argument that underlines the prediction on the home side in the duel between Olympiakos Piraeus and Maccabi Haifa is the impressive home record in the home stadium. On the way to winning the title again, the Greeks celebrated 13 home victories last year, four games ended in a draw and only one home match (on the third-last matchday, when they had already been crowned champions) was lost. Many renowned teams have also struggled internationally in the past.
Predicted line-up of Olympiakos Piraeus:
Vaclik – Vrsaljko, Manolas, Cisse, Reabciuk – M’Vila, Kane – Masouras, Camara, Zinckernagel – Tiquinho Soares
Last matches played by Olympiakos Piraeus:
Champions League Qualifier
20/07/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 1 – 1 Olympiakos Piraeus
Friendly club matches
10/07/2022 – Olympiakos Piraeus 1 – 0 AZ Alkmaar
02/07/2022 – RB Salzburg 3 – 1 Olympiakos Piraeus
24/06/2022 – Ried 2 – 0 Olympiakos Piraeus
Super League Playoff Grp.
17/05/2022 – AEK Athens 2 – 3 Olympiakos Piraeus
Maccabi Haifa – Statistics & current form
For the second time in a row – title number 14 in total – Maccabi Haifa were crowned title holders last season. Founded in 1913, the football club also made history a few years ago when Maccabi Haifa became the first team to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Even though this dream still lives on, qualification for the top flight is by no means realistic.
Last season, head coach Barak Bakhar’s team also qualified for the top flight, but lost to Kairat Almaty in round one and had to settle for the Conference League. They managed to qualify for the group stage, but were eliminated in a group with Feyenoord, Union Berlin and Slavia Prague.
Away a welcome guest
The team’s performance away from home was a decisive factor for their elimination, because while the team is quite competitive at home, this is rarely the case away from home. Last season, Maccabi Haifa played a total of seven international away matches, with the only victory coming in Georgia against Dinamo Tbilisi. In the six remaining games, there was one reims and five defeats, including a 1-0 loss to HB Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.
It is not only the away record on the international stage that does not give the Israelis much hope, but also the performances in the still young 2022/23 season. Although the team has only played four matches, they have not yet managed a win. In the test matches against KV Mechelen and Vitesse Arnhem, they both lost 1-0, and in the Israeli Super Cup, the champions were beaten by Hapoel Beer Sheva on penalties. It is hard to find any arguments between Olympiakos Piraeus and Maccabi Haifa to back the Israeli side to progress. A surprise is hardly in the offing in this duel.
Predicted line-up of Maccabi Haifa:
Cohen – Cornud, Goldberg, Planic, Sundgren – Lavi, Chery, Muhammad – Haziza, David, Atzili
Last matches played by Maccabi Haifa:
Champions League Qualifier
20/07/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 1 – 1 Olympiakos Piraeus
Super Cup
17/07/2022 – Maccabi Haifa (3)1 – 1(4) Hapoel Beer Sheva
Friendly club matches
12/07/2022 – Vitesse Arnhem 1 – 0 Maccabi Haifa
09/07/2022 – KV Mechelen 1 – 0 Maccabi Haifa
Cup
25/05/2022 – Hapoel Beer Sheva (3)2 – 2.1 Maccabi Haifa
Olympiakos Piraeus – Maccabi Haifa Direct comparison / H2H record
This clash took place 20 years ago, but the two teams did not meet until the group stage of the top flight. The Israeli representatives from Haifa collected four points in the two games. The home match was won 3-0, while in Greece Maccabi Haifa drew 3-3, albeit disappointingly after leading 3-1 at one stage.
Last week, Olympiakos got off to a flying start with winger Zinckernagel opening the scoring in the seventh minute. Martins’ side only gave away the win in stoppage time, with Maccabi Haifa scoring a vital equaliser in minute 92
Olympiakos Piraeus – Maccabi Haifa Tip
The late equaliser last week was extremely bitter from the Greek favourites’ point of view, but it does not change the basic starting position in this knockout duel. The home side are considered clear favourites and anything other than a win at home would be a big surprise. Home strength meets away weakness, and Olympiakos have far more international experience to show for it.
These aspects ensure that a relatively high stake of seven units is recommended with a clear conscience when betting on a home win between Olympiakos Piraeus and Maccabi Haifa. Other interesting options are betting on the under 2.5 or betting that not both teams will score. The Israeli guests will try to keep the goalless draw as long as possible and will not invest much in the offensive game themselves. Therefore, a football treat is not to be expected on Wednesday evening.
