Orthodox duel for promotion

After the previous season, the state of mind in this duel is probably relatively clear. Piraeus was dethroned by a certain margin of respect and outclassed by their worst rival. Thus, after years, there is no Champions League qualification in the port of Athens.

The guests, on the other hand, managed a strong result with third place. In addition to the ranking itself, however, it is above all the view of the table that should please. Although the guests were 20 points behind the champions, Partizan, among others, ran in behind them. However, this is no argument for the present. That is why in Olympiakos Piraeus vs Cukaricki Belgrade the betting odds are clearly on Greek ground.

If the financial possibilities should play a decisive role, then the fair has already been read before the start. The guests can look at a market value of just under 25 million. The strong man in Piraeus and Nottingham probably only laughs at that.

His squad is worth almost 102 million. In terms of experience, Olympiakos can’t be beaten in this duel anyway. Thus, many bettors assume a relatively clear thing. For Olympiakos Piraeus against Cukaricki Belgrade, the odds clearly go in the direction of a home win.

The preparation for this duel was very different. The Serbian league is already heading for the fifth matchday. In Greece there was only one match. However, the host is not completely cold. In the previous round, the Reds narrowly beat Genk from Belgium.

This opponent seems to be rated stronger than those from the Serbian league (with one exception). As a result, Olympiakos Piraeus against Cukaricki Belgrade is predicted to win at home.

Olympiakos Piraeus – Statistics & current form

It has been a messy year in Piraeus. Third place in the final standings and also no Cup victory. This is what “first world problems” look like in the Marinakis house.

Accordingly, the squad was tinkered with and tinkered with so that the Erythrolevki (Red and Whites) can get back to where they (in their opinion) should always be. However, whether they will succeed in doing so remains questionable. Time and again over the years, Olympiakos has managed to reinvent itself after a weak season.

However, when qualification for the Champions League mutated into a fiasco last season, the movers and shakers at the port quickly tried to turn everything around. The end result was three coaches, third place and, above all, no title. Whether the total of 15 departures can be replaced by the dozen new recruits remains to be seen.

Phoenix from the ashes?

This showed how fragile the position of power can be. Over the last few years, the majority of the Greek league became a “one team show”. This was due (it is rumored outside the port) to the referee. This is purely speculative. Indisputable, however, was the weakness of the opponents. Often a mediocre campaign was enough to win the title.

This then often fell on the head of the Sportfreunde in the international business. Now (at least once) the two fiercest competitors, AEK and PAO, have moved past. However, the battle for the title dragged on until the end and could be to the advantage of all three teams, especially in knockout duels. Like Olympiakos, the aforementioned teams made their first European Cup appearances by a narrow margin. Now they face the next hurdle.

The first test

The season began with five tests against various opponents. The distribution was two wins (2:1 Slovacko / 3:1 Rangers FC), two draws (1:1 Sabah Baku / 1:1 Nordsjaelland) and one defeat (0:2 Norwich). This was followed by the first compulsory program with KRC Genk. In Piraeus, the Red and Whites won 1:0. In Genk, they scored the decisive 1:1 in the 96th minute.

This was the third Greek team to secure promotion in the same round, virtually at the end of the match. So although the results so far have not been outstanding, at least morale is high. As is well known, this cannot be bought and is probably also one of the reasons for the bookmakers’ assessment. For Olympiakos Piraeus against Cukaricki Belgrade, the odds clearly promote a home win.

Predicted lineup of Olympiakos Piraeus:
Paschalakis – Ramon, Retsos, Ntoi, Vrousai – Alexandropoulos, Camara – Masouras, Carvalho, Biel – El-Arabi

Cukaricki Belgrade – statistics & current form

Last season was probably one of the most enjoyable that the fans of the “Highlanders” have experienced in a long time. This euphoria probably still resonates with the first gallop in Europe.

The champions come from Belgrade and wear a red star. That’s not surprising. But neither the vice-champion nor the third place went to Partizan. These places were surprisingly taken by TSC and Cukaricki. The Belgrade team missed the runner-up spot by just five goals. That was a shame, but still a huge success.

They now want to build on this success. For this purpose, both the squad and the personnel have been reorganized. Not surprisingly, with little financial resources. But this has (especially outside the money pots) in the Balkans again and again great fruits carried

Metamorphosis

With Igor Matic, the new coach has been on the sidelines for about a week. As a player, he played over 130 games for the club and was part of the team that won the Serbian Cup (the club’s only title) in 2015. After that, it became quiet around him. The return to his old love also represents the first coaching station. Only as the head of the soccer school of the club and as a youth scout he was active. An interesting order thus.

This one now gets to deal with twelve new players. The majority are Serbs. Kickers from Belgium, Cyprus, Portugal, France and the USA are also in the lineup. So it’s a complete change that’s been made here, but whether it can be accomplished so quickly is questionable.

What happened so far

However, the first appearances were not uninteresting. After six tests, there was one win, one loss and four draws. With Sparta Prague and Rijeka, two big names were thwarted.

The league then started with a 2:0 against Radnicki Nis and a 2:1 against Radnicki 1923. After the 2:2 against FK Javor the new coach was appointed and he saw a 0:3 against Novi Beograd at the beginning (two days after his appointment). So everything still seems quite half-baked. Both in the structure and in the club. On the pitch, however, there has always been something to see so far.

Predicted lineup of Cukaricki Belgrade:
Filipovic – Rogan, Calasan, Drezgic, Stevanovic – Sissoko, Docic – Owusu, Miladinovic, Adzic – Badamosi

Olympiakos Piraeus – Cukaricki Belgrade Direct comparison / H2H balance

The direct duel has not occurred in the recent past. Looking at the European performances, no wonder. The men from the port are a regular guest in the international competitions. The last time the hosts were not represented in Europe was in 1992.

The guests, on the other hand, played in the UI Cup for the first time in 1996. This was followed by a break between 1997 and 2014. Since then, they have appeared relatively frequently in the qualifying round, but have never made it into a playoff or group. That probably explains why Olympiakos Piraeus is considered a favorite against Cukaricki Belgrade by picks.

Olympiakos Piraeus – Cukaricki Belgrade Tip

The guests have had a mixed start to the season so far. Two wins were followed by just as many winless games. The hosts started the league with a 2-0 win over Panseraikos at the weekend. In the European Cup, they have a close duel with Genk behind them. There, the “small” Cukaricki looks like an easy draw on paper.

However, these are often more difficult than expected in qualifying. Caution should therefore be exercised. Nevertheless, the betting companies have a clear opinion. In the case of Olympiakos Piraeus against Cukaricki Belgrade, the forecasts assume success for the Hellenes.

Measured by the squad, the financial background and also the experience, however, there should be no two opinions about the outcome. The demands in the port are high and another titleless season will not be tolerated. However, a good season also includes advancing to a group stage.

The crowd is demanding but loud and that drives the Red and Whites. That’s why our tip is 1 for Olympiakos Piraeus against Cukaricki Belgrade, but it doesn’t bring good odds and that’s why we suspect a high-scoring victory for the Hellenes. Interwetten offers good odds on this one