Can Greeks Earn A Famous Victory At Fortress Stamford Bridge?
Chelsea reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in three of the last four seasons, so their burning desire is to go one better this time and make it to their first-ever final - particularly as the Moscow showpiece will have a special significance for Chelsea's Russian owner, Roman Abramovich.
Yet in the first leg of this Round of 16 tie, at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Athens, Chelsea may have been wearing those luminous yellow shirts but their performance was somewhat pallid. The match ended goalless - which gives the English side the advantage going into the return leg in London.
Greek champions Olympiakos - who are appearing in the knockout stages of this competition for the first time since 1998/99, when Juventus ended their interest - know that to progress to the quarter-finals they must win or earn a scoring draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Piraeus side managed by Panagiotis Lemonis were reasonably satisfied with the performance they put up in the first leg, but were left regretting missed chances after largely dominating possession and looking the more likely of the two sides to score. Chelsea manager Avram Grant admitted his side's performance had been their worst in Europe since he took over from Jose Mourinho after Matchday 1.
As far as neutrals and Chelsea fans are concerned, Olympiakos missed their best chance of winning this tie when they failed to score in Athens. Chelsea are unbeaten in this year's competition, and although their home form has not been sensational - two draws (1-1 against Rosenborg, 0-0 against Valencia) and a win (2-0 against Schalke 04) - at the same stage a year ago, Chelsea drew 1-1 away to Porto before winning the home leg 2-1, having been behind in both matches.
Moreover, while Olympiakos need goals on Wednesday, Chelsea have not conceded in their last five Champions League matches. It is now 531 minutes since David Villa scored in the ninth minute for Valencia on Matchday 2. And at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are looking to extend their run of successive home games without defeat in all competitions to 60. That run includes their last nine home games in the Champions League. They've won six wins and drawn three draws since losing to Barcelona 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the 2005/06 first knockout round, first leg.
However, the Greek champions achieved two wins out of three away from home in their group matches this season, winning 3-1 at Werder Bremen and 2-1 in Italy against Lazio, and there is a new resilience about them in Europe under Lemonis that Chelsea would underestimate at their peril. They will hope that new-found robustness on the road will count for more than their record in England, where they have lost all seven of their previous visits, conceding 24 goals along the way. On their last trip to face English opponents - for a Round of 16 second-leg game at Newcastle United in the 2004-05 Uefa Cup - they were thumped 4-0.
Mixed Domestic Fortunes
Since the two teams met in Athens, their domestic results have been mixed. Chelsea's next match was the Carling Cup final at Wembley where despite taking the lead they were ultimately outplayed by Tottenham, whose manager Juande Ramos outwitted Avram Grant tactically as Spurs picked up the first silverware of the English season with a rousing 2-1 win.
Although it was only the third defeat he'd suffered since replacing Jose Mourinho, halting a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Grant reaped a whirlwind of criticism for his team selection, substitutions and the perceived negativity of his team. His big-match temperament was called into question and, amid rumours of divisions within the dressing room, unfavourable comparisons were drawn with his predecessor.
Grant rounded on the media for their lack of respect for him and his club, and the players - albeit a much-changed eleven from those who started the Cup final - responded in style for the Israeli, sweeping away West Ham 4-0 in a Premier League encounter at the Boleyn Ground. It was an impressive victory that put them firmly back on track in the title race. Frank Lampard and Joe Cole both scored against their former club, although Lampard was shown a 36th-minute red card for violent conduct, while Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole completed Chelsea's sixth successive League win against the Hammers.
Afterwards, Grant said: "We started very well and without the red card the score would maybe have been much higher. We have good players, a good team and the players showed today what they have shown in more than 90 per cent of the games so I'm very happy. The squad showed a lot of spirit and passion, and that's what's important." He added: "Of course we can still win the title; I said it when we were nine points behind [leaders] Arsenal and now we're seven points behind with a game in hand. I always fight and never give in and I'm not going to start now."
Captain John Terry told BBC Sport after the West Ham game: "We've sorted things out very quickly as you can see from this performance. We've reacted to what has been said in the papers and reacted in a positive way and that's the only way the players can by doing it on the pitch.
"At every club things go on behind the scenes and nobody knows the full details. Things happen and things are sorted out very quickly and if not they drag on and disturb players and performances at the club. That's not the situation at Chelsea. The lads, the fans and the manager are all fighting to move Chelsea forward."
"We have to keep believing," added Terry. "Arsenal slipped up on Saturday against Aston Villa. Any time they slip up we have to make sure we are there to pick up the three points. We're still in three competitions and we've still got a very good chance."
The win extended Chelsea's unbeaten League run to ten matches since their 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on 16th December, and will have boosted morale nicely ahead of Wednesday's Champions League assignment.
As for Olympiakos, they have been displaced at the top of the Greek Super League since the first match against Chelsea. The defending champions now trail arch-rivals Panatinaikos by a point after drawing two successive League games, away to PAOK and at home to Asteras Tripolis. Those two games sandwiched a Greek Cup quarter-final tie away to Iraklis which Olympiakos won 2-0.
With one eye on the Chelsea tie, Lemonis rested Paraskevas Antzas and Christos Patsatzoglou against Asteras Tripolis on Saturday, but still hot off to a flying start with a goal from Julio Cesat after just two minutes. But they were pegged back by a long-range shot from Horacio Cardozo, and although the visitors were reduced to ten men early in the second-half, Olympiakos could not conjure a winning goal. Michał Żewłakow went closest with a header against the post, but the match was overshadowed by the dislocated shoulder suffered by Lomana LuaLua, back in the side after missing five games through injury, who had to be stretchered off in the closing minutes. The former Newcastle and Portsmouth winger is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks.
Lemonis commented afterwards: "We started very well, with an early goal, but after they equalised we didn't respond immediately. In the second half we could have scored but lacked calm and the draw was inevitable in the end. We dropped two very important points. We no longer control our own destiny: we must rely on other results. Nothing is finished, but we don't have time to think about it. Now, only the match against Chelsea matters. It will be a very different match from the one tonight, and we will explore our options."
Domestically, Olympiakos are still unbeaten at home this season, and have suffered just one League defeat throughout the campaign, away at Asteras Tripolis on 10th November. But too many draws are why they now trail Panathinaikos by a point.
Safely Through The Group Stage
The unbeaten Blues won their group comfortably enough, despite drawing three of their six matches, while Olympiakos progressed beyond the group stage for the first time in nine years, and are now aiming to overcome English opponents for the first time over two legs.
Under coach Panagiotis Lemonis - a former fan and player of the Piraeus club - Olympiakos, in their 100th game in the European Champions' Cup/League, clinched qualification for the first knock-out round on Matchday 6 by defeating Werder Bremen 3-0. Two goals from Ieroklis Stoltidis set them on their way, and the Greek midfielder also provided the assist for Darko Kovacevic to score the second. It was Olympiakos' first home win in the competition since 6th December 2005. In their two earlier group stage matches they had been held to draws by Lazio (1-1) and Real Madrid (0-0).
But it was their away form that helped Lemonis's side finish level on eleven points with Madrid, only taking second place because of Real's superior head-to-head record. To great joy among their fans, Olympiakos defeated Werder Bremen 3-1 on Matchday 2 to end a long-running sequence without an away win. They followed that up by defeating Lazio 2-1 in Rome. In both games, Kovacevic scored the final goal.
Chelsea's latest Champions League campaign began with a disappointing home draw against Rosenborg that proved to be manager Jose Mourinho's last game in charge of the Londoners. He left the club immediately afterwards and was replaced by director of football Avram Grant, who has steered Chelsea to six games unbeaten in the competition, during which they have conceded only one goal. They have conceded only two goals so far in total, the best record of the 16 teams in the first knockout round. Away from home in Group B they won in Valencia (2-1) and Trondheim, against Rosenborg (4-0), either side of a goalless draw with Schalke 04. They finished as Group B winners by a four-point margin over Schalke.
The Blues have only met Greek opposition once before in European competition, securing a 6-2 aggregate victory over Aris Thessaloniki in the 1970/71 Cup Winners' Cup first round. They went on to win the trophy that season in Athens, beating Real Madrid after a replay in the Greek capital.
But Olympiakos have not played an English team since 2004/05 when they met Liverpool in the Champions League group stage and then, after failing to progress, met Newcastle United FC in the Uefa Cup Round of 16. In the home games they beat Liverpool 1-0 but lost to Newcastle 3-1. In the away legs Olympiakos went down 3-1 at Anfield and 4-0 at St James' Park.
The Greek side lost to Manchester United in both the 2001/02 and 2002/03 Champions League first group stages. In each case United won at home as well as in Piraeus. Liverpool had also won on aggregate in the 2000/01 Uefa Cup third round, drawing 2-2 away and winning 2-0 win at Anfield.
FORM GUIDE
Chelsea
Domestic Competition
Lge Cup 23 Jan v Everton (A) WON 1-0
FA Cup 26 Jan v Wigan Athletic (A) WON 2-1
League 30 Jan v Reading (H) WON 1-0
League 02 Feb v Portsmouth (A) DREW 1-1
League 10 Feb v Liverpool (H) DREW 0-0
FA Cup 16 Feb v Huddersfield (H) WON 3-1
Carling Cup 24 Feb v Tottenham (N) LOST 1-2
League 01 Mar v West Ham (A) WON 4-0
Champions League
Matchday 1 18 Sept v Rosenborg (H) DREW 1-1
Matchday 2 03 Oct v Valencia (A) WON 2-1
Matchday 3 24 Oct v Schalke (H) WON 2-0
Matchday 4 06 Nov v Schalke (A) DREW 0-0
Matchday 5 28 Nov v Rosenborg (A) WON 4-0
Matchday 6 11 Dec v Valencia (H) DREW 0-0
Matchday 7 19 Feb v Olympiakos (A) DREW 0-0
Olympiakos
Domestic Competition
Cup 16 Jan v Panathinaikos (H) WON 4-0
League 20 Jan v OFI Crete (A) WON 1-0
League 27 Jan v Aris Thessaloniki (H) WON 1-0
League 10 Feb v Panionios (A) WON 4-0
League 16 Feb v Ergotelis (H) WON 1-0
League 23 Feb v PAOK (A) DREW 1-1
Cup 27 Feb v Iraklis (H) WON 2-0
League 01 Mar v Asteras Tripolis (H) DREW 1-1
Champions League
Matchday 1 18 Sept v Lazio (H) DREW 1-1
Matchday 2 03 Oct v Werder Bremen (A) WON 3-1
Matchday 3 24 Oct v Real Madrid (A) LOST 2-4
Matchday 4 06 Nov v Real Madrid (H) DREW 0-0
Matchday 5 28 Nov v Lazio (A) WON 2-1
Matchday 6 11 Dec v Werder Bremen (H) WON 3-0
Matchday 7 19 Feb v Chelsea (H) DREW 0-0
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea
The Blues are in the midst of a sequence of four successive games in four different competitions - Carling Cup, Premier League, Champions League and, next weekend, FA Cup quarter-final against Championship side Barnsley, so Grant is having to pick and choose players for each match in an attempt to get the best out of his squad.
Lampard's red card at the weekend will not affect his participation against Olympiakos, but Michael Essien is one card away from a suspension in this competition.
Andriy Shevchenko's back injury has kept him out of most of the action since Christmas, but although fit again he was obliged to play for the reserves against Reading on Monday night. His performance was described by the Chelsea website as 'low key' as the Blues' second-string lost 2-1.
Otherwise, Grant should have a more or less full complement of players from which to select his starting eleven on Wednesday.
Last Starting XI (v West Ham): Čech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, A. Cole, Ballack, Makelele (Alex 84), Lampard, Kalou (Malouda 75), Anelka, J. Cole (Essien 69)
Squad Named For Champions League Matches:
Goalkeepers
1 Petr Cech, 23 Carlo Cudicini, 40 Hilário
Defenders
3 Ashley Cole, 6 Ricardo Carvalho, 18 Wayne Bridge, 20 Paulo Ferreira, 22 Tal Ben Haim, 26 John Terry, 33 Alex, 35 Juliano Belletti, 41 Sam Hutchinson
Midfielders
4 Claude Makelele, 5 Michael Essien, 8 Frank Lampard, 10 Joe Cole, 12 John Obi Mikel, 13 Michael Ballack, 15 Florent Malouda, 24 Shaun Wright-Phillips. 42 Lee Sawyer
Forwards
7 Andriy Shevchenko, 11 Didier Drogba, 21 Salomon Kalou, 39 Nicolas Anelka.
Olympiakos
Lemonis has to contend with a number of injuries within his squad. Lomana LuaLua came back from a foot injury at the weekend, only to dislocate his shoulder and be ruled out for six more weeks. Luciano Galletti (thigh), Vassilis Torosidis (knee), Raúl Bravo (achilles) and Didier Domi (thigh) are all still out, but Michalis Konstantinou, who had been out with a groin problem, returned a week ago, while Cristián Raúl Ledesma was back at the weekend following a thigh injury.
Last Starting XI (v Asteras Tripolis): Sifakis, Leonardo (M Konstantinou 85), Júlio César, Pantos, Żewłakow, Stoltidis, Mendrinos (Belluschi 69), Ledesma (Šišić 56), P. Djordjević, Kovačević, LuaLua.
Squad Named For Champions League Matches:
Goalkeepers
1 Leonidas Panagopoulos, 71 Antonios Nikopolidis, 87 Michalis Sifakis
Defenders
2 Christos Patsatzoglou, 3 Didier Domi, 4 Leonardo, 5 Júlio César, 14 Michal Zewlakow, 15 Raúl Bravo, 18 Paraskevas Antzas, 30 Anastasios Pantos, 5 Vassilis Torosidis
Midfielders
6 Ieroklis Stoltidis, 11 Predrag Djordjevic, 19 Konstantinos Mendrinos, 22 Konstantinos Mitroglou, 25 Fernando Belluschi, 28 Cristián Raúl Ledesma,
77 Mirnes Šišic
Forwards
7 Luciano Galletti, 9 Darko Kovacevic, 10 Leonel Núñez, 20 Lefteris Matsoukas, 23 Michalis Konstantinou, 32 Lomana LuaLua.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea
Petr Cech: Undoubtedly one of the world's top goalkeepers, Cech is normally the epitome of reliability, but high profile errors against Arsenal in the Premier League and Tottenham in the Carling Cup final led to goals for Chelsea's opponents, who won both games. However, the Czech Republic international, who recovered from a depressed fracture of the skull last season and has worn a protective head guard ever since, looked back to his best against West Ham at the weekend, and will be determined to preserve Chelsea's superb defensive record in this competition by keeping another clean-sheet., mindful that Olympiakos must score to win.
Olympiakos
Antonios Nikopolidis: Cech's counterpart in the Olympiakos side, Nikopolidis is set to become the Greek footballer with the most Uefa Champions League appearances to his name. Wednesday should see him play his 53rd game in the competition. He has featured in all seven of his team's games this season, and been on the pitch for all 630 minutes. Since joining the club in the summer of 2004, Nikopolidis he has missed just five Super League matches. Against PAOK on 23rd February, his save from Sérgio Conceição's penalty made him only the second Olympiakos goalkeeper to save three successive penalties in one season. Nikopolidis, 36, has now saved seven spot-kicks in his Olympiakos career, equalling a record set by Savas Tsanaktsis in the 1961-62 season.
PREDICTION
Olympiakos are an altogether tougher prospect in the Champions League this season, particularly away from home, and Lemonis's side can be expected to give Chelsea a stern examination at Stamford Bridge. But the Blues boast a formidable home record, and are particularly keen to shove the accusation that they have 'bottled it' in the big matches this season back down their critics' throats. With a full squad eager to prove a point and maintain the treble quest, Chelsea should win.
Chelsea 2-0 Olympiakos
