Olympiacos vs Rangers Full Match UEL 2024-25

Together on six points in the Europa League standings, last year’s Conference League champions Olympiacos and Glasgow giants Rangers will lock horns. Both teams are just outside the automatic qualifying spots with three games played in the league phase – but both are performing below par on the domestic scene. Writing his name in club history, Spanish coach Jose Luis Mendilibar arrived mid-season in the 2023-24 campaign.

En route to their final triumph over Fiorentina, the goals of Ayoub El Kaabi proved crucial, and the Moroccan striker has already made quite an impact in the Europa League, scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Braga before bagging the winner last time out. His first-half strike against Malmo helped Olympiacos claim a vital away victory late last month, taking them to within one point of the all-important top eight.

Olympiacos – who lost their opener 2-0 in Lyon – will now aim to make it three in a row when they meet Rangers, following back-to-back wins on the domestic front. Just after knocking Athens Kallithea out of the Greek Cup, they are still fourth in the table, though, having lost twice so far. While Olympiacos have won both previous home games against Scottish clubs – beating Dunfermline in 1968, and Rangers’ arch-rivals Celtic six years later – history will not be on the visitors’ side.

Rangers have yet to win in four visits to Greece and, all told, have won just one of eight meetings with Greek teams to date, so they will be up against precedent. Defying a dismal start to the Scottish Premiership season, the Light Blues have fared well enough in this term’s Europa League, though: last time out, they thumped FCSB 4-0 at Ibrox, with Vaclav Cerny bagging a brace.

Philippe Clement’s side also beat Malmo in Sweden, before suffering a 4-1 defeat to Lyon, so the outcome of trips to Piraeus and then Nice could prove decisive in their quest for a place in the last 16. In the league, they have lost three of five away games so far, however they quelled a chorus of boos by turning a one-goal deficit around after half time.

Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami struck during the second half at Hampden, meaning Rangers will defend their trophy against Old Firm foes Celtic next month – and, for now, under-fire Clement remains in charge.