With some changes from the derby against Panathinaikos, it appears that Imanol Alguacil is planning to field this lineup for Olympiacos in Marseille. The Basque coach has largely finalized his plan, awaiting the final training session at the “Velodrome” before making his final decisions. The idea is to “refresh” the starting lineup—and especially the midfield—since the conditions of the match against Marseille are different and are expected to offer more open space for the Piraeus side.
Zelsson Martins is gaining ground for a spot on the wings, with his speed considered a key asset against a team that, playing at home, is expected to take the initiative and push its lines forward. Kostas Fortounis is also among the top choices, while Zota Silva remains in contention. Up front, since Marius is ineligible to play, Roman Yaremchuk currently appears to have the edge over Armando Gonzalez, though the final decision has not yet been made.
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There are also dilemmas at other positions. Ortega, Saliakas, Retsos, and Pirola, Froiler, Puerta, and Chikino are the frontrunners, while Alguathil is considering bringing Ese back to the midfield, even if it means changing the Froiler-Puerta pairing. On the left side of the defense, Bruno and Tiknizian are vying for the spot, with the Spaniard primarily seeking balance and stability against the French team’s attacking momentum.
The final question mark concerns Leon Bailey, who left toward the end of the last training session with discomfort. Initial indications suggest nothing particularly serious, but his condition will be reevaluated before the roster is announced. Olympiacos has thoroughly analyzed Marseille and believes there are weaknesses in their defense that they can exploit, with Al-Ghawathil calling for intense pressing, focus, and quick transitions when the opportunity arises.
*photo source: KYPE
