Olympiacos returned from France with a draw after the 0-0 draw against Rennes in Matchday 4 of the Europa League League Phase, and now all eyes are on Sunday’s big match against PAOK for Matchday 10 of the Stoiximan Super League.
Imanol Alguacil already had the derby on his mind as he managed the match in France. His choices for the starting lineup, the substitutions, and the management of key players showed that the Basque coach wanted to conserve energy ahead of a match of particular importance in the standings.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The goal was to have as many “fresh” legs as possible against PAOK, without, of course, sacrificing the European match. Olympiacos ultimately managed to leave Rennes undefeated and now has very little time to completely shift its competitive focus.
The biggest question mark concerns Manolis Saliakas. The Greek defender left the game against Rennes after taking a hit from an opponent, and his condition will be reevaluated by the “Red-and-Whites’” medical staff.
The results of his tests and his condition in the coming hours will determine whether he will be available for Sunday’s match. For now, his participation remains in doubt, creating yet another concern for Al-Ghuathil.
At the same time, the Olympiacos delegation attempted to return to Greece as quickly as possible, as there were concerns about potential strikes by air traffic controllers in France.
Fears of flight disruptions or even cancellations led to adjustments to the original schedule, as the Piraeus-based team did not want to lose any valuable time ahead of the game against PAOK under any circumstances.
Several Olympiacos fans faced similar difficulties; they were forced to travel quickly from Rennes to Paris, in order to minimize the risk of problems on their return trip.
*photo source: Olympiacos FC
