Olympiacos: Rotation against Kalamata; Fortounis and Bailey back in the lineup

The piraeus team wants to continue its winning streak at home as well

ALPHANEWSLIVE

Olympiacos is putting its 1-0 win over Sparta Prague and its perfect 3-0 record in the Europa League group stage behind it, immediately turning its attention to tomorrow’s match against Kalamata at “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium for Matchday 8 of the Stoiximan Super League.

The back-to-back schedule is forcing Imanol Alguacil to manage his squad, with several changes considered likely to the starting lineup.

Retsos is out due to suspension, with Simolović and Karmo as the options to partner Pirolá. Ortega, Pedersen, and Tiknizian are also among the players vying for a spot in the defense, while Puerta and Froiler are expected to see increased playing time in midfield. Roca has a strong chance of starting, with Zota and Chikino in contention for the positions behind the striker.

Up front, Marius remains the first choice in league matches, though Armando González has shown he deserves more opportunities. The challenge for Alguathil is to refresh the starting lineup without losing the cohesion that Olympiacos has begun to develop through its recent positive results.

Meanwhile, there is good news regarding Kostas Fortounis. The Greek attacking midfielder has put the nagging injuries that sidelined him behind him, and provided he completes the final training session without any issues, he stands a good chance of returning to the squad. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start the game, as the coaching staff doesn’t want to take any risks given the demanding schedule ahead.

The situation with Leon Bailey also remains up in the air. The Jamaican is picking up the pace, participating in most of the regular training program, and appears to have overcome the issue that had been bothering him. The final decision will depend mainly on his level of match readiness, with the final training session set to determine both his inclusion and several of the starting lineup choices.

*photo source: KYPE