Competition: UEFA Champions League - League Phase (Matchday 3) Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Kick-off: 5:45 PM BST / 6:45 PM Local Time Venue: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona
Match Context and Stakes
FC Barcelona welcomes Greek giants Olympiacos to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys aiming to solidify their position in the league phase table. After a mixed start—picking up three points from their opening two matches, including a recent loss to PSG—Hansi Flick's side is under pressure to secure a comfortable win, especially with the monumental El Clásico fixture against Real Madrid looming this weekend.
Olympiacos, led by seasoned Spanish manager José Luis Mendilibar, comes into the tie as significant underdogs, currently sitting with one point from their first two matches (a draw and a loss to Arsenal). For the Greek champions, this match is a daunting challenge, but any result in Barcelona would be a massive boost to their hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
FC Barcelona - Team News and Tactical Approach
Current Form (Last 5): W-L-W-W-W (All Competitions)
Barcelona managed to secure a vital, late 2-1 victory over Girona in the Catalan Derby last weekend, showcasing their fighting spirit. However, the team faces significant challenges due to a lengthy injury list, including key players like Robert Lewandowski, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Gavi.
Coach Hansi Flick is expected to rotate his squad slightly to manage minutes ahead of El Clásico. We anticipate a fluid 4-2-3-1 setup that emphasizes control and exploiting width.
Key Men: The focus will be on the creativity of Pedri and the explosiveness of wingers like Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford (if selected), who will be tasked with stretching the organized Olympiacos defense. Ronald Araújo's presence, fresh off scoring the winner against Girona, will be vital in shoring up the defense.
Tactical Focus: Barça will dominate possession, utilizing high-pressing to win the ball back quickly and force errors in the Olympiacos defensive third. They will need patience to break down the expected low block.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Szczęsny; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Balde; De Jong, Casadó; Yamal, Pedri, Rashford; Ferran.
Olympiacos FC - Team News and Tactical Approach
Current Form (Last 5): W-L-L-W-W (All Competitions)
Olympiacos has shown resilience domestically, most recently winning 2-0 against AEL in the Super League Greece. However, their European performances against top-tier opponents have been less convincing.
Manager José Luis Mendilibar is a familiar figure to Barcelona, but his personal record against the Catalan club is notoriously poor (just one win in 26 attempts). He will likely adopt a highly defensive and pragmatic approach, probably lining up in a compact 4-4-2 or 5-4-1.
Key Men: The goal threat will rely heavily on striker Ayoub El Kaabi, while the pace of wingers like Daniel Podence and Gelson Martins will be crucial for counter-attacks. The experienced Greek international Konstantinos Tzolakis in goal will need an inspired performance.
Tactical Focus: The objective is to deny central space to De Jong and Pedri, frustrate Barcelona's attack, and launch rapid, vertical transitions, utilizing the speed of their wide players to target the spaces left by Barcelona's advanced full-backs.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Hezze, Garcia; Gelson Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi.
Head-to-Head History (H2H)
Barcelona and Olympiacos have only met twice previously, both times in the 2017-18 Champions League group stage:
Oct 18, 2017: Barcelona 3 - 1 Olympiacos (Camp Nou)
Oct 31, 2017: Olympiacos 0 - 0 Barcelona (Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis)
Barcelona holds a clear advantage, having never lost to Olympiacos. The Catalans also boast a formidable record against Greek opposition at home, winning all seven of their previous encounters.
Key Battle: Midfield Creativity vs. Mendilibar's Block
The match will be won or lost in the central areas. Can Frenkie de Jong and Pedri successfully dismantle the compact two-banks-of-four shape that Olympiacos is expected to deploy? If Barcelona's midfield can circulate the ball quickly and accurately, creating space for the wide players, the Greek defense will eventually crack. If the Olympiacos defensive midfielders successfully disrupt the flow, the game could become a frustrating, low-scoring affair.
Prediction
Despite having one eye on El Clásico and contending with injuries, Barcelona's superior squad depth, attacking quality, and formidable home record should see them through this challenge. Olympiacos will fight hard and keep the game tight early on, but the pressure from the Catalan side will be relentless. Expect Barcelona to break the deadlock and control the game from there.
Predicted Score: FC Barcelona 2 - 0 Olympiacos FC
