28 August 2014
Juventus’ last match against Olympiacos FC ended in a 7-0 win in December 2003 and Massimiliano Allegri’s men will be hoping for much of the same when the two sides meet in this year’s Champions League group stages.
Over the course of eight meetings, the Old Lady have a decent record over their Greek counterparts, winning five, drawing two and only losing once.
The Piraeus-based outfit play their matches at the 32,115 seater Karaiskakis Stadium and are the most successful club side in the country’s football history with 41 Super League Greece titles, 26 Greek Cups and four Greek Super Cups.
Managed by ex-Real Madrid star Michel, the team in red and white came very close to unceremoniously dumping Premier League heavyweights Manchester United out of last year’s competition. After initially running out 2-0 winners in Piraeus, the 51-year-old's squad were edged out 3-2 on aggregate by the Red Devils.
Allegri will be keeping a close eye on ex- Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay who has been hampered by injuries in recent years but still possesses talent in abundance. The 28-year-old linked up with Michel’s squad this year in the hope of reinvigorating a stagnating career and he repaid the manager’s faith shown in him by scoring the final goal in Olympiacos’ 3-1 win over Niki Volos on the opening day of the new Super League Greece season.
The Bianconeri’s solitary loss against Olympiacos represents their only defeat in the last 11 outings to Greek opposition and Allegri will hope that this almost imperious record will serve them well when the two teams meet for the first time in over a decade during the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stages.
