The Crystal Ball: Manchester City v Olympiakos
By Taylor Smith
SCORELINE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-0 Olympiakos
The figurative math on this matchup is just too overwhelming to ignore. There is a serious gulf in quality and resources between these two sides, and that should be evident on the pitch. Look for Olympiakos to pack the box with 9 sometimes 10 defenders, closing off the passing lanes that players like Kevin de Bruyne love to exploit.
Man City will have a lot of space on the wings because Olympiakos will look to defend the cross at the point of attack and would assume their center backs should be able to compete for balls in the air with the diminutive front line that City will employ.
The Greek side will likely be hoping for a swift counter-attack, set pieces, or corners as their primary means of attack. They’ll know that Manchester City are relentless in pressing and Guardiola sets up his men to capitalize on opponents who take too many chances with their possession.
Look for long balls and a slightly stagnated game at times, because the longer the game remains scoreless the more that Olympiakos will believe they can get something from this match, however unlikely that may appear to commentators and supporters.
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The games are played out for a reason, despite how they may look on paper. Perhaps Man City will be too focused on their clash with Liverpool at the weekend and another lackluster Champions League performance is on tap. Unlikely, but entirely possible.