The stage is set for the Piraeus giants to officially make history in front of their home faithful as they aim to protect their lead over Aston Villa and secure their first ever European final.
Olympiacos takes on the Premier League side at “Georgios Karaiskakis” Stadium in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final tie at 5am on Friday morning (AEST), with all the pressure on them to advance to the final.
The “red-whites” stunned the English outfit in Birmingham last Friday by beating them 2-4 to take a crucial advantage into the second clash.
They now have huge expectations on themselves to finish the job and become the first Greek side to qualify for a European final since Panathinaikos made the Champions League final in the 1970/71 season (then called the European Cup).
The key for Olympiacos will be to show the same fight they displayed in the previous leg, a result which greatly impressed coach Jose Luis Mendilibar.
“The key to the match was not just one, we were ourselves and we did not think about how good our opponent is and with absolute respect for the opponent we did not drop our effort levels for a single moment in the match,” Mendilibar said following the game in Birmingham.
Those same points will be pivotal for the Piraeus club if they wish to cement their position in the ECL final, which will be held in Athens on 30 May at AEK’s “Agia Sophia” Stadium.
Whatever the outcome, “Karaiskakis” will be the site of immense emotion, bearing witness either to rapturous celebrations or devastating heartbreak with the hosts and their fans no doubt hoping for the former.
