Best Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker:
Looking to finish off the job and extend on their Europa League qualifying adventure on Thursday night, Olympiacos will travel to Belgium when they meet Genk for their second-leg showdown.
Starting with the hosts, while Genk might have put in a gritty first-leg performance while on foreign soil last week, Wouter Vrancken s men would have been frustrated by their close-fought 1-0 loss. However, although Racing might have made a crucial return to winning ways over the weekend as they landed a 1-0 victory away at Cercle Brugge while on domestic duties, the Belgium giants have struggled with their consistency since opening the 2023/24 campaign. Despite edging past Swiss outfit Servette earlier in the month following a nail-biting penalties victory, Genk will know that they need a far more polished display on Thursday night. Suffering a 1-0 loss at the hands of Rapid Vienna in their last Europa League showdown on home soil back in December 2021, Vrancken s side do hold a downbeat European record in front of their own supporters. In fact, Racing have mustered just a single point from their last four Europa League contests at the Cegeka Arena.
Team News
Picking up a qualifying knock against Servette earlier in the month, Genk will once again be without 26-year-old Bryan Heynen on Thursday night. However, forced to settle for a spot on the bench against Cercle Brugge over the weekend, USA international Mark McKenzie will make a full return here.
Although 22-year-old Toluwalase Emmanuel Arokodare might have notched just a single strike in any of his last five appearances, the ex-Amiens striker will lead Vrancken s attack in midweek.
Olympiacos
As for the visitors, while Olympiacos might have signed off their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 loss at the hands of Norwich, the Greek icons would have taken positives away from their first-leg performance last week. Eventually clinging to that 1-0 victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium, Diego Martinez’s men will be desperate to finish off their qualifying job on Thursday night. Snatching a bronze medal finish among Greece’s elite back in May as they mounted a late charge, the Thrylos have their sights set on mounting a genuine title run this time around. However, although Olympiacos might travel out to Belgium holding a marginal advantage here, it is fair to say that Martinez’s side hold a woeful Europa League record on foreign soil. In fact, the midweek guests have remarkably recorded just a single win within 90 minutes from any of their previous 10 straight appearances outside of Piraeus.
Team News
Bagging a first-leg winner against Genk last week and opening his account for the season, Greek international Konstantinos Fortounis will once again join Youssef El Arabi in the final third.
Returning from a loan stint with Estoril last season, former Benfica midfielder Joao Carvalho should keep his spot on Thursday night. 29-year-old Nicolas Freire will once again partner Panagitos Retsos at the back.
Key Factors to Consider
