Bodo Glimt vs Olympiacos: Laying Groundwork for Europa League Quarterfinals

Olympiacos is back in European action with a crucial match against Bodo Glimt (22:00, Newsit.gr, Ant1, and Cosmote Sport 3 HD) to secure a spot in the Europa League quarterfinals. The Greek team reached this stage directly, while Bodo Glimt advanced through the playoffs by eliminating Twente after an epic comeback. The Norwegian side boasts an impressive home record at Aspmyra Stadion, having won seven out of eight European matches this season, losing only to Karabakh. Olympiacos aims for a positive result to gain an advantage ahead of the return leg at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium. However, they face challenging conditions due to the cold weather and artificial turf. A win would also mark their first victory on Norwegian soil, as they previously lost to Rosenborg and Molde. If Olympiacos overcomes Bodo Glimt, they will face the winner of Lazio-Viktoria Plzen in the quarterfinals. Jose Luis Mendilibar brought 20 players for the trip, excluding Ayoub El Kaabi and André Anderson, who are recovering for the return leg, along with Dani Garcia, who exited their recent derby against AEK Athens with an issue. The squad includes Anastopoulos, Biankon, Tzolakis, Carmo, Stamnitsis, Tsikinias, Kostoulas, Martins, Eze, Muzakitis, Ortega, Paschalakis, Pierola, Costinia, Rondinelly, Palma, Yaremchuk, Bruno, Velde, and Reche. The UEFA-appointed referee for the game is Ukrainian Mykhailo Balakin, who previously officiated PAOK-Beitar Jerusalem (0-0) in the Conference League qualifiers. His assistants include Oleksandr Berkut and Dmytro Zaporozhchenko, Vitali Romanov as fourth official, and Italian Marco Di Bello as VAR, assisted by Viktor Kopievski.