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Eastern European clash in the Europa League Round 32, with Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk taking on Olympiakos Piraeus in Kiev, so right from the start Dnipro will have the handicap of not playing at its own stadium.
Dnipro is trying for some time to make a name in Europe, without much success. This is their third consecutive season in the Europa League Round 32 but they never got trough this stake, and with Olympiakos as an opponent it will surely be tough to do it this time around. It will be even harder considering the fact that Dnipro is in the mid-season break right now and ended 2014 in horrendous form with 1 win in 7 matches – really bad considering the type of opponents they failed to beat in Ukraine.
Olympiakos is cruising as usual in Greece, coming after a 3-0 home win over Ergotelis and having the title seemingly on lock. They seem to be the exact same team despite appointing Vitor Pereira as coach in early January. Europa League looks to be like the main objective for Oly right now, as they really have a chance to go far in this competition with the excellent and cohesive team they have. The Greeks were actually close to knocking out Juventus in the Champions League group stage and they proved themselves at the highest level in Europe recently, despite struggling a bit on the road.
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Team news: Official reports do not indicate big missings for either side, so team news should not have an influence on the outcome of this clash. However, Mitroglou is highly doubtful for Olympiakos, so this could prove to be a blow if he ends up missing the game – though Franco Jara has replaced him very well recently.
Dnipro played well in a group with Inter, St Etienne and Qarabag, but this time they meet an excellent team that also has motivation to perform in Europa League, not to mention the superior phase of the competition, that always brings increased focus. Olympiakos is the better team, they are in better long-term form, have the advantage of playing competitive matches recently and have an even bigger advantage in experience – which is always key in such games. Indeed the Greeks are much better at home but Dnipro is not playing at home today and I can’t see Oly losing this one – if things go their way they should actually be able to get a win.
Experience should be key here, as I`m looking for a tight game but with Dnipro making a couple of mistakes in key moments. My tip is Olympiakos +0 asian handicap. Prediction: Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk – Olympiakos Piraeus 1-2.
Pick: Olympiakos (+0 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 1.88 @ Bet365
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 6.16
Event date: 19 February
