Champions League Spotlight (III): Olympiacos FC
FC Barcelona will face Olympiacos FC on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase. Hansi Flick’s team will host the Greek champions on Tuesday 21 October (6:45pm CEST).
The opponent
Olympiacos return to Europe’s premier club competition after five seasons away. Their last appearance was in 2020/21, when they were eliminated in the Group Stage. The architect of their return to the Champions League is none other than José Luis Mendilibar. The Basque coach arrived at the Piraeus club in February 2024 and has since built a winning team.
Since his arrival, the club has won three trophies, most notably the 2023/24 Conference League, lifted just three months after Mendilibar took over. It was a historic milestone, as it marked the first continental title in their history. The other two trophies were the Greek League and Cup, both secured last season. Winning the domestic league also gave them direct qualification for this year’s Champions League edition.
For Barça, Mendilibar is a familiar face. The coach has faced Barça 27 times, with only one victory to his name. However, that this will be his first encounter with the Catalans at continental level. All previous meetings have been in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
Men to watch
Mendilibar’s side stand out for their defensive solidity, high intensity, and quick transitions. They form a cohesive unit in which everyone contributes and sacrifices for the team. Still, certain individuals stand out.
In goal, 22-year-old Tzolakis has established himself as the starter for both Olympiacos and the Greek national team, with whom he made his debut in June 2024. In defence, Brazilian right-back Rodinei is very important, particularly for his attacking contribution: four goals and 13 assists last season.
In midfield, Portuguese playmaker Chiquinho is notable, having scored eight goals and provided five assists in 2024/25. Up front, the standout figure is Ayoub El Kaabi. The Moroccan striker is undoubtedly Olympiacos’ biggest threat. Since arriving in Athens in 2023/24, he has scored 61 goals, 23 of them in European competition (Europa League and Conference League).
Other names to note include Gelson Martins, Dani García, Mehdi Taremi, Strefezza, and Daniel Podence. Martins and García have already faced Barça in the past, while the other three joined during the summer transfer window. Taremi arrived from Inter Milan, Strefezza from Como 1907, and Podence from Saudi side Al-Shabab. The biggest departure was 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas, transferred to Brighton.
Previous meetings
FC Barcelona and Olympiacos have only met twice in history, in the Group Stage of the 2017/18 season, when each team played two matches against every opponent, unlike the current League Phase format. The first meeting was on 19 October 2017 at the Spotify Camp Nou, where Barça won 3-1 with goals from Messi, Digne, and Dimitrios Nikolaou (own goal). On 31 October, the blaugranes travelled to Piraeus and returned with a 0-0 draw.
History
Olympiacos FC, founded in 1925 —and celebrating their centenary in 2025—, are historically the most dominant team in Greek football. In their 100 years of history, the Piraeus club have won a total of 48 league titles, far ahead of their main rivals Panathinaikos, who have 20.
The red-and-whites can also boast of being the only Greek club to have won a continental competition: the 2023/24 Conference League. To that can be added the UEFA Youth League title claimed by their youth team in the same year.
As for the Champions League, the Greek side have appeared in 20 editions since the competition adopted its current format in 1992/93. Their best run came in 1998/99, when they reached the quarter-finals. Predrag Djordjevic holds the record for most Champions League appearances with Olympiacos (68), while Mitroglou is their all-time top scorer in the competition (13).