Good evening, and welcome to
Sports Mole's live coverage from Piraeus, where
Olympiacos host
Paris Saint-Germain in the
Champions League.
Finally, the world's biggest competition is back, and we have some exciting matches on offer tonight. Our attention is at the Karaiskakis Stadium where it is a champions vs. champions match as the kings of Greece take on the conquerors of France.
These two sides will firmly believe that they can advance to the knockout stages of the competition. Alongside the pair are Anderlecht and Benfica in Group C.
Olympiacos will be hoping to do better than last year. They were dumped out during the group stages as Arsenal and Schalke 04 advanced to the next round.
Paris Saint-Germain will also be hoping to go further than last season. They were eventually knocked out at the hands of Barcelona in a close quarter-final encounter.
Both sides go into this match in pretty good form. Olympiacos has gone about their title defence strongly, and have won all of their opening four matches in the league. PSG, having drawn their first two games, have now won three on the spin ahead of their mouth-watering meeting with leaders AS Monaco this Sunday. Both sides will fancy their chances, and it could be a cracker.
PSG are the red-hot favourites for tonight's match, but Olympiacos will certainly fancy themselves on home turf. This should be an even tie.
Let's bring you some team news.
OLYMPIACOS XI: Jimenez, Bong, Siovas, Maniatis, Medjani, Fuster, Machado, Weiss, Samaris, Dominguez, Mitroglou
Kostas Mitroglou starts for the hosts, and goes into this match having scored back-to-back hat-tricks in domestic competition.
However, two names you may recognise find themselves among the substitutes. Former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola, who joined the club in July, is on the bench, and is accompanied by on-loan Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell. Saviola finds himself out of the team despite scoring in his last three matches.
Here is the bench in full.
OLYMPIACOS BENCH: Megyeri, Ndinga, Campbell, Holebas, Saviola, Manolas, Yatabare
And now onto the visitors, here is the PSG team.
PSG XI: Sirigu, Maxwell, Silva, Marquinhos, Van der Wiel, Matuidi, Motta, Verratti, Cavani, Moura, Ibrahimovic
The big news for the Parisiens is that Marquinhos is handed a debut in the absence of Alex. The 19-year-old joined the French champions from Roma for £27m in the summer and has been given a huge chance here this evening.
£55m striker Edinson Cavani comes back into the starting lineup, having been a substitute during PSG's win at Bordeaux on Friday, and will start on the left wing in a 4-3-3 formation. Lucas keeps his place on the right flank while Ibrahimovic starts as the centre forward.
Maxwell also returns at left-back in place of Lucas Digne. Matuidi, Verratti and Motta continue as the midfield trio.
And now for Laurent Blanc's substitutes bench.
PSG BENCH: Douchez, Jallet, Camara, Digne, Rabiot, Lavezzi, Menez
German referee Felix Brych is in charge tonight, and is accompanied by a team of officiating compatriots.
I may be wrong, but I believe that these two sides have never met before. History is being made tonight if that is the case.
While PSG may have never faced tonight's hosts before, they have made the trip to Greece on three previous occasions. The French outfit hold a 100% record, with two wins over AEK Athens and a single victory PAOK.
Meanwhile, Olympiacos have welcome a French club to Greece 13 times, and boast six wins from those matches. They beat Montpellier HSC 3-1 here last term.
Let's hear what the managers have had to say ahead of this clash.
Michel: "My players have the necessary experience to cope with such encounters. This is a match for glory and they need to channel their emotions in the best possible way.
"They are motivated, ambitious and can’t wait to start. It will be my first experience of coaching in the Champions League and I have faith in my players’ abilities.
"We respect and admire PSG but we always go out to win. Football has taught me that he who plays for a draw invites a defeat."
Blanc: "Every match is different but our aims remain the same – to win. Their fans will create a hot atmosphere. I remember them from when I came here with Bordeaux and also during my playing days. We will stick to our natural game, retaining possession regardless of what tactics Olympiacos adopt. If we keep the ball, we minimise the risk of conceding.
"I also recall Mitroglou, who has scored six goals in recent matches. He was a teenager taking his first steps in the competition when I first came across him. He has progressed well. To do better than last season would mean to reach the semi-finals, which will be a challenge. However, first of all we need to negotiate the group, get as many points as possible and win tomorrow."
The home fans are in fine voice here at the Karaiskasis, as we await the teams emergence from the tunnel.
Olympiacos' starting XI is made up of four Greeks, two Spaniards, an Algerian, a Slovakian, a Cameroonian, a Portuguese and an Argentinian.
Meanwhile, PSG's lineup includes just one Frenchman - Blaise Matuidi. The Parisiens boast four Brazilians, three Italians, a Swede, a Uruguayan and a Dutchman.
The two sides are out in a carnival atmosphere in Athens. PSG sporting tracksuit tops on their way.
Olympiacos are wearing their red and white-striped home kit, while PSG sport their navy first strip, with white and red trim.
KICK OFF! PSG, playing from left to right, get the match underway.
OFF THE BAR! What a start that nearly was from the host. Weiss, formerly of Manchester City and Rangers, brings the ball forward on the right of centre towards the edge of the box, and has a pop at goal. His strike is brilliant, and has Sirigu well beaten, but it cannons off the top of the crossbar.
PSG need to try to quieten this home crowd down, but allowing Olympiacos to come close like that won't help.
Maxwell wins a free kick down the left for PSG. Lucas crosses the ball into the box, but Jimenez comes and punches the pass away.
PSG have recovered well since that early scare, and are doing their best to keep possession of the ball, which is one of the things that Laurent Blanc has really tried to bring in since taking over.
Elsewhere in Group C, Benfica have taken an early lead against Anderlecht.
There's currently a break in play as Lucas receives some medical attention following a clash with Bong. The two collided, and the Brazilian got caught in the back.
Play has resumed and Olympiacos are playing some nice stuff.
CLOSE! Weiss is at it again for the hosts, and picks the ball up on the left touchline. He drifts inside, and PSG refuse to force him onto his weaker left-foot. Weiss approaches the D before hitting a low effort with his right, but drags it just wide of the near post. They've made the better start.
Motta can't play his way out of the corner, and Olympiacos win a corner.
OFF THE POST! PSG are really hanging on here. Olympiacos come fractions from an opener after a brilliant half-volley on the edge of the box from Fuster. The shot bounces through a number of bodies in the area before slamming off the near post. PSG can scramble away the second chance.
SAVE! The corner comes out to Mitroglou on the edge of the area, who hits a low shot from the right corner of the box, but Sirigu is down to save it.
PSG are really riding their luck, Olympiacos deserve to be ahead.
GOAL! Olympiacos 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Edinson Cavani)
Football is a really cruel game sometimes. Against the run of play, PSG go in front and it's the £55m-man who's got it. Ibrahimovic has the ball in the centre of the half, and picks out the run of Maxwell with a breathtaking pass. He knocks it sideways to Cavani, who is on hand for a simple tap in.
When Cavani and Ibrahimovic have started together this season, the Swede tends to find himself a lot deeper and it's not hard to see why. His vision has been outstanding in recent weeks.
Olympiacos are preparing to take their fourth corner of the match after Mitroglou causes a ruckus at the near post from a cross as he got in between Sirigu and the defence. The corner is cleared away however.
GOAL! Olympiacos 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Vladimir Weiss)
What a brilliant equaliser this is from Weiss. He picks the ball out on the right touchline before opting to head down the byline. He nutmegs Marquinhos with ease, before knocking it past Silva and then finished it beyond Sirigu. The shot took a little deflection on the way through, but it is no more than they deserve. Brilliant skill from Weiss.
Olympiacos have continued to take it PSG, and are really going for it. The fans have been buoyed by that leveller.
YELLOW CARD Bong is the first man into the referee's notebook after clipping Lucas from behind. Free kick on the right edge of the box for PSG.
The ball was clipped into the far post by Motta, and Silva is a whisker away from making contact with it. However, the ball goes behind for a goal kick.
A further update from the other match in Group C, and Benfica now lead Anderlecht 2-0.
PSG starting to take control of this a bit more now, it's certainly their best spell.
Ibrahimovic is knocked down by Samaris on the left of the half, and the big Swede has no problems with venting his frustrations.
Olympiacos have a free kick on the left which Weiss curls in towards the penalty spot. Bong meets the ball first, but can't direct it on target.
Maxwell gets the ball on the left and puts in a wicked cross that bounces on the edge of the six-yard box. Had Cavani been a bit more alert and flung himself at that, it could be 2-1 to PSG.
We'll have one minute of added time.
HALF TIME: Olympiacos 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
What a great first half that was. Thoroughly entertaining. Olympiacos dominated the early proceedings and hit the bar and the post. Cavani then gave PSG the lead against the run of play, before a brilliant Weiss run levelled up the match.
The hosts certainly don't deserve to be behind, despite PSG's late resurgence towards the end of the half.
The teams are back out onto the field.
PSG CHANGE Lucas has been taken off at the break, with Ezequiel Lavezzi coming on.
KICK OFF! Olympiacos, shooting from left to right, get the match back underway.
Just a warning for the Greek outfit, Lavezzi has scored five times in his last six Champions League outings.
Nonetheless, it's Olympiacos who currently deserve to be in front.
Verratti has the ball on the edge of the box, and after hesitating decides to shot. It pinballs off two Olympiacos defenders for PSG's first corner of the match.
Ibrahimovic has an acrobatic backheel hit the side-netting at the far post following Marquinhos' diving header, but it is nothing to trouble to Jimenez.
PSG have started this half better, and are retaining the ball a lot better. Mind you, Olympiacos are pressing and pushing forward at every opportunity.
Motta curls in a lovely free kick from the right, but Jimenez is alert to punch clear.
Olympiacos are giving away a fair few fouls at the moment as they continue to try to get the ball back. They are working hard, but they just cannot prise it away from PSG.
OLYMPIACOS CHANGE First alteration of the match for the Greeks, as on-loan Arsenal man Joel Campbell comes on in place of Dominguez.
SAVE! Maxwell links up well with Lavezzi on the left, with the winger flashing a cross along the six-yard box. It falls to Van der Wiel on the far side of the box, who smashes an effort straight at Jimenez. No doubt that will have stung the palms of the keeper though.
PSG are completely on top at the moment.
CLOSE! Ibrahimovic should score here, as Lavezzi beats his man to the byline before hitting a pass across the face of goal. If the Swede just launches himself at the ball and makes contact, that's heading into the back of the net. But it almost seems as if he stops his run altogether.
GOAL! Olympiacos 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain (Thiago Motta)
PSG have come from behind to go in front, but it is a soft goal to concede as far as Olympiacos are concerned. Lavezzi takes a corner from the left, which Motta races to on the near side of the area to meet with a diving header that sails into the back of the net. Nobody picked him up, and the French side are now in front.
GOAL! Olympiacos 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain (Thiago Motta)
Serious sense of deja vu in Greece as PSG put the game surely beyond with an identical goal to their second. Lavezzi corner from the left, diving header from Motta, goal. No kidding, amazing stuff.
OLYMPIACOS CHANGE FUster is brought off as Javier Saviola enters the fray.
SAVE! Cavani gets the ball from Ibrahimovic and looks as if he is in an offside position. The striker plays on, bringing the ball inside from the left, and thumping a powerful effort at goal. Jimenez should do better, but he does enough to parry the danger away.
PSG CHANGE Marco Verratti has made way for 18-year-old Adrien Rabiot.
Olympiacos are trying to get themselves back into this, but simply seem to have accepted defeat. PSG just simply need to hang onto the ball, which they have done pretty well so far this match.
PENALTY TO PSG!
Or they could get a spot kick. Ibrahimovic picks the ball up in the box after PSG threaten a fourth, and uses his trickery to win the penalty after Samaris trips him.
SAVED! Brilliant from Jimenez. It's not a great penalty from Ibrahimovic, but it is strong enough to cause problems. Jimenez launches himself to his right to save, before stopping Ibrahimovic's follow-up chip. Brilliant.
OLYMPIACOS CHANGE Sambou Yatabare comes on in place of Vladimir Weiss.
GOAL! Olympiacos 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain (Marquinhos)
It's a debut goal from Marquinhos, but it's more poor defending from the hosts. Motta swings a corner in from the right and Marquinhos heads in unmarked at the near post. Too easy for PSG.
YELLOW CARD Van der Wiel goes into the book for PSG.
PSG CHANGE Edinson Cavani, scorer of the opener, is making way for Jeremy Menez.
There will be two minutes of stoppage time.
FULL TIME: Olympiacos 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain
What a turnaround that was. Three second-half goals, all from corners, ultimately win the match for PSG after a poor opening 45 minutes.
Olympiacos were the better team heading into the break, but needed a stunning Weiss run to cancel out Cavani's opener.
However, two Thiago Motta headers along with a Marquinhos nod earned PSG a commanding win, in a match that saw Ibrahimovic have his penalty saved.
That's it from me, I'll be back tomorrow to bring you more Champions League action. Until then, goodnight.