Arsenal v Olympiakos: Visitors land with a bump at Emirates

The match result does not appear to be up in the air

Olympiakos have lost in North London a couple of times recently. Tobias Gourlay expects them to complete the hat-trick on Wednesday evening

Wednesday 19.45 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Arsenal 1.384/11 Olympiakos 11.010/1 draw 5.49/2

Match Odds

With Opta's help, we can get this over with quickly.

Since a 2003 defeat to Inter, Arsenal are W32-D9-L0 in Champions League home games against visitors from outside England.

Olympiakos have lost 43/56 on the road in Europe's top competition and 10/10 on English soil. They've visited Arsenal for group-stage games twice in the last three seasons, losing 2-1 a year ago and 2-0 in 2009.

Home win.

Over/Under Goals

Arsenal started the season with back-to-back-to-back clean sheets in the league, but are now five games without one, in a sequence that includes opponents as diverse as Montpellier and Coventry City.

Vito Mannone will be between the sticks again, but the Italian hasn't been so bad and Olympiakos have found the back of the net in only 2/6 group-stage away games since 2009.

Five of those six games have stayed Under 2.5 Goals and, if you're relying on the Gunners to score all three, 1.75/7 will seem a little tight, even with Roy Carroll in goal for the visitors: Wenger's men have managed three or more in ten of the 26 group games within their long unbeaten run.

Arsenal Win to Nil

The numbers say you are better off concentrating on the action - or lack of it - at the other end. Arsenal have shut out the oppo in 16/26 and can be backed at 2.166/5 for a Clean Sheet.

Add the clean sheet to the home win and you have a wager that pays out at 2.47/5.

Asian Handicap

Leonardo Jardim has apparently told press that his team have their "backs against the wall". It's interesting that the idiom has gained traction internationally, but the important point is that Jardim might thus send the visitors out to play for the draw. Defeat would leave the Greeks six points behind two teams in Group B, if Schalke win at home to Montpellier in Wednesday's other match.

Olympiakos conceded twice at home to Schalke a fortnight ago, however, and it might not matter how narrow Jardim's team play.

Back to the numbers and they too suggest value lurks within the Asian Handicap. Arsenal have won 14 of those 26 group games by margins of two goals or more and by kick-off you should be able to back them to beat a 1.5-goal handicap at 2.111/10.

Best Bet
Back Arsenal -1.5 @ 2.111/10