How will Olympiacos handle their opponent’s style of play?
Just a few days before the Eredivisie kicks off, last season’s surprise team embarks on a completely new adventure in the Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Nijmegen match. Never before have the Eniesee participated in Champions League qualifying. Their lack of experience at this level seems to be a cause for concern among the top betting providers.
Visiting Greece, Dick Schreuder and his players arrive with a clear game plan: attack. Under the 55-year-old, the visitors already adopted a breathtaking—yet risky—style of play last season. The Dutch side isn’t straying from this soccer philosophy in our Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Nijmegen prediction.
Since Dick Schreuder took charge of tactics in the Dutch university town, NEC has scored at least one goal in 39 of 40 competitive matches. The visitors’ identity is defined by wild, sometimes chaotic games that culminate in an open slugfest.
On the other side, the Greek hosts are coming off a difficult preseason. Head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar is surely still working to iron out the coordination issues in his back line. Even their wins during preseason almost never ended without conceding a goal.
NEC’s preseason performances have confirmed that Schreuder continues to stick to his “all-or-nothing” approach. Therefore, we consider the 2.10 odds at Betano for “Both Teams to Score – Yes & Over 2.5 Goals” in the Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Nijmegen match to be the right bet.
Olympiacos Piraeus – Nijmegen Head-to-Head Record
As a newcomer, last season’s third-place finisher in the Dutch Eredivisie takes the stage for Champions League qualifying. This is also their first competitive match against Olympiacos. The Thrylos are the more experienced team on the European stage, having even won the Conference League in 2023/2024.
Under Mendilibar, the Piraeus-based club averaged 1.80 goals per game across 120 competitive matches. The home team certainly brings a potent offense to this evenly matched contest—much to the delight of our prediction.
Olympiacos Piraeus – Nijmegen Prediction
Nijmegen surprised everyone last season, finishing third in the Eredivisie standings and only falling to AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Cup final. The visitors are looking to build on the most successful season in the club’s history—preferably with attacking soccer.
Many aspects of the visitors’ play are reminiscent of Total Football—just in a more modern version. On average, the Eniesee scored 2.25 goals per competitive match last season—but in return, they also conceded 1.60 goals per match.
Overall, NEC’s matches last season averaged 3.85 goals per game. In 82.5 percent of their matches, the home crowd was treated to goals from both teams. About 75 percent of competitive matches saw more than 2.5 goals scored. Especially at the start of a new season, this approach should lead to high-scoring matches.
