How did they fare in Group C? Olympiacos can be extremely happy with their progress. Despite two defeats against runaway group winners Paris Saint-Germain, the Greek side were unbeaten against their two other opponents – Benfica and Anderlecht. A pair of wins against the Belgians served as the foundation for a second-place finish, with a draw and a win against Benfica enabling Olympiacos to edge just ahead of the Portuguese side. They finished the group on 10 points, tied with Benfica, but superior head-to-head results won the day.
What was their standout result? Although the 3-0 win over Anderlecht provided the healthiest scoreline in Olympiacos' Group C campaign, the most important result turned out to be the 1-0 home win over Benfica. In a tight encounter, Olympiacos' goalkeeper Roberto put in a performance of Herculean exertions, appropriately enough, as the Greek side repelled Benfica's potent attack after Kostas Manolas had given the home side an early lead. Anything less than the slender victory and they might well have missed out on a spot in the last 16.
Who are the men to watch? Olympiacos strikers Kostas Mitroglou and Javier Saviola netted five goals between them (three and two respectively) in the group stages and the latter was delighted with his team's progress. Speaking after scoring a brace in the final group game against Anderlecht,
Saviola said: "Today was a beautiful, emotional day for me, because the Champions League is a prestigious competition and these goals were very important for my team. The next round will be tough. We must strive for the best, work hard and not just rest on the laurels of our qualifying for the knockout stages."
Who's the boss? Former player Michel is the current managerial incumbent. In charge since February, the Spaniard guided his new team to Greek Super League supremacy in 2012/13. Looking ahead to the knockout rounds, Michel commented: "We want to work and improve. The players owe me after what they put me through. I'm very pleased with them all though."
Have we got history? United faced Olympiacos four times in consecutive seasons in 2001/02 and 2002/03. The first encounter, at the Olympic Stadium in Piraeus, featured goals from David Beckham and Andy Cole in a 2-0 win. The Reds then secured a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford before going one better the following year, thumping Olympiacos 4-0. Following that emphatic win, a late resurgence in Greece threatened to scupper United's 100 per cent winning record against the home side, but fortunately the men from Manchester held out for a 3-2 win
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