21 October 2025
FC Barcelona will host Olympiacos at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. After two rounds, Barça sit mid-table with 3 points with a win over Newcastle, a loss to PSG, while Olympiacos have just 1 point from two games. Both sides will see this as a must-win: Barça to stay in contention for a Top-8 bye, and Olympiacos to spark their campaign.
Barcelona arrive severely weakened in attack. Star striker Robert Lewandowski is out with a hamstring injury, and fellow winger Dani Olmo is sidelined by a calf injury. Key midfielder Gavi and backup keeper Joan García are also unavailable (both recovering from knee surgeries), and veteran keeper Marc-André ter Stegen remains out with a back problem. Winger Raphinha is a major doubt with a thigh issue, and Ferran Torres likewise misses the game. In short, Flick’s attack is depleted and will be without Lewandowski, Olmo, Joan García, Gavi and Ter Stegen, and Raphinha is ruled out.
Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar has fewer absences to manage. The key absentee is right-back Rodinei (calf/knee injury), otherwise the Greek champions have a relatively clean bill of health. In midfield, Olympiacos rely on veteran goalscorer Giorgos Masouras and young creator Chiquinho. At the same time, Cyriel Dessers or Azzedine Ounahi may lead the attack (Olympiacos signed goal-threat Alhassane Kamara in the summer).
In response to the losses, Barcelona will reshuffle up front. Marcus Rashford is expected to lead the line in Lewandowski’s absence, with young Fermin López on the left wing and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal on the right. Indeed, Sports Mole’s predicted XI against Olympiacos lists Rashford as center-forward with Fermin and Yamal on the flanks. In midfield, Flick may again deploy Casado and de Jong in holding roles, with Pedri in a more advanced position. The makeshift defense will likely feature Jules Koundé and Pau Cubarsi at center-back, with Ronald Araújo’s form at right-back (or center-forward) being a key factor after his last-gasp winner vs Girona.
Barcelona and Olympiacos have only met twice, both in the 2017-18 Champions League group stage. In the first meeting at Camp Nou on Oct. 18, 2017, Valverde’s Barça won 3-1. An own-goal by Dimitrios Nikolaou gave Barcelona an early lead, before Lionel Messi struck directly from a free-kick and assisted Lucas Digne for a 3-0 advantage. A late goal by Nikolaou was merely a consolation in the 3-1 final score. Two weeks later in Piraeus, the sides played out a goalless draw. In total, Barca’s record is 1 win, 1 draw, 0 losses against Olympiacos.
These 2017 matches are the only “memorable encounters” between the clubs so far. Messi’s free-kick and his assist for Digne remain highlights of that 3-1 victory. Otherwise, Barcelona have dominated Greek visitors: Sports Mole notes Barça have won all seven of their previous home games against Greek clubs in UEFA competition. Olympiacos, by contrast, rarely fare well in Spain, they’ve lost 14 of their last 16 European away games against Spanish teams. Historically, the odds favour the Catalans heavily in this fixture.
Barça’s form has been mixed. In La Liga, they sit near the top of the table, trailed by Real Madrid, going into El Clásico. Still, results have oscillated: after a surprise 4-1 loss to Sevilla and a 2-1 Champions League defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona won 2-1 at home over Girona last weekend. Ronald Araújo scored a stoppage-time winner to spark that derby win. That victory gave Flick a needed boost before Barça suffered two straight losses. In the league phase table, Barcelona have 3 points from two matches, thanks to their win over Newcastle and PSG's loss. They currently rank 16th in the 36-team table. Clearly, Barcelona need another win to solidify their bid for a Round of 16 bye.
Olympiacos have also had a challenging start. They collected just one point from their first two league-phase games. In domestic play, Olympiacos dropped a shock 2-1 defeat at PAOK on Oct. 5, but then won 2-0 at AEL Larissa on Oct. 18. Last weekend’s form showed inconsistency: they beat AEL (Greek Super League) but followed with the PAOK loss. Currently, Olympiacos sit 29th in the CL table, so they face an uphill task in Barcelona. Mendilibar’s side will aim to be compact and counterpunch, but may struggle without key right-back Rodinei (out injured).
Overall, Barcelona head into the match as firm favourites given their history and home advantage. The new Montjuïc venue should provide a great atmosphere, but Barca must navigate their lengthy injury list to secure victory. A win would lift them off the bottom half of the league-phase table; anything else would make the road to qualification more precarious. Olympiacos come with little to lose but will hope to spring an upset in Catalonia.
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