OlympiacosBayer Leverkusen

The first leg of this tie in Piraeus basically looks set to be tight, but the two teams get their chances in different ways. Olympiacos already beat Leverkusen 2-0 at home in the league phase, but they have failed to score in their last two competitive games (0-1, 0-0), which points to a more muted attacking edge ahead of this one. For the Greeks, El Kaabi and Taremi stand out among the main goal sources with excellent goals-per-90 numbers over the whole season, but current form and Taremi potentially missing (doubtful) add a layer of uncertainty.

Leverkusen, on the other hand, arrive on a good run: a steadier set of results in recent weeks, and up front they have several consistent producers (Schick, Grimaldo, Tillman) who bring a multi-channel threat. There is a concern in goal though, because with Flekken injured, Blaswich is expected to start - that can reduce the visitors' defensive stability, even if the team's overall results have been strong. In the league phase, Leverkusen managed big away scalps, but they did lose in Piraeus, which underlines how much the setting and the home rhythm matter here.

Overall, the goal count looks more likely to stay in a controlled range (two-leg tie, first leg), while Leverkusen's broader attacking quality makes the "away side not to lose" angles more appealing. The main risks are Olympiacos' current goal drought, the listed doubts (especially Taremi), and Leverkusen's goalkeeper situation.