Barcelona vs Olympiacos Prediction for 22 October 2025 - Football

🔊 Can Barcelona bounce back from their Champions League defeat to PSG? Olympiacos might just be the perfect opponent for that. The Greek side had a shaky start in Europe's premier competition, drawing with Champions League debutants Pafos and suffering a predictable loss to Arsenal. Notably, Olympiacos failed to score in either match. Scoring will be their minimum objective on October 21 at Camp Nou. The Catalans have conceded in five consecutive games. Can the visitors achieve something more? Let's delve into our prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 These teams previously clashed in the 2017/18 Champions League campaign. Back then, Barcelona overcame Olympiacos at Camp Nou with a 3-1 victory. However, the encounter in Piraeus ended in a goalless draw (0-0).

Barcelona Team Overview

Unbeaten until the 8th round of La Liga and the 2nd in the Champions League, the "Blaugrana" hit a rough patch just before the recent international break. The turning point was a defeat to PSG (1-2). That match can be divided into segments, with more successful ones favoring the French club, especially in the second half. While Barca held a slight edge in the first half, they ceded possession to the French in the second (37% to 63% possession) and rightfully conceded. That result likely shook Hansi Flick's side. The next league match against Sevilla ended in a heavy defeat (1-4). However, during the week and a half international break, the Catalans managed to reset. They immediately secured a hard-fought comeback victory over Girona in La Liga (2-1), albeit with difficulty—the second goal coming in injury time.

Barcelona are the top-scoring team in Spain. Out of their 24 La Liga goals, 14 have been netted by five forwards. The leading scorers are Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, each with four goals. Lamin Yamal stands out for his contributions (2 goals and 4 assists). Following him are Raphinha (3 goals and 2 assists) and Marcus Rashford (1 goal and 4 assists). Notably, Rashford is also shining in the Champions League, with no one else on the team scoring more than his two goals.

Olympiacos Team Overview

José Luis Mendilibar's team is delivering results similar to Barcelona this season. Up until the second round of the Champions League, the "Red and Whites" remained unbeaten with five wins and two draws. However, after a 0-2 defeat to Arsenal, they also fell to PAOK in the league (1-2). Like the Catalans, the international break proved beneficial for Olympiacos. Upon its conclusion, they secured a win against Larissa in the Greek Super League (2-0). However, there are differences. In the premier European competition, the Piraeus side has yet to impress. Despite an xG of 1.92, they have not scored any goals, even though they played most of their first-round match against Pafos with a numerical advantage.

We continue to explore the similarities between the Greek club and Barcelona. Olympiacos scores frequently, although they are not the leaders in this aspect in the Super League (16 goals compared to Levadiakos' 18). The "Red and Whites" boast several top scorers as well. Ayoub El Kaabi has netted five goals, marking his third consecutive season as the team's most prolific striker. Following him is midfielder Chiquinho with four goals. The Portuguese player also showcases impressive playmaking skills, having provided two assists this season alongside Francisco Ortega and Christos Mouzakitis.

Latest news

Barcelona

🎙 Barcelona's head coach commented on his team's form following their victory over Girona in the league. "We're not playing as well as we did last season. The momentum isn't the best. I hope that crucial goal, which everyone celebrated, was exactly what we needed," said Hansi Flick.

❌ Barcelona's dip in results before the international break is largely attributed to injuries to key players. Ahead of the October World Cup qualifiers, Raphinha, Gavi, and Joan Garcia were sidelined. Additionally, the international fixtures took their toll on the Blaugrana, with Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres returning from national duty with injuries.

Olympiacos

🎙 Olympiacos' head coach is resolute ahead of their clash with Barcelona. Here's what he had to say about their strategy against the reigning Spanish champions: "Against Barça, there are only two approaches – either press them relentlessly or sit back and absorb pressure in your own penalty area. We plan to stick with the former," shared José Luis Mendilibar.

❌ Sidelined due to injuries sustained before the international break are defender Rodinei and midfielder Gabriel Strefezza. Additionally, Roman Yaremchuk and Panagiotis Retsos were not included in the squad due to injuries before the national team fixtures. However, both players made appearances in the last round of the Superleague.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by the main referee Urs Schnyder (Switzerland). His average number of yellow cards in the local league stands at 4.6. The fiery Spanish and Greek players should definitely be more cautious. In their last five matches, there have been 5 and 5.8 warnings respectively. Of course, the difference in class between the teams should be considered. But even Arsenal were handed three yellow cards by the Greeks at the Emirates. Our prediction: total yellow cards over 3.5.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Barcelona won their last match, but it was a struggle. Modest Girona conceded only in added time. Until the 93rd minute, the score remained level at 1-1. Overall, the "Blaugrana" defense has been shaky. Wojciech Szczesny's goal has not remained untouched in five consecutive games. Olympiacos, meanwhile, have scored in 9 out of their last 10 away fixtures. We believe that even at Camp Nou, the visitors can net their first goal in this season's Champions League. Editor's choice: Olympiacos to score a goal.

🚩 Corner Prediction

There's little doubt about which half of the pitch the ball will spend most of its time. However, we want to highlight Olympiacos' focus on set pieces. In 9 out of 10 matches this season, the "Red and Whites" have earned three or more corners. Even against Arsenal at the Emirates, they managed to deliver five corners with just 39% possession. The visitors are likely to surpass this high mark in this component. Our bet: total Olympiacos corners over 2.5.

Barcelona's last La Liga match didn't quite convince that the team's crisis is over. The situation is exacerbated by injuries to key players, and their star, Lamine Yamal, is occasionally troubled by groin pain, as seen when he was substituted in the 64th minute against Girona. With El Clasico looming, it would be wise for Hansi Flick to consider squad rotation against Olympiacos.

Barcelona have failed to win by more than two goals in 8 of their last 11 matches this season, whereas Olympiacos have managed to cover a +2.5 spread in their last 20 games consecutively. Recall their encounter with Arsenal at the Emirates, where the London side secured a routine 2-0 win. At Camp Nou, we expect a similar outcome, but Barcelona's defensive issues might allow the visitors to find the net, though not enough for a successful result. With an anticipated scoreline of 2-1, betting on Olympiacos to win with a +2.5 handicap seems like a well-founded choice.