Group C
Kick-off: 19:45 (BST)
Olympiakos coach Panagiotis Lemonis will encourage his players to play to win against Werder Bremen as the Group C rivals prepare for Tuesday’s vital showdown.
The Greek champions need just a point from their final group match to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time since the 1998-99 season. But Lemonis says it would be a mistake to play for a draw.
“We should not change anything from what our team have shown so far in this campaign,” he said. “We should go for the win. We need to approach the game in this way. It is very dangerous if you start to think about playing for a draw. We are building a whole team philosophy here and it would be a mistake to change tactics.”
Olympiakos are second in the group, level on eight points with leaders Real Madrid, with Bremen two points behind in third.
“I do not know what the result will be, but I am sure we will fight and battle like madmen,” added Lemonis. “This game is logically considered a final, with the prize at stake being a place in the next phase of the UEFA Champions League.”
Lemonis will be without captain Predrag Djordjevic, who is suspended, and is waiting on the fitness of Christos Patsatzoglou.
Bremen, meanwhile, have to win to qualify and coach Thomas Schaaf says he expects his players to make amends for the 3-1 home defeat they suffered at home to Olympiackos on Matchday 2.
“It’s not about revenge,” said Schaaf. “I want to see my players play good football and get a good result. We played very well but luck was not on our side that night. Now we have an opportunity to put that right and to get the right result. There is no extra pressure because every game in the UEFA Champions League is tough.”
“The basic thing for us is to cut out the simple mistakes,” he said. “We made too many of those [in the 4-3 defeat to Hannover at the weekend] and we must be fully concentrated from the first minute and have a tight defensive line. The players are feeling better, we know what we have to do and we are well prepared.”
Schaaf has no major injury worries with only full-back Petri Pasanen struggling with a virus.
