Arsenal will be keen on maintaining their winning momentum when they meet Olympiacos in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. This will be the first leg of their Round of 32 fixture as both teams look to take an early advantage. The Gunners are coming on the back of a 4-0 win over Newcastle United and will be confident about their chances in Athens.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Arsenal Lineup Vs Olympiacos
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Pablo Mari played 45 minutes for the Arsenal reserve squad and could be in contention to feature against Olympiacos on Thursday. However, the Spaniard might still have to wait for his first-team debut.
Both Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz played well in the last game and should retain their place in the starting lineup, ahead of Sokratis and Rob Holding.
Another new signing Cedric Soares is still a long way off from making his debut for Arsenal. That paves the way for Hector Bellerin to retain his role at right-back, though Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also an option for Mikel Arteta.
On the opposite flank, Sead Kolasinac stayed on the bench against Newcastle United. But, the Bosnian international is a favourite to get the nod ahead of Bukayo Saka here, even though the youngster performed well in the last game. Kieran Tierney, meanwhile, is still out injured.
And finally, as Europa League knockout rounds get underway, it might be time for Arsenal to rely on Bernd Leno even in cup games. Hence, we expect the German to get the nod ahead of Emiliano Martinez in between the sticks.
Midfield
Dani Ceballos made quite an impression with his performance against Newcastle. But, the Spaniard might have to make way for Lucas Torreira in this fixture while Granit Xhaka is expected to retain his place in the double-pivot.
Mateo Guendouzi was left out of the squad last time out, perhaps due to his attitude in training. It remains to be seen whether or not Arteta opts to bring the Frenchman back in contention this time around.
Attack
Mesut Ozil played almost ninety minutes against Newcastle. So it won’t be surprising to see Joe Willock operating as a number ten this midweek.
The young Englishman would be accompanied by Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli, the latter replacing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese international is likely to receive a breather though Arteta could well use him as a super-sub later in the game.
Meanwhile, Alexandre Lacazette is expected to the return to the side, at the expense of Eddie Nketiah. The Frenchman is set to lead the Arsenal attack against Olympiacos.
