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Olympiacos and NEC Nijmegen open their account this season in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. This first leg fixture takes place at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus on Tuesday, 4 August.
Olympiacos are regulars in the competition, while NEC will make their first-ever appearance in Europe’s top-tier tournament.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Olympiacos vs NEC key stats
- Olympiacos finished 2025/26 as runners-up in the Greek Super League.
- Thrylos lost each of their last three club friendlies.
- NEC last played in the UEFA Cup, back in the 2008/09 season.
- NEC won only two of their summer club friendlies (L4, D1).
Olympiacos vs NEC preview: Greek giants take first-leg lead
Olympiacos vs NEC — Tale of the Tape
| Olympiacos | vs | NEC |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd (Greek Super League) | Position | 3rd (Dutch Eredivisie) |
| 66 | Points | 59 |
| 51 | Goals For | 77 |
| 17 | Goals Against | 53 |
| 19 | Clean Sheets | 5 |
| 3rd | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
A poor end to the 2025/26 season saw Olympiacos fall six points short and lose their domestic league crown to rivals AEK Athens.
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side must now go through the motions of UEFA Champions League qualifying after securing automatic qualification last year to the league phase as 2025 Greek Super League champions.
Their pre-season began in July and turned eventful with six friendlies. They went unbeaten in the first three, before tasting three consecutive defeats towards the end of the month.
Yusuf Yazici is Olympiacos’ only injury, while NEC will miss the services of Perr Schuurs and Emre Mor.
This match carries great significance for the Dutch outfit, who make their first-ever Champions League appearance in 125 years.
They finished third in Eredivisie last campaign, marking their best-ever finish to a league season and earning a rare opportunity by playing in the third qualifying round.
Dick Schreuder’s NEC are not complete strangers on the continental front though, having played in the UEFA Cup as recently as 2009.
The two sides have met once before, although in a July 2024 friendly. They have never faced each other competitively.
Olympiacos vs NEC form guide & betting tips
| Olympiacos | vs | NEC |
|---|---|---|
DWLLL |
Form | LWWLL |
| 6 | Goals For | 13 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 7 |
WLD |
Last five – 2025/26 season | LDDLW
|
Whispers predicts: Olympiacos 3-1 NEC
Home advantage will play a huge role for Olympiacos, who were last eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen in the knockout phase play-offs. Olympiacos to win & BTTS – Yes at 2/1 (3.00) carries excellent value. NEC have won only two of their 34 European games in history.
Over 3.5 total goals at 7/5 (2.40) is worth a shot as well.
NEC are expected to begin the match strongly – as they did in their 2-1 loss to Sevilla in their latest friendly. However, Olympiacos should ultimately emerge victorious. At 16/5 (4.20), Draw/Olympiacos (HT/FT) provides the best dividends.
Ayoub El Kaabi is Olympiacos’ main man in attack. After an uneventful World Cup, he returned to action in Olympiacos’ 3-2 loss to AZ Alkmaar in their latest outing. He opened the scoring in the 25th minute. At 11/10 (2.10), El Kaabi to score anytime carries value.
> Olympiacos to win & BTTS – Yes at 2/1 (3.00) | Likelihood: Likely
> Ayoub El Kaabi to score anytime at 11/10 (2.10) | Likelihood: Likely
> Draw/Olympiacos at 16/5 (4.20) | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 3.5 total goals at 7/5 (2.40) | Likelihood: Possible