By: Peter Katsiris
After wildfires postponed their derby clash with AEK Athens FC last week, Olympiacos CFP kick-off their 2009/2010 Greek Super League season with a visit to Larissa FC'S Alkazar Stadium - a place they haven't won in for twenty-two years.
Clinching a berth in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League earlier this week, Olympiacos' performance against FC Sheriff Tiraspol was far from what was expected of the Greek Champions. A return to domestic duties, however, this weekend should inspire the club to redeem themselves after a horrid performance in Piraeus.
Manager Temuri Ketsbaia, not the most loved man in the port city, continues to be put under the microscope by Olympiacos' prolific supporters group 'Gate 7'. The group was always against the idea of replacing former manager Ernesto Valverde with the Georgian Ketsbaia, highlighting the latter's prestige, or lack thereof, as an issue unsettling to the Giorgos Karaiskakis crowd.
Nevertheless, an evaluation of the former Anorthosis Famagusta FC coach is not a fair practice considering the club have yet to complete their shopping spree in the summer transfer window. The club is still in need of a left-footed midfielder to marshal the left flank - a gap created by the retirement of Predrag Djordjevic and the departure of Sebastian Leto to Panathinaikos FC.
As club president Sokratis Kokkalis and his fellow board members look to solve their employment issues, Ketsbaia, in the meantime, is forced to work with what he has at his disposable.
An injury to Luciano Galletti in Olympiacos' 1-0 defeat of Sheriff will sideline the Argentine until mid-September, with reports suggesting the former Clube Atletico de Madrid midfielder not expected to be ready until his side's meeting with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Champions League.
Ironically though, Galletti's sending off in last season's Greek Cup Final - which Olympiacos won against AEK after a marathon penalty shootout - would have banned the Argentine from this fixture, while Avraam Papadopoulos faces the same fate on Sunday.
Greece international Vasilis Torosidis, English striker Matt Derbyshire, and midfielder Giannis Papadopoulos are all out due to injury. Meanwhile, Giorgos Katsikogiannis, Leonidas Panagopoulos, Pavel Kovac, and Ieroklis Stoltidis have been left off the roster.
Furthermore, youngsters Giorgos Niklitsiotis and Andreas Vasiliogiannis are with the U-21 Olympiacos side competing at the youth tournament in Rome.
With a shortage of players, Ketsbaia is expected to select a similar line-up which he installed against Sheriff on Wednesday - no less than seven defensive-minded players were in the starting line-up on that night.
Goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, the team's captain for this season, will assume his place in goal in Larissa; the former Greece international posting four shut-out victories in Olympiacos' trek to the Champions League group-stages - he'll be hoping for a similar showing against the 'Vyssini'.
Avraam Papadopoulos, one of the regular center-backs for the club, could be replaced by Kyriakos Papadopoulos, while Didier DOmi or Anastasios Pantos could also feature in a defense bound to include Olof Mellberg, Raul Bravo, and Michal Zewlakow.
The midfield should contain its regulars, with Enzo Maresca joining Cristian Ledesma and Dudu in the defensive midfield position, while Jaouad Zairi patrols the right wing, but Brazilian defender Leonardo will work down the left flank as Zairi covers for Galletti's absence.
In attack, with only two strikers healthy, it is clear Ketsbaia is forced to only release one forward with formation. Greek striker Konstantinos Mitroglou is hitting form, scoring the winner against Sheriff on Wednesday. Diogo, however, could also start the match - the Brazilian being the big thing to hit Piraeus last summer.
As for Larissa, they drew 0-0 with Asteras Tripolis last weekend, and are still searching for momentum after their 3-1 aggregate defeat to KR Reykjavik eliminated the side from the UEFA Europa League.
Manager Marionos Ouzounidis will be confident of his side's chances against the League Champions, because aside from the long winless Olympiacos has attained over the year, the home side also have no injuries or absences to worry about.
The club's recent signings, however, Antonio de Nigris and Gaston Casas, were only presented as Larissa players this week - neither will be expected to suit against Olympiacos, especially Casas who signed on at Larissa on Saturday.
Olympiacos CFP (Temuri Ketsbaia): Nikopolidis, Pardo, Diogo, Domi, Dudu, Galitsios Oscar, Ledesma, Leonardo, Maresca, Mellberg, Mitroglou, Pantos, K. Papadopoulos, Raul Bravo, Soiledis, Zairi, Zewlakow.
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