Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Real Madrid are three games without victory heading to Greece.
Real Madrid look to bounce back after a disappointing draw vs. Elche.
Real Madrid look to bounce back after a disappointing draw vs. Elche. / Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images, Visionhaus/Getty Images

Real Madrid are seeking to end their winless streak when they face Greek giants Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Los Blancos have failed to claim victory in any of their last three matches, starting with a tepid European defeat to Liverpool and followed by underwhelming draws with Rayo Vallecano and Elche in La Liga. While they still lead Spain’s top flight, their Anfield defeat has seen them drop to seventh in the Champions League league phase table.

Madrid will be desperate for redemption on Wednesday as tensions rise in Spain’s capital, with the ongoing conflict between Vinícius Júnior and Xabi Alonso hanging over their heads. Victory in Piraeus would quieten some of the outside noise.

Olympiacos are favorable opposition considering their European record this season, with two draws and two defeats from their league phase excursions. They have been hit for six by Barcelona, swept aside by Arsenal and frustrated by both Pafos and PSV Eindhoven.

Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the Champions League clash.

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What Time Does Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?

  • Location: Piraeus, Greece
  • Stadium: Karaiskakis Stadium
  • Date: Wednesday, Nov. 26
  • Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 12 p.m. GMT
  • Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
  • VAR: Andrew Dallas (SCO)

Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

  • Olympiacos: 1 win
  • Real Madrid: 3 wins
  • Draws: 1
  • Last meeting: Olympiacos 0–0 Real Madrid (Nov. 6, 2007)—Champions League

Current Form (All Competitions)

Olympiacos

Real Madrid

Olympiacos 3–0 Atromitos - 11/22/25

Elche 2–2 Real Madrid - 11/23/25

Kifisia 1–3 Olympiacos - 11/9/25

Rayo Vallecano 0–0 Real Madrid - 11/9/25

Olympiacos 1–1 PSV Eindhoven - 11/4/25

Liverpool 1–0 Real Madrid -11/4/25

Olympiacos 2–1 Aris Thessaloniki - 11/1/25

Real Madrid 4–0 Valencia - 11/1/25

Olympiacos 5–0 Volos - 10/29/25

Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona - 10/26/25


How to Watch Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid on TV, Live Stream

Country

TV Channel/Live Stream

United States

Paramount+, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, ViX, TUDN USA, UniMás

United Kingdom

TNT Sports 5, discovery+, discovery+ App

Canada

DAZN, fuboTV

Mexico

Caliente TV, FOX One


Olympiacos Team News

Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi
Ayoub El Kaabi is the major threat for Olympiacos. / Alex Caparros/Getty Images

José Luis Mendilibar, who spent almost three decades managing in Spain, will be without the services of Alexandros Paschalakis, Bruno Onyemaechi and Konstantinos Angelakis for the visit of Madrid—a side he has only beaten twice as a coach in 25 past meetings.

The 64-year-old will be reliant on the goalscoring prowess of Ayoub El Kaabi if Olympiacos are to pull off a major upset, with the Moroccan having scored 71 times since joining the Greek side in 2023. Ten of those strikes have come this season.


Olympiacos Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Olympiacos predicted lineup
Olympiacos could make one change from the weekend. / FotMob

Olympiacos predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Hezze, García; Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi.


Real Madrid Team News

Dean Huijsen
Dean Huijsen has added to Alonso’s injury woes. / Michael Regan/Getty Images

Madrid will be without a host of players for the trip to Athens, with Thibaut Courtois having pulled out of the traveling party due to illness. That will result in a first appearance of the season for backup stopper Andriy Lunin.

Dean Huijsen is also missing for Madrid to add to a lengthy list of defensive absentees, with the Spaniard absent from team training on Tuesday and omitted from the squad. He joins fellow center backs Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba on the sidelines, with Raúl Asencio the club’s only orthodox senior option in the position.

Aurélien Tchouaméni has been absent in recent matches but will travel to Greece, potentially re-entering the lineup at center back.

Vinícius, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde should all return to the XI having been benched against Elche.


Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Olympiacos

Real Madrid predicted lineup
Madrid have a mountain of defensive injuries. / FotMob

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Olympiacos (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Tchouaméni, Asencio, Carreras; Güler, Valverde, Camavinga; Bellingham; Vinícius, Mbappé.


Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction

Madrid’s recent form leaves much to be desired but they should return to winning ways on Wednesday. Olympiacos are winless in Europe to date and have been convincingly beaten by the two sides they have faced that are similar in quality to Los Blancos.

Defensive injuries will offer the hosts hope of getting on the scoresheet, but Alonso’s return to a more familiar XI should yield a positive result. Madrid simply have too much attacking firepower.

Prediction: Olympiacos 1–2 Real Madrid


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Ewan Ross-Murray
EWAN ROSS-MURRAY

Ewan Ross-Murray is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer who focuses primarily on the Premier League. Ewan was born in Leicester, but his heart, and club allegiance, belongs to Liverpool.