Burnley vs Olympiakos Predictions

Burnley’s stay in Europe was never fully expected to be a lengthy one, but after last week’s showing in Greece, it’s looking like The Clarets will find themselves limited to domestic action sooner rather than later. Given how tired they are looking at the moment, that might not be a bad thing for their long term prospects.

They lost 3-1 away to Olympiakos last week, and while their away goal could prove a valuable one should they reverse their fortunes on Thursday, the reality is that they are two goals down to a side well versed in European football and aren’t in any sort of form to feel confident heading into the match.

The weekend saw Burnley fall to their third straight defeat in all competitions, as Fulham beat them 4-2 in a Sunday afternoon thriller at Craven Cottage. The usually defensively sound back line looks like it’s tearing at the seams right now, with them conceding ten goals in their last three outings.

Despite having already come through two rounds of Europa League qualification, Burnley are yet to win a competitive match this season in normal time. Their only successes have been extra time victories at home to Aberdeen and Istanbul Basaksehir, but if they want to force extra-time on Thursday they will have to get the win inside 90 minutes.

Olympiakos won’t be overly concerned though. The Greek side kicked off their domestic campaign with a win on Sunday, and while their competition hasn’t exactly been fierce so far, they will take confidence from the fact that they have won all four of their competitive games this season.

They have scored 11 goals in these four games too, and will be keen to get an away goal on the board at Turf Moor as they look to finish off the tie. Olympiakos have played a part in European football in every season since 1993, so you can be sure they are well versed in the tactics of two-legged ties.

For all their defensive woes, Burnley have at least managed to score in each of their last three games. Their lack of defensive stability will concern Sean Dyche, but at the moment you do always feel that they have a goal in them. Olympiakos know that they have what it takes to break through the Clarets’ back line too though, and for that reason a bet of Both Teams to Score looks a good value, one along with a 1-1 correct score predictions.