The Red Devils must overturn a two-goal deficit to see off the Greek champions, advance to the last eight of the competition and ease the pressure on their managerOlympiakos can deliver another hammer blow to an ailing Manchester United when the two sides meet at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
The Premier League holders welcome the Greek
club - who secured their fourth straight league title on Saturday - for
the second leg of their last-16 tie, desperate to overturn a 2-0
deficit.
United manager David Moyes has come increasing pressure at Old Trafford following a disappointing maiden campaign and he spent Monday locked in crisis talks with his backroom team after Sunday's 3-0 humiliation at the hands of bitter rivals Liverpool.
MAN UTD LATEST
6/1
Olympiakos are 6/1 with Bet365 to beat Manchester United on Wednesday
A pair of penalties from Steven Gerrard helped to inflict a fifth
home league defeat of the campaign on United but perhaps more worrying
for Moyes was the way in which his side were comprehensively outplayed
on their own pitch by Brendan Rodgers's men.
With United trailing
Premier League leaders Chelsea by 18 points, the Champions League
provides an unlikely last chance of silverware this season.
To
progress to the quarter-finals, though, the Red Devils would have to
erase Olympiakos's two-goal cushion, gained through strikes from
Alejandro Dominguez and on-loan Arsenal forward Joel Campbell.
Moyes has vowed that United will turn the tie on its head, acknowledging the need to start Wednesday's game well.
"We
have to go for the throat to get the win," he told reporters. "We won't
be gung-ho but we will certainly go with a mindset to overhaul the
deficit as quickly as we can.
"We won't be reckless as we could
find ourselves with a bigger mountain to climb, but we can be forceful.
We have to be if we're to keep ourselves in the Champions League."
Olympiakos
have lost on all of their previous 11 visits to England but travel to
Old Trafford on the back of lifting a 41st Greek title with five matches
to spare, thanks to a 2-0 victory over Panthrakikos.
Furthermore,
Michel's men showed that they are more than capable of competing
against United in the first leg at the Karaiskakis Stadium and they will
look to pounce on any mental fragility that the hosts show following
the Liverpool defeat.
United head into the match without Jonny
Evans (calf), while Michael Olaitan has not played for Olympiakos since
collapsing against Panathinaikos at the beginning of March. Ivan Marcano
(groin) and Javier Saviola (quadriceps) are doubts for the visitors,
while Dominguez, Kostas Manolas and Diego Fuster are all one booking
away from a suspension that would rule them out of a quarter-final tie.
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