Rijeka v Olympiacos: play-off contribution and stats
Olympiacos FC missed out on a organisation theatre final deteriorate though take a slight advantage to HNK Rijeka for a second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie.
Previous meetings
• The initial leg was a clubs’ initial assembly in UEFA competition. Rijeka took a lead by Héber’s overwhelming strike before half-time, usually for Olympiacos to equalize by Vadis Odjidja before completing a turnaround interjection to Alaixys Romao’s idea 3 mins into combined time.
• Rijeka had never played a Greek organisation before their outing to Piraeus.
• Before confronting Rijeka, Olympiacos had played 6 matches opposite Croatian antithesis – all opposite GNK Dinamo Zagreb. They kick Dinamo 3-1 during home in a 1977/78 UEFA Cup initial turn initial leg usually to remove a lapse 5-1, though have enjoyed improved happening in UEFA Champions League organisation games opposite a same opponents.
• The Greek bar overcame Dinamo 2-0 during home in 1998/99, sketch 1-1 away, and available divided (1-0) and home (2-1) wins opposite them in 2015/16.
Match background
• Rijeka were dominant in 7 European matches (W2 D5), home and away, before a initial leg.
• The Croatian bar have mislaid usually one (W9 D6 L1) of their final 16 European home games – 3-0 during Aberdeen FC in a 2015/16 UEFA Europa League second subordinate round.
• Rijeka reached this season’s play-offs by violence Welsh champions The New Saints FC 7-1 on total in a second subordinate turn (2-0 home, 5-1 away) before ousting FC Salzburg on divided goals (1-1 away, 0-0 home).
• This is usually Rijeka’s second UEFA Champions League campaign; in their first, in 1999/2000, they crashed out 6-1 on total opposite FK Partizan in a second subordinate round.
• This is Rijeka’s fifth uninterrupted deteriorate in Europe, with their many successful campaigns in that run entrance in 2013/14 and 2014/15, when they contested a UEFA Europa League organisation stage.
• Olympiacos competent with a 5-3 total feat opposite Partizan in a third subordinate turn (3-1 away, 2-2 home).
• The Greek side have won dual of their final 3 divided European games.
• Olympiacos mislaid to Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC in final season’s third subordinate turn – a initial time they had missed out on a UEFA Champions League organisation theatre given 2010/11.
• In 2016/17, a Greek side went on to strech a UEFA Europa League turn of 16, going down 5-2 on total to Beşiktaş JK.
• Olympiacos are aiming to strech a organisation theatre for a 18th time.
Team and manager links
• Born in Osijek, in eastern Croatia, Olympiacos defender Hrvoje Milić started his career with HNK Hajduk Split, returning there for a second spell in Aug 2015. He changed to Greece this summer after a deteriorate with ACF Fiorentina.
• Milić played alongside Rijeka’s Andrej Prskalo during NK Istra 1961 for dual seasons (2011/12, 2012/13).
Coach profiles
• Hired in Feb 2013, Rijeka manager Matjaž Kek led his local Slovenia to a 2010 FIFA World Cup. Kek had started and finished his personification career as a defender during NK Maribor – where his father and son also played – possibly side of a prolonged army in Austria. He returned home to Maribor for his initial coaching roles before a tarry in Saudi Arabia with al-Ittihad. Under his stewardship, Rijeka landed a Croatian double final term.
• Previously partner coach, Besnik Hasi insincere solitary authority during RSC Anderlecht in Mar 2014. Capped 47 times by Albania, Hasi guided a Purple-and-Whites to a Belgian pretension dual months later. He changed to Legia Warszawa in Jun 2016 though was discharged that September. Olympiacos tempted him behind into coaching this summer.
Penalty shoot-outs
• Neither Rijeka nor Olympiacos have ever featured in a UEFA chastisement shoot-out.