Arsenal v Olympiakos preview
Arteta a doubt for Wenger's men; Olympiakos have 'backs to the wall'
Last Updated: October 3, 2012 10:55am
Arsene Wenger: Arsenal want to 'put things right' after their defeat by Chelsea
Arsenal will know they can take a giant stride towards the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League group stages if they defeat Olympiakos on Wednesday night.
Arsene Wenger's side won at Montpellier in their opening game of Group B and they currently top the standings joint with Schalke.
Another victory would therefore open a six-point gap over Olympiakos after just two matches, while there could be the same margin to Montpellier if they lose in Gelsenkirchen.
Wenger has admitted morale has suffered among his squad after Saturday's Premier League defeat by Chelsea but the Frenchman is confident his players want to 'put things right'.
Olympiakos coach Leonardo Jardim saw his team win at Atromitos in domestic action at the weekend but he confesses his side have their 'backs to the wall' ahead of visiting the Emirates.
The Greek club will also have bad memories of last season's trip to Arsenal in the group stages, when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos goals earned a 2-1 win.
Excellent
Wenger's team also came out on top in the 2009/10 group stage, with Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin scoring in the last 12 minutes for a 2-0 victory on Matchday Two.
Mikel Arteta, who has been excellent for Arsenal so far this season, is doubtful with an ankle injury, while Abou Diaby's latest injury has ruled the Frenchman out for a few weeks.
Wojciech Szczesny (ankle) is still a fortnight away from full fitness and so will not likely be back until Arsenal host Schalke at the end of October.
Jack Wilshere played for Arsenal's reserves for his first appearance in 14 months on Monday and he is also targeting Matchday Three for his first-team comeback.
Olympiakos' Giannis Fetfatzidis and Djamel Abdoun could return after the midfielders missed the win over Atromitos through injury.
But Vassilis Torossidis, Ljubomir Fejsa, Tassos Papazoglou and Rafik Djebbour are all ruled out.
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Matches
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UEFA Champions League
Wed 3rd Oct - Group C
Wed 3rd Oct - Group B
Wed 3rd Oct - Group A
Wed 3rd Oct - Group D
Tables
UEFA Champions League Group A
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St Germain | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | FC Porto | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | Dynamo Kiev | 6 | 5 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group B
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schalke | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Olympiakos FC | 6 | 9 |
| 4 | Montpellier | 6 | 2 |
UEFA Champions League Group C
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaga | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Anderlecht | 6 | 5 |
UEFA Champions League Group D
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 14 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 6 | 11 |
| 3 | Ajax | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group E
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | FC Nordsjaelland | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group F
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Valencia | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | BATE Borisov | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Lille | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group G
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Celtic | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Benfica | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | Spartak Moscow | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group H
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | CFR Cluj-Napoca | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | Braga | 6 | 3 |
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