- NEC Nijmegen have failed to win 3 of their last 5 matches.
- Olympiakos Piraeus FC have failed to win 5 of their last 5 away matches.
- NEC Nijmegen have scored 2.50 and conceded 1.33 goals per home game, on average.
A cagey second leg in prospect
The first leg in UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026 ended 0-0 but Olympiakos Piraeus FC will be the more optimistic of the two teams ahead of Tuesday's rematch in Nijmegen.
The Greek champions are narrow favourites for the win at 2.27 and that's probably a fair reflection of the teams' respective quality, with NEC in at 3.35 and the draw at 3.25. But this is likely to be a long, grueling encounter and it is tough to see either side pulling a rabbit out of the hat to take control of this tie.
NEC are in a mixed form of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their last 5 games after a 1-2 home defeat to Sevilla FC in a Friendly Club Match was followed by a 0-0 away draw with Olympiakos in UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026.
Across all competitions, Dick Schreuder's 3-4-2-1 team have been more solid at home with 3 wins and 3 losses from their 6 games since 1 July 2025. But the high-tempo press and wide overloads should drag Olympiakos into a scrap with the home side pushing bodies forward.
Olympiakos can nick it
Olympiakos arrive off the back of back-to-back away losses to Royal Antwerp FC (3-0) and AZ Alkmaar (3-2) before the 0-0 draw with NEC in UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026.
José Luis Mendilibar's compact and pragmatic setup has been anything but solid on the road, with 0 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats from 6 away matches. They have also scored a measly 0.83 and let in 2.00 goals in these contests.
Across all competitions, the Greek team have 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats from their last 10. They have plenty of grit to come back from behind, but rarely have the killer instinct to grab the win. Jota Silva has been their main danger man of late with 3 of their 5 goals in their last 5.
NEC have been in equally mixed form across all competitions of late with 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats from their last 10. The home team will be looking to break Olympiakos down in the second half while the visitors will look to hit them on the counter attack.
This tie is finely poised after a cagey 0-0 draw in the first-leg and we're expecting this to be settled by one big moment rather than a series of incidents. Under 2.5 goals at 1.67 and Both Teams to Score - No at 1.85 both fit the script of the opening fixture and seem the best fit for this type of game. Olympiakos are a better price than the Dutch team, however, and have more structure so we're leaning towards the visitors to nick it in the Netherlands.
