Let's all learn about Olympiacos.

Morning all.  It was a troublesome weekend for Arsenal and while we may not feel great about Saturday's result against Chelsea, we have pressing business ahead of us as we return our focus to Champion's League. We face Greek side Olympiacos tomorrow in our second fixture of the group stage and if all goes according to plan, we should get out of the gates with all six points, but the Red-Whites will definitely offer up a serious challenge for us, and they should not be taken lightly.

Some of you may not know a lot about Olympiacos so I thought I'd take this opportunity to examine their squad and current form.  For starters, they have played five Greek Super League matches and have taken all 15 points, enough to be three points clear of PAOK and Panionios in what has been a competitive start to the campaign.  They boast a +10 goal difference and appear to be the side to beat, and their form is something we will need to be both aware of, and concerned about.  The reigning league champions have picked up where they left off in 2011-2012, where they were also winners of the Greek Cup.  

Olympiacos will be hurt by the loss of 24-year-old Belgian international Kevin Mirallas who transferred to Everton over the Summer for a fee of £6m.  He scored 20 goals for them last season, and is widely regarded as one of the best young talents in the Prem.  While Mirallas' departure will hinder their goal scoring prowess, 28-year-old Algerian striker Rafik Zoheir is off to a great start to the new campaign, already notching six goals in four League appearances.  He is an extremely dangerous striker, who is known for his  ambidexterity and goal poaching abilities.

The Red-Whites have also played very well in defence, allowing just three goals in their five league matches. The defense is flanked by a pair of talented fullbacks, Giannis Maniatis and José Holebas, both of whom are Greek internationals, despite Holebas being born in Germany.

The only loss for the Greek side this season came from their first Champion's League fixture against Schalke, in a 1-2 affair at Karaiskakis Stadium.  You can view the match highlights here.

Speaking of Karaiskakis Stadium, we'll do well to take 3 points in this home fixture, because traveling to Piraeus will be one of the greatest challenges we face in group stage, as it is considered one of European football's most intimidating atmospheres.  Schalke were fortunate to escape with the points, and replicating their performance will not be an easy task.

So there's your crash course on Olympiacos.  I'll be back tomorrow with a more Arsenal-centric preview of this match, including news on Abu Diaby, who will not play in this fixture, nor any fixtures for the next three weeks or so.  Thanks for reading guys.  See you in the morning.