Sochaux seeking success

A solitary 29th-minute goal from Iannis Okkas gave Olympiacos CFP victory against FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in the opening leg at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium. Olympiacos won all three of their UEFA Champions League group games this season by an identical scoreline and will hope that this time, their slender advantage may bring rewards ahead of Thursday's return leg at the Stade Bonal.

The Greek side's encounters with French side AS Monaco FC in that ultimately unsuccessful Champions League campaign were also close, with Monaco winning 2-1 at Stade Louis II and Olympiakos defender Gabriel Schürrer scoring the only goal of the return. Last season's beaten finalists won the pool, with Olympiacos missing out on the runners-up spot to Liverpool FC on head-to-head record.

But Olympiacos have lost on their last four visits to France and have a record of one win, one draw and five defeats on their seven visits. The only success was in Monaco in the second round of the 1992/93 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup when Giorgios Vaitsis scored the only goal of the tie four minutes from time.

Sochaux defeated a Greek side en route to qualifying for the knockout stages of this season's UEFA Cup, Mickaël Isabey scoring the winner against Panionios NFC. That 86th-minute winner meant the French challengers finished runners-up to Newcastle United FC in Group D.

In the first round of the 1982/83 UEFA Cup, Sochaux suffered a defeat by FC PAOK following a frenzy of excitement in the closing minutes of a tie which saw three goals and the Greek club progress to the second round.