Olympiacos set greater goals

'Early goal'
The Greek champions begin their Group F campaign at home to Rosenborg BK on Tuesday with coach Trond Sollied calling on his side to make an early impression ahead of likely tougher tests against Real Madrid CF and Olympique Lyonnais. "There are 18 points up for grabs in the group and we must take as many as we can from each match," said Sollied, a former Rosenborg coach and player whose last experience of Champions League football was at the helm of Club Brugge KV. "If we can get an early goal [on Tuesday] it will certainly boost our chances."

False dawns
Olympiacos are well used to false dawns in Europe, although they were unlucky not to advance with their tally of ten points in Group A last season. At half-time on Matchday 6 they led Liverpool FC 1-0, and were still on course for the first knockout round at 2-1 down with four minutes to play when Steven Gerrard struck a stunning winner to propel the English team towards the next stage (and eventual glory) and the Piraeus outfit into the UEFA Cup. Olympiacos captain Predrag Djordjević does not envisage such heartbreak this winter, saying: "We're in good shape and want to make a difference this season. We still haven't shown our true colours in this competition."

'Nothing to lose'
Sollied, who hails from Norway, believes his knowledge of Rosenborg will be counter-balanced by the visitors' superior match-fitness. "It's an advantage that I know Rosenborg, but we're still at the beginning of our campaign while they're already well into theirs," he said. Djordjević, aware that Rosenborg lie tenth in their 14-team Premier Division, added: "They've got nothing to lose and that makes them very dangerous. A good result for them could trigger a recovery in their season."

Unlucky Kafes?
Olympiacos are likely to recall Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré and playmaker Rivaldo after they were rested at the weekend, meaning Pantelis Kafes could drop to the bench despite a man-of-the-match performance in Saturday's 5-0 defeat of Panionios NFC. New signing Mihalis Kapsis remains an injury doubt, so Ioannis Taralidis could partner Athanasios Kostoulas in the centre of a four-man defence. In attack, Sollied must decide whether Cyprus forward Ioannis Okkas or Nigerian Haruna Babangida deserves a starting spot alongside Mihalis Konstantinou, another Cypriot.

'Great players'
Whoever starts, Rosenborg coach Per-Mathias Høgmo knows both Sollied and Olympiacos well enough to anticipate a difficult game in prospect. "Sollied has already left his mark," said the 45-year-old, who replaced Per Joar Hansen at the helm of the Trondheim-based club last month. "Compared to Panathinaikos, who we played last season, Olympiacos are better organised and stronger in attack and defence. They have great players like Rivaldo, but above all they are tight team. They are at the same level as [Real] Madrid [CF} and [Olympique] Lyon[nais], not below them."

Previous meetings
Høgmo will hope first-choice goalkeeper Espen Johnsen recovers from a knee complaint to take his place between the posts, having already lost defenders Christer Basma and Robbie Russell to injuries. He said of his side's chances: "We've been playing well but just haven't been able to score - hopefully we can do that on Tuesday. We expect them to start quickly, but we are well prepared." The teams last met in the Champions League in 1997/98, with a 2-2 draw in Athens following a 5-1 home success in Trondheim - scores Høgmo would love to see replicated.