Sochaux plan Olympiacos offensive

With the UEFA Cup set to resume after its winter break, uefa.com looks at the form of the 32 clubs involved in first-leg ties this week.

Olympiacos CFP v FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
After their defeat against Liverpool FC and exit from the UEFA Champions League, Olympiacos turned their attention to the Greek Alpha Ethniki and with seven points in three games they ended 2004 on top of the table, one point ahead of Panathinaikos FC and three clear of AEK Athens FC. Their first fixture in 2005, against Panionios NFC, was called off following crowd trouble. Both teams were deducted three points, given no points for the fixture, and ordered to pay a heavy fine and play four matches behind closed doors. Part of this punishment was overturned on appeal; they were given back the three points and then played the game between them, Olympiacos winning 2-0.

It gave the Piraeus side a six-point lead over AEK which had been reduced by two on Saturday as Olympiacos were held to a goalless draw by fourth-placed Xanthi FC; the first time they have dropped points at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in all competitions this season. Olympiacos did not recruit new players during the transfer window and that gives them problems for the first game with Sochaux. Regular central defenders Gabriel Schürrer and Georgios Anatolakis are both suspended, while left-back Stylianos Venetidis and right-side midfield player Georgios Georgiadis are ruled out until the end of the season.

Players registered: None
Players out: None

Sochaux were in the middle of a difficult period when Mickaël Isabey's late winner against Panionios NFC confirmed their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. They had not won a league game at home since 30 October, but on 8 January they beat SC Bastia 1-0 in the French Cup, and they have not looked back since. Guy Lacombe's side are now on a five-game unbeaten league run including a 4-0 win at home against FC Girondins de Bordeaux and a 2-0 victory at Olympique de Marseille, to leave themselves sixth in Ligue 1. On Saturday they beat FC Metz 1-0 in the French Cup to progress to the last 16.

Sochaux will miss two important players for the Olympiacos tie, as midfield pair Wilson Oruma and Ibrahim Tall are sidelined with knee and hamstring injuries respectively and will miss both legs. Striker Marcelo Trapasso is also ruled out by a long-term knee injury. During the transfer window, Sochaux signed Mohamed Kader from Servette FC but the Togolese striker is not eligible for the UEFA Cup having already represented the Swiss side in an earlier round.

Registered players: None
Players out: None