History favours Newcastle

Newcastle met a Greek club for the first time in their history when they played Panionios NFC in their first group game this season. An 86th-minute Shearer penalty earned them a 1-0 win and set them off on a run which would see the Magpies win their other four away games, including in Athens. The Magpies scored 15 goals and conceded just three on their travels in defeating Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin FC (5-1), Panionios, FC Sochaux-Montbéliard (4-1), SC Heerenveen (2-1) and Olympiacos.

The Greek side began 2004/05 in the UEFA Champions League, where they were drawn in a group containing another English side, Liverpool FC. Olympiacos won 1-0 in Athens, Ieroklis Stoltidis scoring, and travelled to Anfield on Matchday 6 needing only a draw or a one-goal defeat (other than 1-0) to go through.

Although the Piraeus side opened the scoring through Rivaldo's first-half strike, the Reds turned on the style and went 2-1 ahead when Neil Mellor scored on 80 minutes. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, fittingly, had the final say when drilling in a third goal six minutes later which saw his side advance and Olympiacos transfer to the UEFA Cup.

Olympiacos have won only two of their 13 matches against English clubs - 1-0 against Liverpool this season and versus Tottenham Hotspur FC in the second round of the 1972/73 UEFA Cup second round - but have never prevailed from a two-legged tie. The Greek side will thus need a first, and considerable, win on English soil if they are to reach the quarter-finals.