Aiming to end their three-match losing run, OFI Crete welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Pankritio Stadium for Thursday's Europa League matchday-three action.

That ambition, though, will be difficult to realise given the Bundesliga outfit's unblemished start in the league phase and ongoing seven-match unbeaten streak, highlighting the uphill challenge facing Christos Kontis's men.

Match preview

When OFI defeated Hoffenheim 2-0 in mid-September, fans of the Greek outfit could have been forgiven for celebrating the extension of their winning streak across all competitions to four matches.

That result also extended the team's unbeaten run to five matches, before a 2-2 draw with Asteras in Crete followed ahead of the hiatus.

The pause has unfortunately done more harm than good for Kontis and his players, who have suffered three defeats since the international break, losing 3-0 to AEK Athens after Aitor Cantalapiedra was sent off with his side trailing 1-0, before falling 2-1 and 4-3 to Rennes and Kalamata in Europe and the domestic top flight.

Kontis is no stranger to such a run, having seen his players suffer three consecutive defeats in May after they also endured a sequence of one win in five matches between February and March last season.

Nonetheless, the 18th-placed side in the Europa League will point to their previous victory over Bundesliga opposition, as well as a six-match unbeaten run in front of their supporters, or seven including last season's success over Volos, as proof that they can hold their own against anyone in their own backyard.

Supporters of a Bayer persuasion will point to an obvious caveat: they are in significantly better form than Hoffenheim, who have lost six of their nine matches this season.

In contrast, Carles Martinez's men have secured seven victories from nine competitive matches since August, including two wins in Europe without conceding.

Five of those victories have come consecutively for Die Werkself, who have demonstrated their expertise across various game states to move within one win of recording six in a row.

They have claimed routine 2-0 wins over Celje and RB Leipzig, held their nerve after Mainz 05 recovered from 2-0 down to draw level before an eventual 4-3 success, dispatched Lech Poznan and overturned a 1-0 deficit against Freiburg at the weekend to win 2-1.

Now, the German top-flight club's next assignment is to become the first side since Aris in May to beat OFI in Heraklion.

Given that they are one of three sides yet to concede in the league phase, second-placed Bayer appear to possess the defensive foundation required to make it three wins from three in Europe's second-tier club competition.

OFI Crete Europa League form:

OFI Crete form (all competitions):

Bayer Leverkusen Europa League form:

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Team News

Nikolaos Marinakis is sidelined with a groin injury, although the defender was not part of the group anyway, while Aaron Leya Iseka (groin) and Christos Sielis (hamstring) are also injured and ineligible.

Fresh from scoring twice and providing an assist in last weekend's 4-3 loss at Kalamata, Thiago Nuss will target another strong showing to preserve OFI's extended unbeaten home record.

The forward should not lack support, with Kenan Kodro also on three league goals and representing another potential match-winning threat for the Greek outfit.

Bayer have netted six goals in Europe's second tier, but the scoring burden has largely been shared, with Patrik Schick the only player to strike more than once.

The Czech international's return is no surprise, given that he has scored six Bundesliga goals, four more than Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane, who have netted twice apiece in the league.

Kofane, however, is absent with a muscle complaint, as are Martin Terrier (hamstring), Guela Doue (muscle) and Eliesse Ben Seghir (muscle), while Montrell Culbreath (foot) is touch-and-go for Thursday's match; Jonas Hofmann, Victor Boniface, Tim Oermann and Kennet Eichhorn are all ineligible and unavailable.

OFI Crete possible starting lineup:

Christogeorges; Nikolaou, Poungouras, Krizmanic; Dickmann, Androutsos, Bouchalakis, Athanasiou; Fountas, Kodro, Nuss

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Quansah, Tapsoba, Medina, Gutierrez; Andrich, Garcia; Diaby, Maza, Moreira; Schick

We say: OFI Crete 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen

OFI have proved difficult to beat in Heraklion, but their three consecutive defeats since the international break suggest that confidence has been damaged at an unfortunate time.

Leverkusen's unblemished European record and back-to-back league-phase clean sheets point towards another controlled victory for Martinez's in-form side.

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