Five-star Olympiacos welcome Yaya Toure
Five-star Olympiacos welcome Yaya Toure
GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 2
Olympiacos continued their 100% start to the new SuperLeague season in Sunday’s late match with a solid 5-0 home win over PAS Giannina in front of newboy Yaya Toure, who’s transfer back to the club he made his name was announced earlier.
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Norwegian full-back Omar Elabdellaoui set Pedro Martins’ side on their way with a headed finish from Mafy Camara’s superb ball, while further strikes from Kostas Fortounis from the penalty spot and Daniel Podence putting the Thrylos in firm command.
Late strikes in added time from Spanish striker Miguel Angelo Guerrero and Tunisian defender Yassine Meriah completed a five-star display.
Toure’s presence in the stands added further to the party atmosphere at a buzzing Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, with the 35-year-old former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder also getting a hero's welcome at the club’s offices before kick-off. The player entered the pitch after the final whistle where the fans once again sang his name.
On the pitch, the home side looked slick and efficient, following up on their Europa League qualification by ousting Burnley with plenty of neat passing and direct attacking play once again.
PAS put up considerable resistance, but that was broken on 33 minutes when a delicious lofted pass from Camara picked out Omar’s run, and he planted a brilliant header beyond the flailing arms of PAS keeper Markos Vellidis.
Fortounis then went close to making it 2-0 a few minutes later with a trademark free-kick which flash inches wide of Vellidis’ post. The Greece midfielder did not have to wait much longer to get on the scoresheet, however, as the home side were awarded a penalty when Themistoklis Tzimopoulos handled the ball in the box.
Fortounis stepped up to slot home from 12 yards to give the Piraeus giants a comfortable half-time cushion.
Olympiacos continued to boss the game into the second half, and Giannis Fetfatzidis almost got on the scoresheet just one minute after the restart, but the diminutive forward hit the post from close range after good work by Podence.
The home fans did not have to wait long to celebrate a third goal, though, and it was Podence who got it, converting with amplomb after a neat exchange of passes involving Miguel Angel Guerrero and Fortounis.
PAS did not just lie down and die, however, and their response was to hit the woodwork themselves with 15 minutes left. Giorgos Mystakidis was the unlucky PAS player, finding Andreas Gianniotis’ left post with a deflected shot.
But Olympiacos had the last word as late strikes from Guerrero and Meriah - his first goal for his new club - putting the icing on the cake.
by Graham Wood
Image Source: sdna.gr
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