Consistently European

If Olympiacos fans look back at their 2019-20 Champions League campaign, a lot of “what ifs” will pop up in their minds. What if the Legend had held on to win the game in Serbia? What if an equalizer would come against Bayern Munich in Piraeus? What if Yassine Meriah didn’t resurrect Tottenham in England? On Wednesday, the team was just a few minutes away from being completely knocked out of Europe and wondering where it all went wrong.

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Missing the Captain During Nervous Times

After a nail-biting 1-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade, Olympiacos will be continuing their European campaign in the Europa League. The draw which takes place this Monday could potentially have the Pireotes square off against European powerhouses Manchester United, Ajax, Inter Milan, Benfica, or Sevilla.

The Reds knew that only a win would get them through yesterday and that Red Star would practically park the bus to keep the draw. Pedro Martins elected to play with all three midfielders Andreas Bouchalakis, Guilherme, and Mady Camara which led to Olympiacos maintaining possession but there was a clear lack of creativity behind striker Youssef El Arabi.

This team was built to play around central attacking midfielder Kostas Fortounis and his absence was felt on Wednesday. The formation yesterday, which resembled a 4-3-2-1, works well in Europe when the team is trying to defend against Bayern Munich and Tottenham and strike on the counter attack. The problem against a “closed” defense like the one utilized by Red Star boss Vladan Milojevic is that it lacks that creative player to open up the game for the wingers and to get the ball to El Arabi.

The Erythroleki were limited to only using the wings with their wingers and wing-backs often overlapping and attempting a ton of crosses. Bouchalakis, Camara, and Guilherme were limited to long shots outside the box and as time went on, Olympiacos began to show their anxiety.

You almost felt bad for Pedro Martins; he was soaked in the rain and looked as if he had aged 10 years. Martins knew that anything but a victory would put him on the hot seat and the Europa League spot was a must. A penalty kick in the 87th minute gave Olympiacos the deserved win – the Erythrolefki were much better than Red Star on Wednesday and overall a much better team in the entire group stage.

A European Household Name

Olympiacos have consistently been a very solid team in Europe. Since the 2007-08 season, the Erythrolefki have played European football after the Christmas holidays in 11 out of the 13 years. Whether it be through the Champions League or the Europa League route, Olympiacos fans have constantly had something to look forward to heading into the new year.

This victory also represented the first Champions League win for the team since the 2-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in October of 2015. The Legend only participated in one Champions League campaign since then (the forgettable 2017-18 season in a group with powerhouses Juventus, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon) and finally got the monkey off their back.

Random fact: The last Greek team to win a Champions League game - besides Olympiacos – dates back to December of 2008 when Panathinaikos beat Anorthosis Famagusta.

If the draw is kind to this team, the makings are there for a deep run in the Europa League.

Looking Ahead

The focus now shifts to the Greek Super League; the team’s primary focus this season. Olympiacos have a tough road trip against Asteras Tripolis this week. The Arkades will look to take advantage of the Reds’ fatigue and of the poor weather which will definitely worsen their already pitiful playing field.

Martins will need to make some rotation of his roster due to the fixture congestion and will also have Lazaros Christodoulopoulos at his disposal. The Greek winger’s best days are probably behind him but he brings something to the table that no other Olympiacos winger has; an ability to put the ball in the net with ease. Mathieu Valbuena will most likely only be ready after the Holidays and the same can be said for forgotten center-back Pape Abou Cisse, who had a scary lung issue.

Finally, Kostas Fortounis is beginning the countdown to his return. Realistically, the Greek international from Trikala will be able to really contribute come playoff time.

Pedro Martins can rest knowing that the team is still in Europe for the new calendar year and remains tied for first place in the league. Twenty-five games into this season and Olympiacos have shown they can compete with everyone; they can’t take the foot off the gas, however, because a slip-up in Tripoli would sour all the celebrations.

by Theo Bouras

Image Source: to10.gr

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