Misfiring Olympiacos held by Volos
SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 16
Super League leaders Olympiacos dropped two crucial points on Sunday as the Piraeus giants were held to a goalless draw by a valiant Volos side at the Panthessaliko Stadium in their final match of 2019.
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Olympiacos, who have scored goals for fun of late, produced a below-par performance by their high standards, and the Thrylos could simply not find a way past Volos goalkeeper Thanasis Garavelis.
Pedro Martin’s men hit the woodwork three times in the second half as they piled on the pressure in the latter stages, but Volos clung on to claim a credible draw which dents Olympiacos’s chances of ending the year in top spot.
The Red and Whites have 38 points and reigning champions PAOK, who have 37 points, can overtake them if the Thessaloniki club beat Atromitos at home on Monday night in their last match of 2019.
THE MATCH
Pedro Martins’ men came into this match on the back of a scoring tear. After a 1-1 draw with PAOK, the Erythrolefki had scored twelve times in three matches (all wins), and more goals were expected against Volos.
The Magnesia outfit have been no pushovers in their first season in the top-flight where they began the day in eleventh place. After beating Panionios last week, however, Volos came crashing down to earth with a 4-0 loss to Aris.
There was no goal rush in the opening half, but while chances were at a premium, the match was not short on talking points as plenty of fouls and duels going on all over the pitch took place, as well as a red card for Volos mayor Achilleas Beos for a heated verbal exchange with Olympiacos officials.
Olympiacos did not look their usual ruthless and energetic selves as they have been of late, but they still had the ball in the net on 17 minutes when Hilal Soudani sprinted clear to latch on to a long ball and finish clinically.
Match referee Vassilis Fotias consulted VAR on the goal, and after the review he upheld the offside ruling, although replays were inconclusive as to whether it was the correct decision, with the margins extremely tight.
Volos’ best opportunity of a goal came when Olympiacos central defender Ruben Semedo almost chested the ball into his own goal on 52 minutes from Leftheris Lyratzis’ right-wing cross. Luckily for the visitors, the ball landed just wide of Jose Sa’s post with the Portuguese goalkeeper exposed.
Olympiacos responded well to that mishap and Kostas Tsimika sent a cross onto the crossbar just after the hour mark, Youssef El Arabi heading straight at Volos goalkeeper Thanasis Garavelis shortly afterwards.
The visitors got even closer on 68 minutes when Masouras twisted and turned his way past a couple of Volos defenders before sending a cute reverse pass into the path of El Arabi, but the forward’s shot crashed off the right post and bounced to safety.
Maximiliano Lovera was next to go close for Olympiacos, sending a free-kick onto the crossbar in the 72nd minute which Garavelis got a hand to.
Things were getting desperate for the visitors, who continued to lay siege to the home side’s goal as they looked to grab a goal that would surely win the match. And they almost had it eight minutes from full-time when El Arabi failed to convert Lovera’s assist from a great position.
Their last chance came on 88 minutes when Andreas Bouchalakis’ shot on the turn was blocked into the side-netting by a Volos defender.
STARTING LINEUPS
Volos: 1 Garavelis (Gk), 2 Dedakis, 3 Ferrari, 67 Diamantis, 44 Chika, 6 Tsokanis, 99 Balogiannis, 8 Muniz, 26 Jendrisek, 22 Lyratzis, 18 Torres
Olympiacos: 1 Sa (Gk), 2 Soudani, 3 Semedo, 4 Camara, 5 Bouhalakis, 11 El-arabi, 14 Elabdellaoui, 18 Bruno, 19 Masouras, 21 Tsimikas, 24 Ba
HIGHLIGHTS
