Olympiacos kick off 2019 with easy win over Levadiakos
 

GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 16

Olympiacos kept the pressure on SuperLeague leaders PAOK by securing a comfortable 2-0 away win over Levadiakos on Sunday in a one-sided Matchday 15 clash in Livadeia.

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Goals from Greek international midfielder Kostas Fortounis and striker Miguel Angel Guerrero sealed a first three-point haul of 2019 for Thrylos coach Pedro Martins and his team, who were in league action for the first time since the winter break.

Levadiakos offered little in the way of an attacking threat against second-placed Olympiacos, for whom the win lifted them to within six points of PAOK, ahead of the Salonica club’s match against Asteras Tripolis.

THE MATCH

Olympiacos’ hunger for three points was clear from the outset as they immediately attacked the home goal in the second minute and actually had the ball in the net with Andreas Bouchalakis finding the target.

But the “goal” was correctly chalked off for a foul committed by Lazaros Christodoulopoulos in the build-up.

The vocal visiting did not have to wait long for a goal, however, as Fortounis met a cross from Miguel Angel Guerrero to open the scoring just five minutes later.

Buoyed by their bright start, Olympiacos continued to pin Levadiakos deep inside their own half and pepper the home goal with shots. However, a combination of poor finishing and competent goalkeeper from Vladimir Bazic kept the Thrylos at bay.

The players disappeared into the dressing rooms at half-time with Olympiacos in firm control and it seemed unlikely that the home side could get back into the match, despite some spradic threats to Jose Sa’s goal.

Levadiakos had it all to do in the second half if they wanted to get anything out of the game, but they found themselves two goals down just five minutes after the restart.

A lofted cross from Bouchalakis gifted Guerrero the chance to score on a plate, and the Spaniard did not pass on the opportunity, heading past a helpless and static Bazic to make it 2-0.

It should have been 3-0 just four minutes later when Fortounis played in Daniel Podence, but the Portuguese winger’s effort shaved the right post on it’s way out of play, much to the relief of Bazic in the Levadiakos goal.

That wasn’t the last chance Olympiacos missed as they closed out the match in firm control, but there was also a golden chance for Levadiakos to set up a tense finish when substitute forward Marko Markovski failed to find the target with only Sa to beat with eight minutes left.

STARTING LINEUPS

Levadiakos: 19 Bazic(GK), 14 Panteliadis, 13 Zisopoulos, 5 Angua, 44 Liagas, 21 Karachalios, 6, Omo, 22 Stanojevic, 20 Giakoumakis, 7 Nangis, 99 Ioannidis

Olympiacos: 93 Jose  Sa(GK), 14 Omar, 66 Cisse, 26 Vukovic, 23Koutris, 12 Guilherme, 5 Bouchalakis, 7 Fortounis, 11 Lazaros, 56 Podence, 9 Guerrero.

HIGHLIGHTS: LEVADIAKOS - OLYMPIACOS

by Graham Wood

Image Source: SDNA.gr

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