The Talk of Europe

AGONAsport’s Olympiacos contributor, Theo Bouras, talks about the Erythrolefki’s historic victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Europe League this past Thursday.

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Last Thursday evening, Olympiacos did not only knock on all of Europe’s door, but they kicked the door down and made sure everyone knew who was there. In what will go down as one of the biggest nights in the team’s history, Olympiacos eliminated Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League.

A Night Fans Will Never Forget

When the Europa League draw for the knockout stages took place last December, few Olympiacos supporters were thrilled with the result. Arsenal had struggled at the beginning of this campaign and eventually appointed former Gunner, Mikel Arteta, as their new bench boss. Arteta began to stir the ship in the right direction slowly, and the London side had one goal for the rest of the season; conquering the Europa League. 

Winning the Europe League ensures a place in next year’s Champions League. With Arsenal looming down in the English Premier League standings, winning the Europa League was the only way for the Gunners to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.

There was plenty of talk about Arsenal not being Arsenal, but a team that is worth north of 800 million euros should never be taken lightly. Last week in Piraeus, Olympiacos undeservedly lost 0-1 when their defense broke down on one occasion. Instead of calling it quits, the Legend travelled to England stress-free and hoped for the best. This past Sunday’s derby victory over PAOK not only gave the Gavros a five-point cushion in the Greek Super League standings, but it also gave the team confidence heading into England while seemingly taking away any pressure.

Pedro Martins did a masterful job keeping the game’s tempo to his team’s benefit in the first half, and you almost got the feeling during the game that the longer Arsenal took to open the scoring, the more Olympiacos would have a chance at getting a goal. Papé Abbou Cissé’s header found the back of the net in the 53rd minute, and the tie was wide open. Cissé, who was replacing the suspended Ruben Semedo, played alongside Ousseynou Ba, and both players were pillars in the back end. Any crosses were safely headed away, and both center backs’ speed neutralized Arsenal poachers Alexandre Lacazette and Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang.

In the extra time, Olympiacos looked like they would find a way to break through and claim victory. Even though fatigue started becoming an issue, it was the Erythrolefki who had the better scoring chances when Bruno Gaspar and Giorgos Masouras almost put the team ahead. Arsenal took the aggregate lead in the 113th minute with a cheeky finish from Aubameyang, but instead of demoralizing the Legend, Martins’ side continued to push back.

When Youssef El Arabi scored the winner in the 119th minute, all of Europe was watching. Literally. Not just because of the thrilling finish; at that point, every other Europa League game had concluded, which meant the entire World witnessed the Olympiacos victory.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

This deep in the season, Olympiacos are favorites to win the Greek Super Lague. They also like their chances against PAOK in the Greek Cup and are now in the Round of 16 in the Europa League against Wolverhampton Wanderers (where they will get to see an old friend in Daniel Podence). Whether this team wins the league, takes home the Double, or makes a deep run in Europe, Olympiacos fans can’t help but feel thankful.

Thankful because in these tough economic times in Greece, their team has become a household name in Europe. Thankful because while other Greek clubs have stopped playing European football since August, they travel to England, to Germany, and the rest of Europe with a dream. Thankful because they continue to proudly raise the Greek flag for the entire World to see. Thankful because this club grows bigger each and every day.

There are moments in life, and in sports that you look back on with fondness, moments you simply will never forget. We all remember where we were when the Greek National Team shocked the World and conquered the 2004 Euro Cup. None of us will ever forget where we were this past Thursday night, and hey, the best might be yet to come. Club owner Evangelos Marinakis has coined the phrase “We keep on dreaming,” and Olympiacos fans can undoubtedly do that.

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