Valbuena king of assists in Piraeus 

Despite his age, French veteran Mathieu Valbuena is enjoying a brilliant debut season in Piraeus with Olympiacos, having already tallied 21 assists so far.

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Talent has no age. Now 35 years of age, Valbuena has consistently proven this season that he is still a player of the highest calibre, starring for Olympiacos with the Erythrolefki comfortably leading the Super League and qualifying for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. When key midfielder Kostas Fortounis suffered a serious knee injury last summer, many Olympiacos supporters feared that the team would suffer hugely as a consequence, but Valbuena didn’t allow that to happen.

The diminutive, gifted Frenchman has rolled back the years. Capable of playing either on the flank or down the middle, Valbuena has provided vital creativity and intelligence on the pitch for Olympiacos, often conjuring up big-time plays in decisive moments. His dead-ball ability has been on show for all to see too.

31 appearances, eight goals, 21 assists. Fantastic numbers which prove just how important Valbuena is to this Olympiacos side. A vastly experienced player having previously starred on the continent for Marseille, Dynamo Moscow, Olympique Lyonnais and Fenerbahce, Valbuena understands how to make the difference in crucial matches, and he registered either a goal or assist in headline battles against Basaksehir, Krasnodar, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, PAOK and Panathinaikos. His corner, which was firmly headed into the net by Pape Abou Cisse, set Olympiacos on their way to their famous triumph over Arsenal in the Europa League in late February:

21 assists in one single season is a new personal record for Valbuena:

2006/2007: 2 assists (Marseille)

2007/2008: 1 assist (Marseille)

2008/2009: 6 assists (Marseille)

2009/2010: 4 assists (Marseille)

2010/2011: 7 assists (Marseille)

2011/2012: 16 assists (Marseille)

2012/2013: 15 assists (Marseille)

2013/2014: 8 assists (Marseille)

2014/2015: 15 assists (Dynamo Moscow)

2015/2016: 8 assists (Olympique Lyonnais)

2016/2017: 8 assists (Olympique Lyonnais)

2017/2018: 16 assists (Fenerbahce)

2018/2019: 8 assists (Fenerbahce)

Last week, Olympiacos naturally decided to keep Valbuena for the 2020/2021 season, extending the existing contract with the French magician. Over the next couple of weeks, the Erythrolefki will be hoping that Valbuena continues his hot streak, with the club aiming to historically qualify for the quarter-finals of the Europa League. 

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